Earthquake preparedness among people with and without experience of earthquakes and injuries in China

Kenneth N. K. Fong (Corresponding Author), Peng Liao, Cong Wang, Hong Zhu, Qiuyun Wang, Danli Wu, Wai Ping Cecilia Tsang

Research output: Chapter in book / Conference proceedingChapter in an edited book (as author)Academic researchpeer-review

Abstract

Disaster risk management is a general approach to managing risks related to disasters. The process of the disaster risk management cycle is divided into four stages, namely, disaster response, disaster recovery, disaster prevention, and disaster preparedness. In this chapter, the authors report on a questionnaire survey which investigated the differences in responses to earthquake preparedness among people with and without experience of earthquakes and physical injuries in Sichuan and Yunnan in China. Altogether, 110 participants were recruited using convenience sampling; they were people with or without any physical injuries from an earthquake, and people who had or had not experienced an earthquake before. The survey findings showed that a majority (81%) of the participants got information about earthquake preparedness through television and 45% through the internet and smartphones. Many (73%) of them had studied how to respond to an earthquake, and 72% knew how to ensure their own safety during an earthquake. It was found that the higher the respondents’ educational level, the higher the percentage of people (92%) who knew how to stay safe during an earthquake. The authors come to the conclusion that, in future, computer applications (apps) integrating capacities in disaster management and the dissemination of emergency information during an earthquake, which can be used through existing popular platforms such as WeChat, should be an effective way to improve disaster responses.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDisaster Management and Emergency Medicine in the Asia-Pacific Region: Current Practices and Future Directions
PublisherCity University of Hong Kong Press
Chapter5
Pages117-142
ISBN (Print)978-962-937-653-6
Publication statusPublished - 19 Jul 2023

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