Risk information sources for snow disaster risk preparedness in Scotland

Adekola, J. , Renaud, F. and Hill, C. (2021) Risk information sources for snow disaster risk preparedness in Scotland. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 12, pp. 854-866. (doi: 10.1007/s13753-021-00386-y)

Abstract

Heavy snow disruptions are common and costly occurrences in the UK, including Scotland. Yet, heavy snow remains an underresearched aspect of disaster risks in Scotland. This study critically examined the 2018 heavy snow event in Scotland referred to as the “Beast from the East” (BfE) in order to explore the different sources of information used by the public in preparation for and response to heavy snow emergencies. Our study also examined the effectiveness of BfE risk communication between authorities and the public and sought to determine if there is a relationship between risk information received and the intention to mitigate risk. Data were collected through a semistructured survey from (n = 180) residents of the Annandale and Eskdale region of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Our analysis shows that public authority information sources were the most sought-after information sources, followed by online and web sources. We found statistically significant differences between groups (such as age, gender, and mobility/disability) in terms of using risk information sources. Further analysis shows that the relationship between information received and the intention to mitigate risks is not linear but influenced by intervening variables such as work pressures, financial commitment, and stakeholders’ expectations. We argue that where full adherence to official risk advice is required, policymakers should carefully consider issues around these three factors.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research is partly funded by the Scottish Funding Council, as part of the National Centre for Resilince. This research received no external funding.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Renaud, Professor Fabrice and Adekola, Dr Josephine and Hill, Professor Carol
• Authors: Adekola, J., Renaud, F., and Hill, C.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management; College of Social Sciences > School of Social & Environmental Sustainability
• Journal Name: International Journal of Disaster Risk Science
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 2095-0055
• ISSN (Online): 2192-6395
• Published Online: 15 December 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © The Author(s) 2021
• First Published: First published in International Journal of Disaster Risk Science 12: 854-866
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence