Investigation of Effective Factors to Reduce Natural Disaster Risks through Public Participation (A case study: Islamshahr County, Tehran Province)

Natural Disaster Risk and Crisis Management (NDRCM) is an important and multi-faceted process; therefore, public participation in any stage of the decision-making, implementation, supervision and evaluation levels can be of particular crucial in helping authorities to manage and reduce the risks. Taking an analytic perspective, this study sought to gain an understand factors and mechanisms affecting public participation at any of the aforementioned levels, on the one hand, and to provide guidelines on how to enhance public participation, on the other. Population in this study included 400 participants from Islamshahr county. Data collection method was survey-correlational, in nature. Results from Pearson Correlation Coefficient indicated that independent variables, i.e., Social Sympathy, Feelings of Inability, Intellectual Function, Level of Awareness (from a given event) and Socio - economic Status, were significantly related to the dependent variable, namely, cooperation in decreasing risks from natural disasters. Meanwhile, results of Multiple Regression Analysis and Pathway Analysis revealed that the independent variables of Social Sympathy, Socio - economic Status, Intellectual Function, Feelings of Inability and Level of Awareness (from a given event) influenced participation in reducing risks from natural disasters. Generally speaking, one can argue that providing public instruction programs at all social levels of Islamshahr county as well as at all stages of crisis management, including preparedness, risk reduction, reaction to risk, reconstruction, establishment of structured NGO groups, initiation of small local groups, public mobilization, charity organizations and establishment of small groups which call Local Crisis Management Groups, can not only actualize people's motivations and capacities, but also increase social sympathy among them, and hence improve public participation with regards to reduction of risks from natural disasters.