Researchers linked to the Organizational Capabilities for Preparedness for Extreme Events (Cope) project published the Transdisciplinary Glossary of concepts and terms to strengthen prevention against extreme weather and climate events.
The material he can be accessed for free here. Coordinated by researcher Victor Marchezini, from the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters (Cemaden), Cope is supported by FAPESP through an Initial Project Research Grant (PI), a type of funding aimed at research projects based on innovative ideas that allow the development of studies integrated into teaching and guidance initiatives for postgraduate and undergraduate students.
“The focus of the project is to develop methodologies to implement the recommendation of the United Nations [ONU] regarding the creation of people-centered alert systems”, explained Marchezini to the Cemaden Communications Office. “The glossary is a first step in trying to improve communication between the various actors who need an alert system,” he added.
The material was developed within the scope of the sociology of disasters discipline of the postgraduate program in disasters, offered by Cemaden in partnership with the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp).
The authors consider that several studies have used the concept of “extreme events” to analyze earthquakes, chemical contamination, coastal erosion, species invasion, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, droughts and floods, among others. But in half of the articles analyzed, an explicit definition of extreme events was not found.
The Cope project’s Transdisciplinary Glossary construction model involved an integrated process of bibliographical research, documentary research and collection of suggestions, filtering, selection, definition, description and validation of terms and concepts, always in dialogue with the various forms of knowledge considered by the Cope project. transdisciplinarity.
The work began with contact with previously selected documents and regulations, such as the National Civil Protection and Defense Policy, the Annals of the 1st National Cemaden Alert Assessment Seminar, the Federal Government’s Practical Guide for Using Alerts, the Technical Manual for the Preparation, Transmission and Use of Mass Movement Risk Alerts, among others.
Suggestions were also collected from a virtual questionnaire, applied in the second half of 2023, with around 70 participants.
Public perception
In October, the project team launched the online questionnaire “Communication and Risk Perception”. The research seeks to analyze how information about socio-environmental disasters is perceived by the Brazilian population.
The questionnaire, which takes around four minutes to answer, was prepared based on five main axes: characteristics of the population, ways of life, access to communication devices, analysis of risk communication and media literacy.
Participation is open to all of Brazil. Interested parties can access the questionnaire, which is available here.
This content was originally published in Brazilian glossary facilitates prevention of climate catastrophes on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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