According to citizens’ replies, in order to ensure security, it is necessary to raise public awareness and fight corruption 

From February 6 to 10, 2024, the DEMOSCOPE Express Public Opinion Monitoring Bureau conducted a survey of citizens on the topic “Disaster Preparedness Level In Kazakhstan“. The project is implemented by MediaNet International Centre for Journalism in cooperation with the Paperlab Research Center, with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The most important standard during any emergency is the level of preparedness of the authorities, as well as the promptness and accessibility of public notification. The DEMOSCOPE survey showed that a total of 39.6% of citizens consider the work of officials unsatisfactory. Of these, 18% are convinced that the authorities are very poorly coping with their duties. At the same time, one third of respondents (32.9%) are satisfied with the degree of preparedness of the authorities for emergencies. Another 19% highly appreciated the preparation of the state system. 

Kazakhstanis also skeptically assessed the quality of informing the population during an emergency. 30.3% of citizens consider the quality completely inaccessible and not operational, 28.6% – insufficiently accessible and operational; 25.6% – accessible and operational, and only 9.3% highly appreciate the existing information system during an emergency.

At the same time, the results of the survey demonstrated a high public demand for the adoption of preventive measures by the state and widespread preparation of the population for emergencies. According to the majority of citizens, the most effective ways to ensure safety during an emergency are to raise public awareness and conduct regular training procedures (52.5%). 

Kazakhstanis also consider it relevant to increase responsibility for corruption and negligence (47.6%). The respondents also noted the need to create modern communication and warning systems (35.2%), the training of special services and equipment of public gathering places (29.6%), strengthening state monitoring of infrastructure, social and residential facilities (26.8%). (The respondents could choose several options to answer this question).

The DEMOSCOPE survey showed who bears the greatest responsibility for ensuring the safety of the population during an emergency. 20.7% believe that these are local authorities and specialized services, 12.6% – the president and the government; 13.4% – the citizens themselves. Half of the respondents (50.5%) consider all of the above equally responsible.

The DEMOSCOPE study made it possible to understand the level of public fear of possible emergencies. It turned out that in total, more than half of Kazakhstanis (51.3%) are very concerned about the likelihood of emergencies in Kazakhstan. At the same time, 17.1% of respondents are rather not worried and 26.7% are not at all worried about possible emergencies in the country. The fear of an emergency is more typical for women (55%) and representatives of the 50+ generation (58%).

The survey participants also answered which emergencies they fear the most. It is expected that earthquakes cause the greatest fear among the majority of Kazakhstanis (41.3%). At the same time, it scares the townspeople much more often than the villagers (46 and 38%, respectively). Further in descending order: epidemics and pandemics (31.2%); terrorist acts and military threats (27.8%); floods (25.4%); fires (21.4%); drought (19.1%); snowstorms and blizzards (12.7%) and various man-made disasters (10.2%). Another 15% said that nothing bothers them. (The respondents could choose several options to answer this question).

Probably, the high level of concern is due to the fact that a significant proportion of people in Kazakhstan  (38.3%) according to the results of the survey have faced various emergency situations over the past 3 years. 

In conditions of increased emergency risks, the degree of preparedness of citizens themselves is no less important. The survey results are cautiously optimistic. Thus, a total of 65.4% of Kazakhstanis feel that they are ready to act during a disaster. Of these, 41.8% are partially ready, and 23.6% are convinced that they are fully ready. Almost a third of citizens (30.2%), on the contrary, feel completely unprepared for an emergency.

The results of the DEMOSCOPE study once again demonstrate the need for comprehensive and preventive measures on the part of the authorities, especially in the field of improving preparedness for possible emergencies and informing the public. The society insists on improving the warning system and actively involving citizens in exercises and emergency preparedness. No less useful is the active study of international experience, in particular Japan.

Detailed survey results are available on the project’s website. 

The press release and infographics in Kazakh and Russian are available at the link. 

When using the material, a hyperlink to the DEMOSCOPE website is required.

____________________________________________________________________

Methodology: From 06 to 10 February 2024, 1,100 people were interviewed in 17 regions and cities of republican significance (Astana, Almaty, Shymkent). The survey was conducted by telephone interviews among mobile subscribers in Kazakhstan. The sample was based on a database of numbers obtained using a random number generator. The telephone survey was carried out by the KT CloudLab LLP Contact Center. 47.4% of men and 52.6% of women over the age of 18 took part in the survey. 60.2% preferred to answer in Kazakh, 39.8% in Russian. 72.8% of respondents are Kazakhs, 14.1% are Russians and 13.1% are representatives of other nationalities. 67.1% of respondents live in the city, 32.9% in rural areas. The data is weighted by parameters such as gender and age of the respondents. The maximum margin of error with a 95% probability does not exceed 3%. The respondents’ reachability rate was 21%. 

The survey was implemented by MediaNet International Centre for Journalism with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The survey data reflect the respondents’ point of view. For more information, please contact the project manager Snezhana Tsoy: snezhana.tsoy@medianet.ngo.