Shaping Favorable Beliefs Towards Seismic Protection Through Risk Communication: A Pilot-Experience in Two Lisbon Schools (Portugal)

Communicating science within disaster risk reduction using methods that encourage two-way dialogue between scientists and laypersons is a challenging task. This paper aims at presenting a methodological strategy of communicating risk and non-structural seismic protection measures through participatory approach. Such methodological strategy is part of a pilot experience of risk communication in two schools in Lisbon (Portugal) under the EU project KnowRISK (Know your city, Reduce seISmic risK through non-structural elements). The efficacy of education for seismic safety is often inhibited by an incomplete understanding of the process by which individuals decide to protect themselves from harm (Becker JS, Paton D, Johnston DM, Ronan KR. Nat Hazards 64(1):107–137, 2012a; Becker JS, Paton D, Johnston DM, Ronan KR. J Civil Eng Archit 6(6):673–681, 2012b). Becker et al. (in ibid) conceive such a process composed of a series of stages: knowledge and awareness, thinking and talking, understanding the consequences, developing skills. The above-mentioned pilot experience of risk communication was designed in order to trigger the cognitive process underlying behavioral change. Lisbon is a dormant society as far as earthquake risk is concerned. Given this, risk communication was firstly designed to generate awareness and knowledge among target-groups.