Approaches and success factors in the communication of extreme weather events

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According to weather and damage statistics recorded over the past decades, the overall number and intensity of extreme weather events in Germany is on the rise. It is anticipated that this trend will continue to intensify as a result of climate change, leading in particular to increased heat waves, floods, and heavy precipitation. However, much of the damage associated with such calamities can be reduced or even avoided through the use of appropriate provisions.

When it comes to prevention, the particular communication strategies concerning risks and preventive measures are shown to play an important role with target groups. Psychological research in the area of natural hazards indicates that the communication of disaster scenarios tend to induce a defensive posture, whereas concrete examples of preventive measures tend to be motivating.

In this project, adelphi used literature reviews, media analysis, and representative surveys to build upon existing knowledge of action-motivating communication strategies concerning individual provisions. Appropriate communication approaches were subsequently developed, tested, and used to strengthen the particular provisions for the campaigns of two target groups.