Information collection of disadvantaged populations during the 2011 Thai flood

Abstract

The flooding of the Chao Phraya River in Thailand in 2011 caused enormous economic damage and affected millions of people. However, as Thai society is faced with various socio-economic inequalities, disadvantaged people may have been more vulnerable to its effects and may also have different disaster information needs compared to the rest of society. This paper examined disaster information collection and vulnerability of disadvantaged populations during the 2011 Thai flood by examining the effects of income level, education level, and age, as well as the effect of compounding disadvantages. The results strongly reinforce the importance of considering the unique needs of highly vulnerable and disadvantaged groups when improving information dissemination in the future.