ABSTRACT
Disasters are natural and man-made. The preparedness of both the Government and civil society in prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Public awareness on impending floods, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones, terrorist attacks, chemical blasts, flu, pandemic and more is the new challenge. Effective disaster management will strengthen the knowledge of the local community and institution.
The research paper will present the perception and attitudes of civil society in preparedness for encountering disasters. The paper will analyze the various programmes and capacity-building programmes adopted by the Government and its institutions for creating awareness, early warnings and preparation of civil society. The paper will explore the communication networks that will serve in emergencies in the light of emergency communication theories. The research study is descriptive and random sampling is chosen to collect data. The findings are represented in quantitative form, emphasizing on what, why and how the disaster communication can be effectively strategies, based on perception and attitudes of the community. The study has suggested various disaster communication methods and promotion of sustainable practices during disasters. There is a serious need to understand the perception and attitudes of individuals and communities at large, as there are challenges of dynamic disasters, misinformation/disinformation and communication technologies. The study recommends having a common communication signal, channel to authenticate and organize the behavior during emergencies. It suggests having an active community level communication network and engagement in preparation for disasters.
