A Review on the Analysis of Public Opinion Regarding Natural Disasters

Abstract

Natural disasters pose as one of the paramount challenges faced globally, exerting immense influence upon society, economy, and the environment. With the proliferation of social media, online public opinion has emerged as a pivotal source of information for studying natural disasters. Analysis of public opinion surrounding natural disasters holds significant implications in offering decision-making support and facilitating risk management. This review aims to recapitulate and analyze the recent advancements in the study of public opinion regarding natural disasters. Initially, It provides a summary of the relevant methods and techniques by delving into the modules of topic detection and topic tracking. Subsequently, it explores the applications of public opinion analysis, encompassing disaster monitoring and early warning, post-disaster assessment and emergency response, as well as the analysis of public opinion evolution. Finally, It elucidates the challenges and prospects in the field of public opinion analysis, encompassing aspects such as multimodal data fusion, enhancement of algorithmic efficacy, as well as cross-lingual and cross-cultural public opinion analysis. In conclusion, public opinion analysis can assist governments and relief agencies in gaining a deeper understanding of the public's cognition, emotions, and needs in relation to disasters, thereby enabling the formulation of more effective response measures.