Social media and disaster management: Case of the north and south Kivu regions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract North and South Kivu provinces in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are still confronted by both natural and manmade disasters and are potentially exposed to carbon dioxide and methane from Lake Kivu. For people living in those areas, it is important to have constant access to real-time situational information to prevent fatal dangers. Our study aims at examining the adoption factors of social media and the impact of their use in managing disaster. We proposed and empirically validated a research model drawn on three combined theories: TAM, the diffusion-of-innovation theory and the Kahn’s framework of psychological conditions and agility. The obtained model was tested with a sample of 418 respondents using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling method (PLS-SEM). The study revealed the following two main outputs: (i) social media platforms are perceived to be easy to use, useful with a perceived relative advantage, and are therefore essential for disaster management; and (ii) the use of social media impacts information accessibility, adaptability, proactiveness and resilience.