Survival communication under uncertainty and complexity: A review

Abstract

This study aims to propose the concept of survival communication in arbitrating the comprehension and interpretation of risk information during cascading disasters under uncertainty and complexity. A broad content review and synthesis were conducted based on the literature on notions of risk and crisis communication published before 2015. A concept of survival and communication was framed and discussed through the review of the literature and lessons from two cascading disasters. During cascading disasters, the public may be exposed to massive general risk information through various channels. The information often may not be on time or limited due to the cascading effect, including natural disasters with sequential events, damaged social infrastructure, insufficient information sources, and insufficient expertise knowledge. Accessing and understanding the risk information is key to supporting decision-making on time and disseminating information to protect people by themselves, particularly in a small-scale community. The public may need different information depending on a situation that could help deal with emergencies and decision making, support understanding and interpreting risk information by their language, and apply their knowledge to emergency activities. Based on that, this study proposes a concept of survival communication that is defined as a system that is organized for supporting multi-way communication for disaster risk and emergency information to protect individuals' lives during cascading disasters until the arrival of professional first responders at the disaster scene. Proposed survival communication could enhance disaster literacy on the basis of target-oriented risk information, experiences, wisdom, and local knowledge and reduce risks containing uncertainty and complexity of cascading disasters.