Using a table-top exercise to identify communication-related vulnerability to disasters

During emergencies, people may become more vulnerable due to difficulties with accessing and understanding crisis information and may react inadequately to hazards due to being exposed to false information. In this article, we explore how table-top exercises can be used as part of vulnerability assessment to systematically identify a range of barriers to disaster communication that may put people at risk. We conducted a table-top exercise with disaster risk management practitioners, using a complex crisis scenario that included hazards arising from severe weather, disruptions of vital services, and the diffusion of harmful false information about the crisis. The participants were provided with specialised questionnaires, assessment tables that structured and facilitated the process of identifying vulnerable groups and the causes of their vulnerability throughout the exercise. The results suggest that the proposed table-top exercise format helps to foresee potential barriers to accessing crisis information and uncover capacity gaps within the authorities responsible for communication management during a disaster.