[P34] Disaster Information Seeking and Preventative Behaviors of Foreign Residents in Kobe City
| Affiliation | Kobe University |
|---|---|
| Author | Meidinger Bethany |
| Co-Author |
Keywords
- Risk communication
- Risk awareness
- Disaster preparedness
Outline
Kobe City, Japan, has become one of the leading innovators and adopters of disaster prevention strategies and technologies since the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake, one of Japan’s deadliest natural disasters in 1995. In the years that have followed, the foreign population of Kobe City has risen by approximately 20% and is expected to continue to rise. This paper investigates what factors increase the likelihood that foreign residents will participate in community-based disaster prevention behaviors or be aware of official sources of disaster prevention information. It uses probit analysis with original data from the 2023 Kobe City Foreign Residents Survey and The WorldRiskIndex. The study reveals that certain factors such as language ability are highly nuanced and may not be as strong a barrier to adequate disaster prevention knowledge in Japan as commonly believed. It also unveils potential key points for information distribution in the residents' social networks. However, regardless of nationality or the risk of disaster in the countries of origin, survey results indicate that foreign residents are not active participants in disaster prevention behaviors nor are they very aware of the official services and materials.
