Disaster Resilient Rural Communities

PIs: Jeanette Sutton, Ph.D., Charles Benight, Ph.D., & Jessica Lambert, Ph.D.

Project Description: This research examines the question “how does access to online information effect the perception of individual and collective resilience in rural communities across all phases of disaster?”  We will investigate the interplay among disaster exposure, individual and family level coping ability perceptions, access to information, and actual behavioral responses to communications from official and other sources to better understand individual and community resilience. The findings from this research will increase knowledge about critical dimensions of rural community resiliency, including community resources, information and communication infrastructures, social capital, and community competence across all phases of disaster, taking into account the individual and community level responses.

Outcomes of this research will include increased knowledge about the role of information access for community resilience leading to the development of recommendations on strategies to link information usage and access across the phases of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, as they affect rural community resilience 

Further reading on DRRC project

Contact: Dr. Chip Benight  cbenight@uccs.edu