Promoting Disaster Resilience: Operation Mechanisms and Self-Organizing Processes of Crowdsourcing

• Main Authors: Zhijun Song, Hui Zhang, Chris Dolan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: social media; complex adaptive system; self-organization; public participation; co-creation; co-design; crowdsourcing
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/5/1862

It is often difficult to realize effective governance and management within the inherent complexity and uncertainty of disasters. The application of crowdsourcing, through encouraging voluntary support from the general public, advances efficient disaster governance. Twelve international case studies of crowdsourcing and natural disaster governance were collected for in-depth analysis. Influenced by Complex Adaptive System theory, we explored the self-organizing operation mechanisms and self-organization processes of crowdsourcing within disaster governance. The self-organizing operation mechanisms of crowdsourcing are influenced by the multi-directional interaction between the crowdsourcing platform, the initiator (who commences the crowdsourcing process) and the contractor (who undertakes disaster reduction tasks). The benefits of crowdsourcing for governance structure and self-organization processes in natural disaster governance are reflected in three perspectives: strengthening communication and coordination, optimizing emergency decision-making, and improving the ability to learn and adapt. This paper discusses how crowdsourcing can promote disaster resilience from the perspective of the complex adaptive system to enrich the theoretical research on crowdsourcing and disaster resilience.