Sliding Lands Hōretireti Whenua: Social Science pillar
Understanding landslide hazards is only one part of reducing landslide risk. It is equally important to understand how people perceive landslides, landslide information, how they use that information, and what support they need to make informed decisions.
The Social Science pillar explores how individuals, communities, iwi, organisations, and decision-makers understand and respond to landslide hazards. The research examines how people interpret hazard and risk information, what influences their decisions, and how landslide information can be communicated in ways that are clear, relevant, and useful.
This work will help ensure that the information produced by the Hōretireti Whenua / Sliding Lands programme meets the needs of the people who use it, whether they are emergency managers responding to an event, planners making long-term development decisions, or communities seeking to better understand local risks.
Aim
To improve how landslide hazard and risk information is communicated, understood, and applied to support better decision-making and stronger community resilience.
How?
The research explores:
- How people, and organisations understand and respond to landslide risk.
- How different users interpret hazard and risk information.
- What information decision-makers need and how they use it.
- How landslide information can be communicated more effectively.
- Lessons learned from past events, including Cyclones Bola and Gabrielle.
- Community preparedness, emergency management, and education initiatives.
The research also works closely with communities through the Tairāwhiti case study to support co-designed approaches to resilience and emergency preparedness.
Key outputs
- Communication and engagement frameworks.
- Guidance for effective use of landslide hazard information.
- Community and emergency management resources.
- Educational resources for Kura Kaupapa Māori and schools.
- Improved visualisation and communication of landslide forecasts, hazard and risk information.
Students
The Social Science pillar supports PhD research focused on landslide communication, vulnerability, and decision-making.
- Anish Khanal: Understanding how people interpret multi-component landslide models to improve their communication.
- Jayaprakash Selvarajah - Identifying vulnerability to landslides and the utility of such information in risk assessments and models