Role of Digital Media in Disaster Management: A Case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

Abstract

The present study was designed to explore the role of digital media in disaster management of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan. The study aims to examine the reliance of disaster management organizations of KPK on digital media for internal and external communication and also for maintaining archives which were later in used to develop communication strategies. To explore this, qualitative approach was adopted and In-depth interviews were opted as the method of data collection. Data were collected from National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Provincial Disaster Management Authority KPK, the Irrigation Department of KPK, the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Rescue 1122, and two top-notched NGOs trained for natural disasters. NVivo software was used to carry out the analysis, with Thematic analysis. Social Mediated Crisis communication model was used as theoretical support for the study. The present study came up with results that disaster management organizations in KPK are using digital media for communication but they are using existing technologies, i.e., WhatsApp for communication. For early warnings, they rely on Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) but PDMA KPK has tried to develop their own simulators for early warnings of flood but that project was at a very early stage. Similarly, they have developed some customized technologies but for limited use and purpose; some are for calculating the damage done by natural disasters, and others for a daily situation report.