What is Disaster Management

This chapter aims at understanding the dynamics that led to the exchange and value co-creation/co-production in the interaction between P.A. and citizens during natural calamities. In addition, it proposes a horizontal communication model in which both actors cooperate to respond to crisis, a semantic and semiotic space on the net able to satisfy their information needs. When natural disasters occur, citizens' primary need is to reach as much information as possible about the status of loved ones possibly involved in the accident, road traffic, how to give an effective contribution to the cause without hindering, etc. On the other hand, P.A. and rescuers need to know as much information as possible about the reports, on the site of the disaster so as to intervene promptly to help the population in danger. Therefore, P.A. and citizens are called upon to cooperate to guarantee crisis containment, crisis management, and also future crisis prevention.