Effectiveness of risk analysis and civil–military cooperation in enhancing disaster preparedness in Kelantan-mediating role of communication
Abstract
Disaster preparedness is increasingly becoming a collaborative effort among multiple stakeholders in Malaysia's disaster management system. Nonetheless, states that are vulnerable to flooding, especially Kelantan, which annually experiences extreme monsoon floods, indicates a need for better preparedness measures. Collaboration has been emphasized; however, there remains a lack of empirical research modeling communication as a mediator within this area of study. Specifically, this study examined how disaster risk assessment and civil–military collaboration can improve disaster preparedness; communication was modeled as a mediator. Underpinning the Crunch Theory, the study posits that successful disaster management requires interdependent efforts involving local knowledge, community networks and military capabilities as opposed to reliance upon agency institutions alone. A quantitative methodological approach utilizing a questionnaire survey of 412 participants representing both military personnel and community members in flood-prone areas of Kelantan were used. Military ranks and community districts represented were randomly sampled to provide representative data across both strata. Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS version 29.0 and structural equation modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS version 4.1 were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that risk analysis, civil–military cooperation and communication significantly predict disaster preparedness (p < 0.001), collectively explaining 41% of the variance (R2 = 0.41). Furthermore, communication functions as a significant mediator, strengthening the influence of both risk analysis and civil–military cooperation on preparedness outcomes. Situational awareness and local knowledge contributed by the community and logistical support, technical expertise and leadership provided by the military are supported by communication that facilitates coordination of these resources. The findings of this study have important policy implications. It fills an identified gap in disaster preparedness research by modeling communication as a mediator and provides additional insights into disaster preparedness from the context of floods in Malaysia. Additionally, the findings of this study can be useful to policymakers at various levels including those of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), the Malaysian Armed Forces and local authorities in developing strategies to strengthen civil-military collaboration, including integrated command structures and community-based early warning systems to develop more resilient communities.
Keywords: Civil–military cooperation, communication, disaster preparedness, Malaysia, risk analysis, structural equation modelling
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