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Publication
Science, society, politics, and the media: joining efforts to manage the risk of termite infestation in the Azores
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Termites are well-established and serious pests of structural wood infestation in different parts of the world. Presently, in the Azores archipelago (Portugal), the drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis (Insecta, Isoptera) has been referred to four of the nine islands, and the damages to the buildings and other artefacts are severe and constitute a serious threat, especially in its main towns. In order to control the situation there has been a considerable scientific and political investment to survey and classify the infestation, and to develop mitigation strategies, over the last five years. Nevertheless, the infestation is far from being controlled and, also, most of the Azorean citizens are still unaware of the dangers and risks associated to this urban pest. If, however, effective educational and management practices are initiated soon, the losses from C. brevis can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the major aims of this research project are: (i) to understand people’s perspectives about the consequences of the termite infestation and their appraisal about the effectiveness of the proposed and existing management strategies; (ii) to understand the functions of the media in the making of public opinion; (iii) to develop simple ways of communicating complex technical information according to people’s perception of who is accountable and trustworthy, in order to avoid misunderstandings between science, politics, managers and society; (iv) to develop and implement devices focused on the communication between the population and the main stakeholders, to promote the involvement of citizens and their commitment as essential partners of the termite control. This paper aims to integrate data from the abovementioned stakeholders in order to identify communication problems, to create adequate strategies to solve conflicts, to facilitate dialogue and partnerships among stakeholders and to promote termite risk literacy. Data was gathered using several techniques, including interviews, descriptive-interpretative analysis of media, scientific discourses and existing operational programs. Data shows that the lack of integration among stakeholders is the most obvious barrier to be overcome by the communication devices to implement.
Description
SRA 2008 Annual Meeting. Sunday, 7 December 2008 to Wednesday, 10 December 2008.
Keywords
Cryptotermes brevis Drywood Termite Térmita de Madeira Açores Azores
Citation
Arroz, A. M., Palos, A. C., Rego, I. E. & Borges, P.A.V. (2008). "Science, society, politics, and the media: joining efforts to manage the risk of termite infestation in the Azores". In SRA 2008 Annual Meeting: «Risk Analysis: the Science and the Art – 'M4-B.2 Natural Hazards'», Boston, Massachusetts, 7-10 December 2008: 10 pp.. [Consulta 2013-06-27]. Disponível em WWW: <http://birenheide.com/sra/2008AM/program/singlesession.php3?sessid=M4-B&order=2#2>.