Tailoring emergency and disaster preparedness engagement approaches for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities

Tailoring emergency and disaster preparedness engagement approaches for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities

The impacts of emergency and disasters pose greater challenges to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. Several barriers prevent CALD communities from adequately preparing for such events, thus contributing to increased vulnerability. Queensland has a heightened risk of experiencing disasters, therefore it is vital that all Queensland residents understand their local disaster risks and take steps to prepare. However, disaster preparedness information is rarely tailored to meet the specific needs of CALD communities. This qualitative study examined the emergency and disaster preparedness information needs of CALD communities in Queensland with a view to identify better ways of delivering disaster preparedness initiatives through tailored engagement approaches. Three focus groups were conducted with 16 CALD community leaders within the Gold Coast, Logan and Ipswich Local Government Areas. The data gathered emphasised that CALD communities in Queensland possess low levels of awareness of emergencies and disasters and low levels of preparedness for such events. The study reiterates the need for tailored engagement approaches. Identifying and utilising suitable communication channels and information formats and partnering with trusted sources, including CALD community leaders and places of worship, were found to be critical factors to successfully engaging CALD communities in disaster preparedness.

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