Paper short abstract

Involving disaster survivors in defining the event they experienced is not just a method to collect rich and policy-informing research data, but also a reflective exercise that can empower participants unpack the catastrophic incident and consider their way forward making use of local knowledge.

Paper long abstract

This contribution utilises existing ethnographic data collected in the wake of an environmental disaster on the remote island of Samothráki, N.E. Greece. As part of ethnographic fieldwork, islanders had been asked to complete a short online survey, including selecting a definition for the catastrophic event from a closed-ended list, followed by a few open-ended questions about their personal experience with it (see: https://doi.org/10.22582/ta.v13i2.725). Respondents approached the survey as a reflective exercise and embarked on considering matters beyond the disaster itself, such as the liabilities of the local community and the actions that need to be taken in response, or their concerns about the future on/of the island.

Using this survey design and its key findings as a case study, we will consider how the public can be more actively involved in unpacking and making sense of disasters and risks, whether these feel near and imminent, or afar and abstract. Through a guided exercise, participants will be invited create their own fit-for-purpose reflective tool combining data collection with public engagement, focusing on empowering communities themselves make use of their local knowledge and experience to assess risk factors and determine response scenarios, in a structured way that can then be used to inform decision-making. We will also outline ethical considerations associated with this process and how to avoid research extractivism.