20 September 2020, NIICE Commentary 5980
Swarnima Shrestha
Nepal is a country prone to different kinds of natural disasters and health epidemics. Its geographical positioning and effects of climate change makes it vulnerable to disasters and poor sanitary practices and underdeveloped health infrastructures make it a breeding ground for many diseases. Each year, numerous valuable lives and resources are lost due to disasters and various communicable diseases. According to the World Bank’s 2005 Natural Disasters Hotspots Report, Nepal is ranked the 11th most vulnerable country to earthquake and 30th to flood risk. In 2015, Nepal faced a devastating earthquake, due to which more than 9,000 people lost their lives, 22,400 people were injured and created damages worth NPR 900 billion. The mega earthquake of 2015 proved that Nepal is not prepared to face a large-scale disaster though there is high risk at any given moment. Currently, along with the other countries of the world, Nepal is facing a major health emergency in the form of COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has spread to the community level with more than 65,000 cases as of 21 September 2020.
Information is a valuable commodity during emergencies and disaster, it helps to create clarity and can be crucial in saving lives. Proper communication to people can not only help people to make better life-saving decisions during the time of chaos and confusion but it also helps to build trust between the government and people. During an emergency like now, timely and transparent production and dissemination of vital information which is endorsed by the government generates trust and credibility.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people around the world to be confined inside their homes and to be more reliant on technology and change how they work and communicate. People are using different tools, software and platforms to effectively work from home and to stay connected with friends and family that cannot meet due to the pandemic. But this situation has exacerbated the already existing digital divide among rich and poor people as well as countries. While people who have access to quality internet, continue to work from their homes, get access to proper information, learn various things, and keep in touch with others; people who do not have access to internet are confined in their homes without access to proper information, and a means to stay in touch with others.
One of the challenges for countries like Nepal with a large number of rural population is dissemination of right information to the marginalized people during the emergencies, especially to people without internet access. A lot of people do not have access to popular mass media mediums and social media platforms. Different kinds of rumours and false news can travel around fast during the emergency situation. In the current pandemic situation, there are various rumours and ill practices that is getting circulated – these kinds of misinformation can put people at risk and increase the rate of transmission. To avoid such situation, proper dissemination of correct and clear information from certified sources can be crucial. In a country like Nepal, this information has to be distributed from various mediums apart from the common mass media platforms. Common and most used means of communication may not work during pandemic or emergencies. It is important to reach out to people in a medium that they have access to and that they trust.
It is important to understand that, communication is key to successful disaster and pandemic mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Accurate information disseminated to the general public, to elected administrators and community leaders, and to the media reduces risk, saves lives and property, and speeds recovery. The ability to communicate during disaster and pandemic situation is no longer just a means for entertainment or a luxury; timely communication can be as vital as logistics or the aid support.
The emergence of new media like the internet, e-mail, blogs, social networks, text messaging, cell phone photos, and the increasing role played by “first informers or community reporters”- witnesses who now have the ability to transmit information immediately from the event—are redefining the roles of government and media. The government’s conventional role as gatekeeper is now changing rapidly. Traditional media’s role as the sole channel of reliable and officially-sanctioned information is also gradually being over-shadowed by the arrival of various form of new media penetrating even in the remote parts of the country. The tools and rules of communications are evolving and disaster communications must evolve to capitalize on these changes and exploit the opportunities they provide. Even though the means to the end are evolving, the goals, the values, and the underlying principles of effective emergency communication – the need for transparency, increased accessibility, trustworthiness and reliability, and to a two-way platform where communities can not only get information but also put their voices forward – have not changed and need to be embraced along with the practical ability to convey information effectively.
To communicate and disseminate information properly in the current pandemic situation, it is necessary to find out what worked and what did not in the past emergencies in the country. In a research conducted in 2016 in the remote part of the district of Sindhuli, which was one of the 14 most affected districts, after the Nepal earthquake 2015, it was found that people continued to listen to radio even after the days of the disaster passed. A total of 88 per cent of respondents listened to radio during the first six months of the disaster. It was also found the 89 per cent of the people regard radio as the most trusted means of communication. The second most trusted channel of communication was found to be through mobile telephone. Thus, radio and mobile phones can be regarded as a means which is suitable to reach out to people in rural areas even in the present pandemic situation, especially to reach out to the most marginalised people.
Understanding the preference of people and the barriers that they face during emergency communication, can help to diminish the information gap between different classes of people. Accessibility should not be a barrier for people to get the vital life-saving information. In present situation where the pandemic has restricted the everyone’s movement and many traditional mediums to reach out to people such as door-to-door activities, community dramas, distribution of posters/pamphlets etc. is not functional, it is even more important to identify appropriate mass media medium so that none of the population is deprived of their right to information. As the communication needs and social behavioural pattern of people is evolving with the rapid development of new technological mediums – it is even more important to not leave the people behind who are yet to benefit from these new media technological advancements. While making advancements towards the new mediums which is definitely faster and efficient, it should not be forgotten that vast number of people are yet to have access to these mediums or yet to develop trust and a filtering mechanism for these mediums. Thus, it is important to understand the communication needs of different kinds of population and disseminate appropriate messages making sure no one is deprived from vital information during emergencies.
