Risk perception and organizational capacity building in the Azores (Percepción del riesgo y desarrollo organizacional de capacidades de las Azores)

At an organizational level, effective communication and coordination are vital elements of capacity building to foster disaster resilience. The aim of this study is to verify differences in volcanic hazard risk perception and knowledge of Civil Protection agents with responsibilities in disaster management in the Azores, assuming that these can influence communication. Risk perception and knowledge were evaluated on a convenience sample of 373 participants. Results indicate moderate levels of volcanic risk perception, lack of knowledge and significant differences in the risk perception of agents from the Civil Protection System. Questions on the efficacy of risk communication between agents, the dissemination of information pertaining to volcanic risk, the dissemination of information on emergency and preparedness measures implemented and on the forms of communication between Civil Protection agents were raised. This study can be regarded as a first effort to analyse the capacity of public officials in the Azores to deal with a volcanic event and points to areas to enhance if resilience is to be promoted.