One of the biggest challenges for scientists working in natural hazard prevention is to communicate the right knowledge and the uncertainty to stakeholders and population at risk.

In many occasions, we emphasize that scientists must learn and use a more popular language to disseminate their knowledge and their messages and many efforts have been done in the last years for this purpose. However, all components of the society - not just scientists - have to play a role and have a responsibility in natural hazards prevention. Several communities are not aware that they are living in high-risk areas and they do not know how to deal with potential hazards. Only some countries have already adopted disaster laws or codes that define the role of each component of the society. Nevertheless, also among the most developed countries, it is common to see that people do not know what they should do or who to contact before, during or after a disaster. Many stakeholders and the population do not know their role or lack of information about possible natural disaster in their area, and when they receive it, it is often too late. Ideally, each component can help and must unders tand that everyone is part of the prevention cycle, where the failure of a single part can generate or contribute to the failure of the whole system.

In this short course, we will use a serious game useful for multi-hazards and disaster risk management. Through a real case study, participants of the short course will understand the role and the responsibility of each component (national and local authorities, scientists, media and population) in a society potentially prone to natural hazards. Further, it will be possible to learn to identify the needs, how to contribute in the disaster cycle, how to collaborate with others to obtain information or how and which information you can provide to the others components.

The short course will be a combination of individual and group work and the results will be the definition of the different roles and a list of actions for each component of the society. The exercise will help you learning how the communication should be among society components, how the different players can address barriers and bridges.
This exercise has the purpose to promote the understanding of the different roles and responsibilities in disaster risk prevention and people attending the course can replicate the exercise for other real cases or while teaching at their own institutions.

We especially, but not limited, promote the participation of Early Career Scientists in the field of Natural Hazard.

Please, consider using the following link as a form of pre-registration for the short course, it will help the organizers planning the event: https://goo.gl/forms/tN0xSR3KCMA1tPAQ2. Be reminded that this form does not supersede the general registration for the General Assembly.

In cooperation with NhET (Natural hazard Early career scientists Team).