Understanding the dissemination and adoption of innovations through social network analysis: geospatial solutions for disaster management in Nepal and Kenya

Vulnerable areas of the world, including many developing countries, are increasingly exposed to natural disasters. New technologies, such as geospatial technologies, could help them manage the risks of extreme events and cope with disaster aftershock. However, new technologies are often disseminated slowly among the relevant stakeholders. Assuming that knowledge exchange through stakeholder networks can effectively enhance the uptake of innovation, this research applied a social network approach focussing on the structural patterns of communication and collaboration networks regarding landslide-related disasters in Nepal and floods in Kenya. Using methods of formal social network analysis, we reveal centrally positioned stakeholders and discuss their actual and potential roles in outscaling innovations between the different sectors and upscaling them to different levels within the disaster management communities under study. In doing so, this case study demonstrates the potential of social network analysis for improving the dissemination of innovations for disaster risk management.