GNGTS 2017 - 36° Convegno Nazionale

502 GNGTS 2017 S essione 2.3 The KnowRISK project: when communication becomes prevention G. Musacchio 1 , S. Solarino 1 , M.A. Ferreira 2 , M. Lopes 2 , C.S. Oliveira 2 , D. Silva 3 , R Rupakhety 3 and the KnowRISK Team 1 INGV, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome, Italy 2 IST, Istituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal 3 LNEC, Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Lisbon, Portugal 4 EERC, Earthquake Engineering Research Centre, Selfoss, Iceland Prevention can positively intrude culture only if access to experts’ knowledge is facilitated. On the other hand progress in seismic performance and even legal regulatory provisions can be more effective if the stakeholders are aware of the associated risks and benefits. Standing from these ideas, KnowRISK (Know your city, Reduce seISmic risK through non-structural elements) supports disaster reduction relying on risk communication. KnowRISK is a project financed by the European Commission, under the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Humanitarian Operation, that addresses mitigation of non-structural component (NSC) damage caused by earthquakes in selected pilot areas belonging to the three participating countries, namely Portugal, Italy, and Iceland. Often neglected by experts, significance of damage to NSCs is largely unknown to the public, specifically concerning costs and benefits associated to actions that can reduce their vulnerability. “If the house doesn’t collapse, I will be safe” is a major fallacies among common citizens. Factors acting as barriers to the adoption of NSCs seismic protection need to be carefully addressed to understand why even solutions that might require low efforts, and costs, do not receive due attention. KnowRISK considered the direct engagement of public into the process of communication to be a good way to tackle this issue. KnowRISK tasks are grouped into: 1) a Research for Action block that produces the input of knowledge to be delivered to communities in the participating countries and activate an 2) Action for Prevention block. Target public in KnowRISK includes school communities (ISED 1 and 2 students, teachers and families), common citizens, and professionals. Knowledge, Attitude (Perception) and Practice (KAP) parameters are used to profile them and formulate a communication protocol well adjusted to their specific needs. Here, “Knowledge” is the understanding of earthquake phenomenon and the associated risks; “Attitude” refers to feelings and preconceived ideas towards it; and “Practice” refers to the ways in which communities demonstrate their knowledge and attitudes through their actions (NSET, 2017). The KAP approach allows a quantitative assessment of efficacy of risk communication to trigger, and establish prevention of NSC damage. Assessment of efficacy, rarely taken into account within risk communication actions (Infanti et al. , 2013), is a fundamental novelty of the KnowRISK communication strategy and is aimed at providing a replicable tool for other European countries (Platt et al., 2017). Research for action. Prevention should be based on research. The definition of seismic scenarios critical for non-structural damage in each participant country, a systematic compilation of most common NSC vulnerability situations, and the investigation of the level of awareness in specific communities are the background knowledge upon which the strategy of communication is built. KnowRISK has considered that the engagement of public might contribute to assess the level of awareness of a community and offer insights for the communication campaign. Public engagement is a major part of modern science communication is built. Experts might use difficult or ineffective terminology and omit information their audience might need in implementing mindful decisions (Bruine de Bruin and Bostrom, 2012). Paying attention to the needs of recipients can help in understanding people’s priorities upon risk mitigation options (Fischoff et al. , 2011). Focus groups, interviews and roundtables with the public, a wide range of stakeholders, in the three participating countries allowed to address the following issues: the memories from