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Natural disaster preparedness in a multi-hazard environment: Characterizing the sociodemographic profile of those better (worse) prepared

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  • Nicolás C Bronfman
  • Pamela C Cisternas
  • Paula B Repetto
  • Javiera V Castañeda

Abstract

The growing multi-hazard environment to which millions of people in the world are exposed highlights the importance of making sure that populations are increasingly better prepared. The objective of this study was to report the levels of preparedness of a community exposed to two natural hazards and identify the primary sociodemographic characteristics of groups with different preparedness levels. A survey was conducted on 476 participants from two localities of the Atacama Region in the north of Chile during the spring of 2015. Their level of preparedness at home and work was assessed to face two types of natural hazards: earthquakes and floods.The findings show that participants are significantly better prepared to face earthquakes than floods, which sends a serious warning to local authorities, given that floods have caused the greatest human and material losses in the region’s recent history of natural disasters. Men claimed to be more prepared than women to face floods, something that the authors attribute to the particular characteristics of the main employment sectors for men and women in the region. The potential contribution of large companies on preparedness levels of communities in the areas in which they operate is discussed. The sociodemographic profile of individuals with the highest levels of preparedness in an environment with multiple natural hazards are people between 30 and 59 years of age, living with their partner and school-age children. The implications of the results pertaining to institutions responsible for developing disaster risk reduction plans, policies and programs in a multi-hazard environment are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolás C Bronfman & Pamela C Cisternas & Paula B Repetto & Javiera V Castañeda, 2019. "Natural disaster preparedness in a multi-hazard environment: Characterizing the sociodemographic profile of those better (worse) prepared," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0214249
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214249
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Fabrizio Terenzio Gizzi & Jonghun Kam & Donatella Porrini, 2020. "Time windows of opportunities to fight earthquake under-insurance: evidence from Google Trends," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Hayrol Azril Mohamed Shaffril & Asnarulkhadi Abu Samah & Syafila Kamarudin, 2021. "Speaking of the devil: a systematic literature review on community preparedness for earthquakes," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 108(3), pages 2393-2419, September.
    4. Zhen Cong & Zhirui Chen, 2022. "How are Asian-Americans different from other races in disaster preparedness in the context of caregiving responsibilities and preparation information access?," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 112(3), pages 2217-2236, July.
    5. Nicolás C. Bronfman & Paula B. Repetto & Nikole Guerrero & Javiera V. Castañeda & Pamela C. Cisternas, 2021. "Temporal evolution in social vulnerability to natural hazards in Chile," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 107(2), pages 1757-1784, June.
    6. Joseph Owuondo, 2022. "A Review of Disaster Preparedness and Management Techniques in Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 6(7), pages 698-701, July.
    7. Seungil Yum, 2022. "Social networks and spatial-temporal analyses for winter storm Jupiter in the US in 2017," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2091-2105, August.
    8. Nicolás Bronfman & Paula Repetto & Paola Cordón & Javiera Castañeda & Pamela Cisternas, 2021. "Gender Differences on Psychosocial Factors Affecting COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-12, May.
    9. Sachin Modgil & Rohit Kumar Singh & Cyril Foropon, 2022. "Quality management in humanitarian operations and disaster relief management: a review and future research directions," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 319(1), pages 1045-1098, December.
    10. Rao, Smitha & Enelamah, Ngozi V., 2024. "Social protection and absorptive capacity: Disaster preparedness and social welfare policy in the United States," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).

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