FOCUS AREA:
RISK AWARENESS & COMMUNICATION
Effective flood risk communication is key to achieving flood resilience in Canada. Through applied research on public risk perceptions and targeted messaging strategies, as well as the development of educational campaigns and communications toolkits, P4A has been a leader in shaping best practices and advancing national flood risk awareness among Canadians.
Through comprehensive literature review, surveys, focus group workshops, and empirical research, P4A has identified barriers and opportunities in advancing Canadian flood risk awareness and mobilizing preparedness actions at the national and local scales. Explore our research findings and discover best practices for effective risk communication practices, including the following:
- Inclusive Resilience: Pathways to Building Awareness and Preparedness Among At-Risk Populations in Canada
- National (i.e., Canadian Voices on Flood Risk) and local (i.e., Windsor and Dufferin County, ON) surveys on flood risk
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Awareness to Action: Effectively Communicating Flood Risk to Canadians
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Flood Risk Reduction: The Road for Becoming a Trusted Source of Preparedness Information
Inclusive Resilience - Résilience Inclusive
Driving Risk Awareness to Action and Building Resiliency for Vulnerable Canadians in High-Risk Areas
Inclusive Resilience
Pathways to Building Awareness and Preparedness Among At-Risk Populations in Canada
This report summarizes the findings of the first phase of a two-phase Inclusive Resilience: Driving Risk Awareness to Action and Building Resiliency for Vulnerable Canadians in High Risk Areas project with the Canadian Red Cross, funded by Public Safety Canada. P4A researchers conducted public outreach research in five geographic regions, identifying inclusive risk communications strategies for engaging with women, older adults, low-income residents, Indigenous Peoples, and newcomers to Canada.
Résilience Inclusive
Pistes Pour Sensibiliser Et Préparer Les Populations À Risque Au Canada
Ce rapport résume les conclusions de la première phase du projet en deux phases intitulé « Résilience inclusive : Sensibiliser aux risques et renforcer la résilience des Canadiens vulnérables dans les zones à haut risque », mené en collaboration avec la Croix-Rouge canadienne et financé par Sécurité publique Canada. Les chercheurs de P4A ont réalisé des activités de sensibilisation auprès du public dans cinq régions géographiques afin de cerner des stratégies de communication inclusives sur les risques pour mobiliser les femmes, les personnes âgées, les résidents à faible revenu, les Autochtones et les nouveaux arrivants au Canada.
Assessing Canadian flood risk awareness
Canadian Voices on Flood Risk 2020
As a follow-up to P4A’s 2016 survey, 2,500 Canadians from across the country participated in a national survey to share their views on flood risk management. This report highlights key findings on how Canadians view the increasingly costly and common natural hazard, flooding. It addresses the large flooding problem within Canada and delves into why public awareness of flood risk continues to be so low despite growing urgency. Learn more here.
Canadian Voices on Changing Flood Risk: Findings from a National Survey
Extreme weather events, such as heavy rain and flooding, are happening more frequently across the country. Although the risk of floods may be on the rise, risk awareness from homeowners seems to be at a standstill. In 2016, P4A surveyed 2,300 Canadians from across the country who live in designated flood risk areas and found that, in general, Canadians are not aware of their flood risks and are unprepared for flooding events. Learn more here.
Voices of Flooding in Windsor Ontario
Residents of the City of Windsor have been through many flood events in recent years. In 2016 and 2017, flood events resulted in over $225 million in insured damages. In 2016, P4A conducted a national survey of residents who had experienced flooding and results from the survey indicated that most costs of recent floods were paid out of pocket. In light of these results, P4A completed a survey with the City of Windsor to gain a better understanding of flood risk perception and preparation among Windsor residents. Understanding the risk of flooding in a community is the first step to being prepared for future flood events.
Flooding and Personal Preparedness in Dufferin County
In 2017 and 2018, Dufferin County experienced significant rainfall events that led to flooding in many areas. In 2018, P4A partnered with the Canadian Red Cross and Dufferin County to examine the perception that many Canadians fail to prepare against flood risks. The partners sought to understand how to improve their risk messaging to encourage more residents to take proactive measures before, during and after flood events. A survey was made available to Dufferin residents, and the results are summarized in the report.
Best practices for effective flood risk communications
Communicating to Increase Flood Awareness and Incite Personal Action Among Canadians
This report provides guidance on awareness-to-action communication about reducing flood risk at the property level. It includes standalone communications messages, social media resources, educational materials, and guidance on developing and delivering these messages. The report’s objective is to offer readers a high-level overview of best practices for flood prevention communication, which readers can apply to their local context. Learn more here.
Communicating Flood Risk to Canadians: Understanding the challenges and developing best practices
P4A’s collaborative approach brought together experts from all levels of government, conservation authorities, academia, non-profits and industry (e.g., insurance, real estate, consultants, etc.). The workshop focused on collectively discussing how flood risk information should be communicated to encourage Canadians to take action, increase property- and community-level flood resilience, and reduce reliance on disaster assistance after floods. Learn more here.
Awareness to Action: Effectively Communicating Flood Risk to Canadians
The objective of this project was to promote flood risk awareness and action to reduce vulnerability and build safer and more resilient communities across Canada. Partners for Action leveraged the expertise of professionals in disciplines that include risk communication, community-based social marketing, behavioural change and marketing, as well as the practical knowledge of water resources and emergency management professionals. The research included developing flood prevention and preparedness messaging, preparing support materials and best practices, and promoting these resources to Canadians. Learn more here.
Flood Risk Reduction in Canada: The Road to Becoming a Trusted Source for Preparedness Information
In 2018, Partners for Action partnered with the Canadian Red Cross to develop a collaborative awareness-to-action project to inform Canadians about their flood risk and encourage behavioural change to create more resilient communities. As part of this project, interviews were conducted with flood and risk communication experts to gain a better understanding of what they want residents to know about flood risk and how to prepare. Learn more here.
A Community Guide to Flood Risk Communication
This guide provides an overview of the best practices and most effective approaches to flood risk communication. This guide is founded on research that supports the use of bottom-up strategies to address community needs and capacity. With effective approaches to flood risk communication and empowered communities, we can begin to create a flood-prepared Canada. Learn more here.