Design and implementation of a relational model of risk communication

This contributing paper presents a relational model of risk communication that synthesizes decades of research on risk cognition and related themes. The model is one that is well suited for disaster risk reduction practitioners, whether working in agencies, NGOs, or community organizations. The relational model reorients the task of risk communication to capture the collaborative nature of disaster risk reduction, recognizing multiple ways of knowing and sharing knowledge. It reflects insights from the literature on risk communication, disaster risk reduction, and social learning.

The paper notes that the model presented herein is not an entirely new one but, instead, something that mirrors and filters the many insights from the risk communication research into a new practice that is readily used in real-world settings. The relational model of risk communication does not displace conventional expert-based communication but, rather, is meant to be employed alongside them. It speaks to the importance of communication among members of the community, which occurs naturally and continuously, as a potential vehicle for reaching everyone, including the most excluded.