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Risk Amplification and Attenuation as Communication Strategies in Climate Adaptation in Urban Areas
1Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis
|September 29, 2021
Summary
Municipal climate adaptation leaders navigate complex communication challenges, balancing risk amplification and attenuation for diverse audiences. They adapt strategies as climate goals evolve, especially in sensitive areas like retreat.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Risk Communication
- Urban Planning
Background:
- Climate risks necessitate adaptation strategies at the local municipal level.
- Dedicated civil service roles for climate resilience are emerging in cities.
- Effective communication is crucial for implementing climate resilience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how municipal climate resilience officers perceive and manage communication challenges.
- To explore the application of the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) to government actors in climate adaptation.
- To identify evolving communication needs and research gaps in governmental climate risk communication.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving interviews with six climate resilience officers.
- Study focused on four U.S. Atlantic coast cities.
- Grounded analysis in the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF).
Main Results:
- Government representatives employ complex, audience-specific communication strategies, balancing risk amplification and attenuation.
- Practitioners adapt established risk communication practices for evolving climate adaptation goals.
- Challenges arise in novel situations, such as discussing retreat, where guidance is limited.
Conclusions:
- SARF offers a valuable framework for understanding governmental risk communication in climate adaptation.
- Further research is needed to integrate SARF with other theories and address practitioner challenges.
- Governmental actors play a vital role in applied risk communication for climate adaptation.
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