Webinar: Risk Communication for Dams

Communication is important in all aspects of dam safety within an organization, with the public, and with the specific owners or stakeholders of a project. Risk communication and stakeholder participation should ensure that (1) responsible and impacted stakeholders will be partners and be afforded the opportunity to participate in decisions that impact them, and (2) communications regarding potential inundation hazard, consequences, and shared solutions will be open, transparent, and understandable.  A focus on communicating the benefits and risks associated with dams to stakeholders and the public can help increase awareness of potential dam safety issues and help all parties gain a greater understanding of how dams impact their community. This creates an understanding of risk and dam safety issues important for those with varying degrees of connections to the dam; these diverse groups have a variety of backgrounds, experience, and sophistication.

Key Takeaways/Webinar Objectives:

• Gain new techniques for communicating with the local community leaders, the general public, internally within dam owning and regulating organizations and especially Emergency Management Agencies and the larger emergency management community
• Understand how community audiences think and how to build messages that resonate
• Understand the importance of building relationships to encourage teamwork, create trust and enhance communication in order to better prepare for an emergency
• Learn the power of storytelling and analogies to help audiences remember your message