Communication-related vulnerability at the last mile: a mechanism-based framework

This paper examines communication-related vulnerability as a factor shaping people's access to, understanding of, and response to hazard information. The authors propose a mechanism-based framework for understanding how communication-related vulnerabilities shape last-mile outcomes in low-trust, low-connectivity settings. The framework identifies five mechanisms shaping last-mile communication: trust, message design, access, information integrity, and social meaning-making. The framework was applied in four flood-prone districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, using a household survey of 210 households to understand how flood risk information is received, interpreted, and acted upon.

The findings reveal limited receipt of official warnings and widespread dissatisfaction with the clarity, accessibility, and practical usefulness of information. Households relied mainly on television and interpersonal networks, reflecting institutional reach gaps and a persistent digital divide. Key barriers included low literacy, language mismatches, digital exclusion, affordability constraints, and mistrust. The authors propose a hybrid, equity-oriented communication model combining mass media, low-bandwidth mobile alerts, trusted community and faith-based institutions, and trained intermediaries supported by feedback mechanisms to enhance credibility, accessibility, and response.