1.1. Risk Perception and Disaster Risk Preparedness – Part 1

Hello everyone, we will discuss, welcome to this lecture series on disaster recovery and build back better. In this lecture, we will focus on risk perception and disaster risk preparedness, I will tell you that why we need. Also to focus on risk preparedness, not only in mitigation and also I will tell you what is the critical role of risk perception when we are trying to promote preparedness.

In this introduction, the speaker sets the stage for the discussion on disaster recovery and the importance of understanding risks and preparing for disasters. They highlight that risk perception is crucial for promoting preparedness, which means that how we view and understand risks influences our ability to prepare for and respond to disasters effectively.

Consider how people prepare for a storm. If someone perceives a hurricane as a serious threat, they are more likely to stock up on supplies and evacuate if necessary. This preparedness can save lives because the individual recognized the risk and acted accordingly.

We already know that we have many hazards including natural hazards okay, like flood or kind of volcano but also we have many other hazards which are not directly related to disasters but let us look at in a broader perspective, we could have smoking or GMO.

In this chunk, the speaker describes various types of hazards. Natural hazards include events like floods and volcanic eruptions, while also mentioning non-natural hazards such as smoking and genetically modified organisms (GMO). This broader perspective is essential as it expands our understanding of risks that can affect health and safety in different ways.

Think of smoking as a hazard that individuals may not immediately associate with disasters. While it doesn’t lead to a natural disaster, over time, smoking can lead to severe health issues like lung cancer, thereby presenting a risk that requires awareness and preparedness, similar to preparing for floods.

Now, looking at disaster risk, particularly in Asia that is for sure that Asia is one of the hotspot, it is one of the most disaster-prone region in the world.

This chunk emphasizes that Asia is a highly disaster-prone region for both natural and man-made hazards. Due to geographical and population factors, cities in Asia are particularly vulnerable to disasters, making it critical to understand risk perception and preparedness in these areas.

Imagine living in a community near a volcano. If you know the volcano has previously erupted and may erupt again, this awareness affects how you prepare your home, such as having an evacuation plan or an emergency kit ready, illustrating the importance of risk perception in vulnerable regions.

One more thing is that urban population; urban population in the world is dominating. In 1950, it was only 29.7% of total population was urban population, only 29.7. In 2030, it is considered that it will grow as 61.1%; that means more and more people are living in urban areas and they are exposed to various kinds of disasters.

The speaker discusses the rapid growth of urban populations and how this urbanization leads to increased exposure to disasters. As more people move to cities, often located in vulnerable areas, the potential impact of disasters can escalate dramatically, necessitating effective risk awareness and preparedness strategies.

Consider a crowded city like Tokyo, where millions live close to fault lines. If an earthquake were to strike, the consequences could be catastrophic. This example shows how urban population growth amplifies the need for disaster preparedness measures.

Also, not only the disasters are increasing, but economic loss and social impacts due to disasters are increasing, here is one you can look at economic losses or insured losses with trend from 1950’s to 2000 that is for sure that it is increasing.

This segment points out that not only are disasters occurring more frequently, but they also result in greater economic losses and social impacts. Tracking the trends of these losses from the past decades shows an alarming increase, signaling that we need to enhance our preparedness efforts to minimize future impacts.

Think about the cost of preparing for a hurricane. Each year, as hurricanes become more common, insurance rates may increase due to the heightened risk. This reflects how economic factors are tightly intertwined with disaster preparedness and response.

So, what is the trend now? Large catastrophic disasters are more likely to occur, and we need to make people, increase people's risk awareness, we need to promote preparedness.

The speaker highlights that the likelihood of experiencing large catastrophic disasters is increasing and stresses the importance of building public awareness around risks and preparedness. It emphasizes that merely implementing structural measures is not enough; educating the public is key to reducing vulnerability.

Consider the practice of fire drills in schools. Regularly conducting these drills increases students' awareness of fire risks and teaches them how to respond effectively, ultimately saving lives in a real emergency.

--