Abstract: Landslides have become increasingly frequent and destructive in the Western Ghats regions of Kerala, underscoring the need for effective risk communication among vulnerable communities. The present study examines the determinants of landslide information-seeking behaviour amongst the people living in the risk prone areas of this state under the lens of Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) framework. The results of an exploration keeping 180 residents across five severely affected sites revealed information need as the strongest driver of information-seeking behavior, mediating the effects of risk perception, affect, subjective norms, and perceived information-gathering capacity. Knowledge reduced information need but still contributed positively to seeking behaviour. The findings highlight how emotional responses, social expectations, and perceived capability shape community preparedness and offers insights for designing culturally grounded, community-centred landslide risk communication strategies for Kerala.
About the speaker: Hashim Mohammed S is a fourth-year PhD scholar (UGC–Senior Research Fellow) at the School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS). His research focuses on landslide risk communication in Kerala, India.