What the study found: Social media can support climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction through community engagement, prevention and mitigation, information support, recovery, and coordination. The abstract also says that important areas such as building resilience and preparedness and response capacities are often neglected.
Why the authors say this matters: The study suggests that social media has been important for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 13, Target 13.1 and 13.3, and the first and fourth priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The authors also say future work should help track mis/disinformation and examine platform policy changes.
What the researchers tested: The researchers used PRISMA, a systematic review method, to comprehensively review publications that used social media-generated data and models to conceptualize and support climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts.
What worked and what didn't: The review found social media applications were useful for community engagement, prevention/mitigation, information support, recovery, and coordination. It also found that building resilience and preparedness and response capacities was often not addressed, and the authors recommend more study of mismatches between social media posts and verified events, plus the effects of diversity policy shifts on X and Meta.
What to keep in mind: The abstract describes a review of existing publications, so the findings depend on the studies included in that review. The abstract does not give detailed limitations beyond noting that prior studies were fragmented and had missed recent developments.
Key points
- Social media can support climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction through several functions, including coordination and information support.
- The review says resilience-building and preparedness and response capacities are often neglected in the literature.
- The authors link social media applications to SDG 13 Targets 13.1 and 13.3 and to two Sendai Framework priorities.
- Future research should compare social media posts with verified events to track mis/disinformation.
- The authors propose examining how policy shifts on X and Meta affect climate and disaster-related content.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Social media supports climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction
- Authors:
- Bashiru Turay, Christopher Ihinegbu, Sampson Akwafuo, Alieu Turay, Abeeb Babajide Ajagbe, Sheku Gbetuwa
- Institutions:
- University of Bonn, Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre, University of Nigeria, University of California, Irvine, California State University, Fullerton, University of Sierra Leone, University of the Philippines Diliman
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-26
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with peer-reviewed research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.