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DOI: https://doi.org/10.63345/ijrhs.net.v13.i8.6
Dr. Lalit Kumar
IILM University
Knowledge Park II, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
Lalita.verma@iilm.edu
Abstract
Effective communication is vital in managing disasters, yet linguistic diversity in cyclone-prone regions often hinders prompt dissemination and comprehension of critical warnings and advisories. This study presents an in-depth examination of multilingual communication strategies deployed during four major cyclonic events—Cyclone Nargis (2008) in Myanmar, Cyclone Phailin (2013) in India, Typhoon Haiyan (2013) in the Philippines, and Cyclone Bulbul (2019) in Bangladesh. Employing a mixed‐methods approach that integrates document analysis, stakeholder interviews, and post‐disaster household surveys, we assess the design, implementation, and outcomes of translation services, community interpreter programs, bilingual radio broadcasts, SMS alerts, and pictorial messaging. Specific attention is paid to the timeline of warning issuance, evacuation compliance rates, message recall accuracy, and the qualitative experiences of both responders and affected residents. Our findings reveal that multilingual interventions can shorten average evacuation times by up to 25%, raise evacuation compliance by nearly 15%, and enhance message recall accuracy by approximately 30% compared to monolingual campaigns. However, challenges persist in remote or low‐literacy communities where mobile and radio coverage is inconsistent, and in regions with highly fragmented dialect landscapes that exceed the capacity of interpreter pools. The study underscores the importance of institutionalizing scalable multilingual frameworks—combining high-tech (SMS, social media) and low-tech (community radio, pictorial signage) solutions—and investing in local language networks and training. These insights inform policy recommendations aimed at bolstering community resilience, optimizing resource allocation, and ensuring equitable access to life-saving information in linguistically diverse disaster contexts.
Keywords
Multilingual Communication, Disaster Response, Cyclone-Prone Regions, Evacuation, Community Interpreters
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