Making
communities resistant to disaster
Global
change and globalisation are threatening the lives and livelihoods of
millions of people. This is especially true with respect to disasters,
whose impacts are increasing rapidly in scope, frequency and seriousness.
In the world's disaster areas, survivors face increasing socio-economic
instability, vulnerability and marginalisation. Yet it need not be so, for
there are solutions to these problems.
It
is a fundamental principle that disaster preparedness is best organised at
the local level. Local people suffer the impact of disasters and, in the
phase of isolation that immediately follows such events, only locally
generated aid is available. Moreover, resilience, the inverse of
vulnerability, is the key to surviving and recovering from disaster and it
is best developed from within the community.
The
proper degree of outside intervention by national governments and
international organisations is the subject of much debate. It is clear,
however, that disasters raise serious issues of democracy and empowerment.
Development will only succeed if it takes into account the desires of
local communities and does not ride roughshod over their traditional
coping mechanisms. The world community is finally recognising that, as the
cumulative impact of disaster can set back progress or even prevent it
entirely, sustainable development, that elusive but attractive concept,
must be combined with sustainable mitigation of catastrophes.
The
benefit-cost ratios of disaster mitigation are almost always positive and
sometimes overwhelmingly so. One dollar spent even only moderately well on
avoiding calamity will usually save several dollars--and much
unquantifiable misery--in losses that are prevented from occurring.
Curiously, this almost universal fact has failed to convince many public
administrators, and even some major donors, to invest more in preventing
disaster. Moreover, it is not merely a question of money. Much can be
achieved at very modest cost by improved organisation.
More
than 200 million people are directly affected by disasters each year. The
world's hazardous places are well known, for disaster tends to strike
repeatedly, often cyclically. Vulnerability is also a well-known result of
factors such as population density, the fragility of natural and built
environments, grinding poverty and the ferocity of hazards. Yet some
places are repeatedly struck by disaster but are able to cushion the
effects and recover quickly, while others are not. In part this stems from
the unequal distribution of wealth, but it is also a question of an
apparent reluctance to share technology and expertise with the world's
needier communities. The unselective transfer of technology and management
techniques from one culture and economy to another may actually increase
susceptibility to disaster by inducing a dangerous dependence on
unfamiliar and unworkable solutions. But there is ample, untapped scope
for transferring technology, knowledge, training and expertise
intelligently in such a way as to make communities more resilient and less
dependent on the vagaries of nature or the arbitrary decisions of outside
forces. The goal is therefore one of increased assistance but decreased
dependency.
Facing
up to the Storm makes a valuable contribution to these processes.
Although it chronicles events that produced death, destruction and misery,
it does so in a positive and enlightened way by highlighting the successes
in disaster relief and mitigation. It brings a wealth of experience to
bear on problems of disasters and development, and it shows that complex
problems need not be intractable. I commend its wisdom and message of hope
to all people who are concerned to reduce the toll of disasters.
by David
Alexander PhD
Professor of Disaster Management
Cranfield University
Royal Military College of Science
“Facing
Up to the Storm. How local
communities can cope with disasters: lessons from Orissa and Gujarat” by
Tom Palakudiyil and Mary Todd
Publisher:
Christian Aid, PO Box 100, London SE1 7RT
Downloadable
from: www.christianaid.org.uk/storm
Hard
copies available by calling: 08700 787788.
Online discussion at
www.christianaid.org.uk/storm
from 7 July until 7 August.
The debate will begin on publication day with the posting of reviews by four specialists, each examining different issues in the book and laying on the table various points of debate.
The online debate from 7 July will be joined by:
-
David Alexander - professor of disaster management at Cranfield University, Royal Military College of Science (UK) and author of several books on disasters.
-
John Twigg - independent researcher and consultant, and an honorary research fellow at University College London. He is currently writing a 'good practice review' on natural disaster mitigation and preparedness.
-
Kamal Kishore - advisor to the United Nations Development Programme for South and Southwest Asian regions on disaster reduction issues.
-
Sushant Agrawal - director of Church's Auxiliary for Social Action, a prominent relief and development agency in India. He now leads CASA’s work on community based disaster preparedness, mitigation and management.
The debate moderators will be Tom Palakudiyil and Mary Todd, the book’s co-authors. We look forward to some lively debates around the issues in the book, and suggestions about how to take them forward!
For additional information about Facing Up to the Storm please see the information sheet enclosed. Should you have any further queries, please contact Mary Todd on 020 7790 3678 or mary.todd@virgin.net.
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