LINKS - Strengthening links between technologies and society for European disaster resilience

The LINKS Community Center, is an online platform providing user-friendly access to links results and means to exchange knowledge and experiences. You can access the LCC and join our LINKS Community at: https://links.communitycenter.eu/

The LINKS Framework helps disaster management professionals focus on what is important when applying Social Media and Crowdsourcing in disaster management processes. It consists of different products such as libraries on technologies, guidelines, and use cases for applying Social Media and Crowdsourcing in disaster risk management. Ovearll the Framework supports strategic planning for improving Engagement with Citizens and Communication Processes in all phases of disasters in the following key areas:
- Mobilising citizens and volunteers
- Targeting communication
- Ensuring the credibility of information
- Making information accessible to all
- Collecting and analysing information

The Framework can be accessed through the LINKS Community Center at: https://links.communitycenter.eu/index.php/User_Guidance

Disaster management organisations and policy makers continue to deal with several challenges when it comes to inclusive communication through social media with diverse groups, including the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. They face difficulties ensuring that the information they share on digital channels is accessible to all parts of the population, that it is understandable and actionable (meaning that people can take the necessary actions based on the information), and that information and knowledge sharing is multi-directional.

These challenges can be overcome by targeting accessibility issues in all phases of the disaster cycle (i.e. before, during, and after). This policy brief is based on the LINKS outcomes and provides evidence-informed recommendations for more accessible and inclusive uses of social media to improve disaster communication.

This policy brief is based the research and outputs from the LINKS project, and was developed to promote recommendations for targeted communication practices in disaster risk management. Populations in disasters are often assumed to be homogenous. However, targeting communication for different groups of citizens based on their individual needs and capacities allow for efficient disaster risk management. Targeted communication is also important in the context of increased use of digital technologies such as social media and crowdsourcing to manage disasters. In order to be effective, communication should be inclusive and consider specifically vulnerable populations.

In a changing technological landscape to address disasters, and with increasing diversity of stakeholders in disaster risk management, we need to develop new pathways of using social media and crowdsourcing more effectively. Going forward, there is a need to deepen our understanding on the role of SMCS in disasters in various socio-political contexts and the intra-organisational dynamics. Further, there is a need to focus on more people-centred SMCS research; and a strong need to fill the gaps on ethics, privacy and normative issues; and efforts must focus on all aspects of disaster risk management.
This report is based on LINKS findings and addresses:
➜ How are European disaster management organisations applying social media and crowdsourcing in disaster management processes?
➜ What are the limits and potentials of this application associated with institutional resilience?
➜ How can the application of SMCS in disaster management processes be further strengthened?

This document aims to provide decision-makers and stakeholders with relevant, evidence-informed policy recommendations on how to increase the level of resilience to disasters in European communities. Specifically the document focuses on improving engagement and strengthening communication among citizens and authorities in Disaster Risk Management (DRM).

The document is based on the outcomes from 9 Research and Innovation projects as part of the Societal Resilience Cluster, an initiative supported by the Crisis Management Innovation Network Europe. The recommendations in this document are the result of co-production processes involving experts, scientists, practitioners, and decision- makers from over 100 organizations.