Abstract

Effective risk communication is essential for disaster risk management. It is necessary to understand the present contextual factors to select appropriate strategies to enhance risk communication. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the factors that create challenges for risk communication in Iran. Using a qualitative methodology, this research included 25 managers, rescuers, and event survivors with prior experience responding to disasters. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Data analysis resulted in the identification of four categories and eleven subcategories related to the factors that facilitated the formation of challenging risk communication. These categories include distrust (distrust in public warnings, public distrust in relief organizations), ineffective information dissemination (ineffective informing authority, irresponsible dissemination of information, negligence in information transparency), insufficient educational communication (limited training capacity, universal education restriction, extensive educational infrastructure), and uncertain warning messages (uncertain content of warning messages, alert channels diversity, delayed warning messages). Multiple contextual elements thus contribute to ineffectual risk communication, the most significant of which is diminished public confidence in relief organizations. Identifying these factors provides a basis for relief organizations to anticipate and plan long-term strategies to improve communication between relief organizations and the public, thereby increasing the preparedness of individuals for disaster response. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd