Asian Journal of Environment and Disaster Management 2011 3 2

doi: 10.3850/S1793924011000721

Possible Risk Communication Framework in Typhoon Affected Areas of Taiwan

Yukiko Takeuchi^a and Rajib Shaw^b Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. ^ay.takeuchi@fw7.ecs.kyoto-u.ac.jp ^bshaw@global.mbox.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp

ABSTRACT

Japan and Taiwan are similar in their geography, therefore, encounter similar disasters. In addition, Japan and Taiwan suffered serious disasters by Typhoon No.8 (MORAKOT) in August 2009. The underlying reason of the disaster is a result of climate change. With regards to disaster education, following the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake in 1995, Japan and 9-21 Earthquake of 1999 in Taiwan, both countries have undertaken proactive stance on disaster risk reduction education. The Morakot typhoon has underlined some of the key issues as underlying factors to the damages: importance of indigenous and local knowledge and its use, dissemination of emergency information, and link to early warning system, community based hazard mapping and its usage at local level, and importance of school disaster education. To develop the risk communication strategy and to understand the local and indigenous knowledge, a survey was conducted in local communities in 4 villages in the affected region. Analysis of 168 samples of community members of different age and gender highlights the importance of linkage of early warning system with the local knowledge and undertaking community based school education, which provides a link between the school, community and family. From the survey, it is also emphasized that the local education board should promote and undertake a proactive risk communication strategy to enhance the resilience of local school and communities.

Keywords: Risk communication, Disaster education, Risk information, Trust, Taiwan.

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