Risk and Crisis Communication in Colombia: a Case Study from Medellín

Abstract

This paper analyses the state of the art of risk and crisis communication in Colombia with a focus on natural and man-made risks and disasters. Findings are based on a series of semi-structured interviews with risk and crisis communication experts, practitioners, and educational experts from the city of Medellín, and on a content analysis of teaching materials used for risk communication. The study reveals that a combination of different approaches is used to raise risk awareness in the population, combining education through entertainment, citizen sciences projects, and risk communication via the website and app of a regional alerting system.