The Role of Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) as Risk Communicators: Case Study of Bandung, West Java

Farah Mulyasari and Rajib Shaw

Abstract Disaster risk communication is a fundamental part of disaster management. Knowing who the senders and receivers of risk information are, what constitutes necessary risk information, and how to appropriately convey risk information to trigger actions towards risk reduction, still remains challenging for risk information processes. The aim of this study is to identify the role of Faith- Based Organizations (FBOs) in Bandung, Indonesia as risk communicators through FBOs SIERA framework. A set of indicators in social, economic and institutional resilience activities (SIERA), with a scope of 45 activities covering three different disaster periods (before, during and after disaster), was developed to define the delivery process of risk information by FBOs through their activities at wards.

The data was collected through a questionnaire survey method using the SIERA approach. FBOs’ leaders at wards were surveyed concerning their perceptions on these 45 scopes of SIERA, ongoing activities, as well as their risk information sources and dissemination processes.

The relationship between the variables such as periods of disaster, types of activities, and attributing factors in finding variations of risk communication activity for communities was analyzed quantitatively. FBOs disseminate information about disaster risks during prayer sessions and are attentive at sending out emergency warnings and communicating these through instruments in mosques such as loudspeakers that can be heard by thousands of people in neighborhoods. By having these instruments, FBOs are enabling the establishment of an early warning mechanism with local government. Above exemplary results confirm that FBOs are active agents of change within communities at wards and fulfill the role of risk com-

F. Mulyasari (*)

Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Communication and Diplomacy, Universitas Pertamina, Indonesia e-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

R.Shaw

Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan e-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017

R. Djalante et al. (eds.), Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia, Disaster Risk Reduction, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-54466-3_15

municators through their religious activities in disaster risk reduction and disaster management as part of bigger action in building community resilience.

Keywords Religion • Risk communication • SIERA • Disaster management • Resilience • Bandung