Radio Communication for DRR

ENTRY DATE: 28.04.2015 | LAST UPDATE: 28.04.2015

CATEGORIES:

  • Disaster Prevention
  • Awareness raising

TECHNOLOGIES MATURITY:

Applicable immediately

Technology Owners:

  • Communities
  • NGOs
  • Radio broadcasting companies

Needs Address

  • Disaster prevention and relief
  • Increased awareness of public at large on various environmental issues

Adaptation effects

Enhances capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters by increasing awareness

Overview and Features

Radio broadcasts make for an efficient way to convey climate information including emergency alerts, short and medium term forecasts, and programmes related to environmental conservation.  Messages can be conveyed repeatedly over the radio to enhance learning and understanding while also securing continued engagement.

Cost

  • Cost of radio program, broadcast
  • Cost of radio

Energy source

Electricity for broadcasting

Ease of maintenance

Depends on the radio program

Technology performance

  • Has been found to increase knowledge of climate change, its Impacts and appropriate adaptation
  • Impact and action as a result of the radio programme has been shown (e.g. an Afghan community have imposed fines on anyone who cuts down trees, which has led to improved tree growth and protection from floods) 

Considerations

  • The programme must be broadcasted in the appropriate language
  • Correctness of the information
  • Fund (sponsorship)

Co-benefit, suitability for developing countries

  • Provision of entertainment
  • Broadcast must be in the local language, with acknowledgement that languages and dialects may be diverse
  • Programmes can be community managed and run – training for the community management to enhance their knowledge can be an advantage
  • Only suitable in communities who have access to radio devices and where listening to radio programmes is a social norm
  • Can reach remote communities, so long as signal is adequate
  • Battery run radios can operate even when other sources of energy supply are limited, and broadcasts can be accessed even in places where mobile phone signals do not reach

Information Resources

BNNRC, n.d. Community Rural Radio Krishi Radio 98.8.  Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication. Available at: http://www.bnnrc.net/network/communityradioinbangladesh/krishiradio [20 March 2015] 

IFRC, 2009.  Pacific. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Available at: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/annual09/MAA5500109pu1n.pdf [20 March 2015]

IOM, n.d. Starting the Conversation – Communications with Communities (CwC) in Post-Typhoon Philippines. Available at: http://issuu.com/iomdrd/docs/starting_the_conversation/12 [20 March 2015]

Tearfund, 2007. Disaster Risk Reduction: Raising Awareness of Risk Through Radio in Afghanistan: A Case Study. Available at: http://tilz.tearfund.org/~/media/Files/TILZ/Topics/DRR/Raising%20Awareness%20of%20Risk%20Through%20Radio%20in%20Afghanistan.pdf [22 January 2015]

The Communication Initiative, 1999. New Home New Life (NHNL). Available at: http://www.comminit.com/content/new-home-new-life-nhnl [20 March 2015]

UNFCCC, n.d. Community Radio as a knowledge tool in responding to climate change under the Nairobi work programme. Available at: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/pub_nwp_community_radio_leaflet.pdf [22 January 2015]

UNISDR, 2007. Building Disaster Resilient Communities. United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Available at: http://www.unisdr.org/files/596_10307.pdf [22 January 2015]