Pocket guide for planning disaster risk communication to support early warning and early action

The aim of this guide is to provide simple guidance and practical tips for practitioners planning effective disaster risk communication strategies that support early warning and early action.

It will help you maximise investments in risk communication by:

• Designing communication that reflects behavioural science and informed decision-making among populations
• Collaborating with practitioners across disciplines to prepare effective public communication strategies and content

While it is not a comprehensive guide for how to manage complex challenges such as communicating uncertainty, visualising risk data or increasing trust, it signposts to key resources that provide in-depth insights on many important areas.

The primary users of the Pocket Guide will be practitioners - from any sector - who are planning public risk communication strategies with the general public. This may include civil servants, media and communication professionals, civil society and grassroots organisers, or others. The guide encourages collaboration among practitioners across disciplines and is written to contribute to a shared understanding of disaster risk communication strategies from a range of backgrounds.

The guide is primarily written for practitioners in low-income countries, assuming minimal resources, but the principles can be applied in almost any context.