Prof. David AlexanderCESPRO - University of Florence

Reflections onresilience andcommunication

Wisdom: ability to take decisionson the basis of principles,experience and knowledge

Knowledge: understanding of howthings function (or should function)

Information: description ofphysical and social situations

Data: basic facts and statistics

COMMUNICATION

Source: World Disasters Report 2005

• definition: readily recoveringfrom shock, buoyant

• the term is derived from rheology, thescience of the deformation of matter

• as with materials, so with society:aim for the optimum combination ofability to resist and absorb shocks

• resilience is an amalgam of attitude,preparedness and redundancy.

Resilience [Resiliency]:

Attitude:• positive outlook• ingenious approaches• searching for solutions• involving other people

RESILIENCE

Preparedness:• emergency plans• monitoring & forecasting• warning & evacuation• public information

Redundancy• expensive but worthwhile• alternative solutions• extra capacity

Causes of disasternatural geophysical,technological, social

Historysingle andcumulativeimpactof pastdisasters

Humancultures

constraintsand

opportunitiesIMPACTS

RESILIENCEAdaptation

to risk

HOW PEOPLEPERCEIVE RISK

ABILITY TOPERCEIVE RISK

EXPERIENCEWITH RISK

PROPENSITYTO DENY RISK

ACCESS TOINFORMATION

ABILITY TOREDUCE RISK:

• money • expertise • knowledge• resources

WHETHERRISK HAS

BEEN ABATED

PEOPLE'S IDEASABOUT POSSIBLE

DAMAGE AND LOSS

Riskamplification

factors

Riskmitigationfactors

Totalvulnerability

Risk perceptionfactors- +

positivenegative

DIALECTIC

Diffusion of information

Perceptual filter

Cultural filter

Emergency not decoded

Emergency decoded

Ignorance

Imagesof reality

Symbolicconstructions

Enlightenment

Emergencyresponse

Technology

Message

Plan

Perception

Socialfactors

Culture

Optimisation Process

The emergencyenvironment

Emergencyco-ordination

plan

Real-timecontingency

planning

Spontaneousimprovisation

Emergencyprocedures

Emergency management:an evolutionary approach

Proxy Participatory

Civil defence...............Civil protection

Command and controlVertical chainof commandPopulation excludedLaw and orderSecrecy

CollaborationTask forces

Population consultedand included

Problem solvingOpenness

Locus ofcontrol

Locus ofcollaboration

(support)

Tension ofopposites

Commandfunctionprinciple

Supportfunctionprinciple

Spectrum ofalternatives

Locus ofcontrol

Locus ofcollaboration

(support)

Directed.......Ungovernable

Control.......Loss of control

Order..................Chaos

Initiative.......Obey orders

Collaboration.."Freelancing"

Autonomy.........Constraint

Past events

Analysis

• registered• archived• forgotten• ignored

Vulnerabilitymaintained.-

• utilised• adopted• learned

Disasterriskreduced

+

Lessons

Emergencycommunications

Searchand

rescue

Emergencymedicalresponse

Emergencymanagement

Emergencyresponse

Healthsystem

Contingencyplanning

Bem-hajam pela atençãodispensada!