Community-based Disaster Management and Its Salient Features: A Policy Approach to People-centred Risk Reduction in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Abul Kalam Azad ◽  
M. Salim Uddin ◽  
Sabrina Zaman ◽  
Mirza Ali Ashraf

The discourse of disaster management has undergone significant change in recent years, shifting from relief and response to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and community-based management. Organisations and vulnerable countries engaged in DRR have moved from a reactive, top-down mode to proactive, community-focused disaster management. In this article, we focus on how national disaster management policy initiatives in Bangladesh are implementing community-based approaches at the local level and developing cross-scale partnerships to reduce disaster risk and vulnerability, thus enhancing community resilience to disasters. We relied chiefly on secondary data, employing content analysis for reviewing documents, which were supplemented by primary data from two coastal communities in Kalapara Upazila in Patuakhali District. Our findings revealed that to address the country’s vulnerabilities to natural disasters, the Government of Bangladesh has developed and implemented numerous national measures and policies over the years with the aim of strengthening community-focused risk reduction, decentralising disaster management, developing cross-scale partnerships and enhancing community resilience. Communities are working together to achieve an all-hazard management goal, accepting ownership to reduce vulnerability and actively participating in risk-reduction strategies at multiple levels. Community-based disaster preparedness activities are playing a critical role in developing their adaptive capacity and resilience to disasters. Further policy and research are required for a closer examination of the dynamics of community-based disaster management, the role of local-level institutions and community organisations in partnerships and resilience building for successful disaster management.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-132
Author(s):  
Sajjad Hussain ◽  
Saira Miraj ◽  
Rani Saddique

Pakistan is exposed to various natural calamities due to its geophysical condition and climatic changes. In addition, man-made disasters also pose a threat to human lives and properties which includes industrial and transport disasters including oil spills, civil unrest, wars and conflicts. Although it is not possible to stop or prevent natural disasters, but the negative impacts of natural disasters can be minimized through human efforts. The government of Pakistan has adopted participatory approach as part of its policy for disaster management. This research paper is based on the analysis of secondary data for reviewing the existing policies with emphasis on disaster risk reduction in pre and post disaster period. The paper concludes that participation of target community is indispensable for disaster risk reduction on sustainable basis. The article suggests that community should be meaningfully involved in disaster risk reduction efforts at the local level. In this connection the role of social workers is indispensable for disaster risk reduction on sustainable basis.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Salim Uddin ◽  
C. Emdad Haque ◽  
Mohammad Nuruzzaman Khan

PurposeDespite Bangladesh's great strides in formulating disaster management policies following the principles of good governance, the degree to which these policies have successfully been implemented at the local level remains largely unknown. The objectives of this study were two-fold: (1) to examine the roles and effectiveness of local-level governance and disaster management institutions, and (2) to identify barriers to the implementation of national policies and Disaster-Risk-Reduction (DRR) guidelines at the local community level.Design/methodology/approachBetween January 2014 and June 2015 we carried out an empirical investigation in two coastal communities in Bangladesh. We employed a qualitative research and Case Study approach, using techniques from the Participatory Rural Appraisal toolbox to collect data from local community members as well as government and NGO officials.FindingsOur study revealed that interactive disaster governance, decentralization of disaster management, and compliance by local-level institutions with good governance principles and national policy guidelines can be extremely effective in reducing disaster-loss and damages. According to coastal community members, the local governments have generally failed to uphold good governance principles, and triangulated data confirm that the region at large suffers from rampant corruption, political favoritism, lack of transparency and accountability and minimal inclusion of local inhabitants in decision-making – all of which have severely impeded the successful implementation of national disaster-management policies.Research limitations/implicationsWhile considerable research on good governance has been pursued, our understanding of good disaster governance and their criteria is still poor. In addition, although numerous national disaster management policy and good governance initiatives have been taken in Bangladesh, like many other developing countries, the nature and extent of their local level implementation are not well known. This study contributes to these research gaps, with identification of further research agenda in these areas.Practical implicationsThe study focuses on good disaster governance and management issues and practices, their strengths and limitations in the context of cyclone and storm surges along coastal Bangladesh. It offers specific good disaster governance criteria for improving multi-level successful implementation. The paper deals with International Sendai Framework that called for enhancement of local level community resilience to disasters. Thus, it contributes to numerous policy and practice areas relating to good disaster governance.Social implicationsGood disaster governance would benefit not only from future disaster losses but also from improved prevention and mitigation of natural hazards impact, benefiting society at large. Improvement in knowledge and practice in disaster-risk-reduction through good governance and effective management would ensure local community development and human wellbeing at the national level.Originality/valueThe failure of local-level government institutions to effectively implement national disaster management and resilience-building policies is largely attributable to a lack of financial and human resources, rampant corruption, a lack of accountability and transparency and the exclusion of local inhabitants from decision-making processes. Our study identified the specific manifestations of these failures in coastal communities in Bangladesh. These results underscore the vital need to address the wide gap between national DRR goals and the on-the-ground realities of policy implementation to successfully enhance the country's resilience to climate change-induced disasters.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramadhan Pancasilawan

The government has a function to protect its people, including managing the disaster. The function of government in natural disaster management is a function that is expected to be carried out with full commitment. Disaster management is an activity carried out comprehensively and there is a need for active stakeholder involvement. Pangandaran Regency is a disaster-prone area. This article aims to describe the mitigation launched by the Pangandaran Regency government to reduce disaster risk using a Qualitative approach and observation, interview and literature study. Pangandaran Regency has been stretched to get out of the tsunami disaster that had occurred. Even mitigation efforts have been carried out with the involvement of various stakeholders in Pangandaran Regency. With mitigation, disaster risk reduction can be done. Therefore the government should make efforts to overcome disaster risk through the Mitigation Program by the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD). The disaster mitigation program consists of two types namely Mitigation with a Structural approach and namely mitigation by focusing on physical development, such as the construction of temporary evacuation sites or the construction of an early warning system (EAS). Then the other form is Non-Structural mitigation which is mitigation carried out in the form of non-physical development, such as disaster education to school children and also to the community through activities carried out by mothers. Disaster training is given to private parties to understand disaster in Pangandaran.Keywords: Disaster, Mitigation, Risk Reduction, Management Disaster, Pangandaran  


Author(s):  
Chatarina Muryani

<p><em>The purpose of this article writing is to describe and analyze how the implementation of Community Based Disaster Management in Indonesia. This Sources of articles writing were various libraries, including books, journals, regulations and articles on the website. From the literature review, it can be concluded that CBDM has an important role in disaster risk reduction both in Indonesia and in other countries, and CBDM in Indonesia has been implemented but there are still problems:  overlapping management, guidance for sustainability and funding.</em></p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kylah Forbes-Genade ◽  
Dewald van Niekerk

This article aims to crystallize the contributions of the Girls in Risk Reduction Leadership (GIRRL) Program in building resilient communities through the integration of adolescent girls into local level decision-making and action for reducing disaster risk. Disadvantaged adolescent girls carry a double burden derived from vulnerability associated with gender and age within the context of disaster risk. Girls often face greater danger than boys or adults and are perceived as powerless. Their needs go unheard and capacities ignored because of their exclusion from decision-making and social participation. Efforts to reduce risk must be inclusive of the needs of vulnerable populations. Despite global calls for the inclusion of women, children, and youth in risk reduction policy and planning, its application has been insufficient. The GIRRL Program, utilizing Participatory Action Research, helped to catalyze the capacities of girls through personal empowerment to drive the agenda for inclusive involvement of vulnerable populations to build community resilience. The paper will document the contributions of the GIRRL Program to improving community resilience through engaging decision-making, facilitating multi-sectoral understanding of vulnerability and risk, validating the importance of girls in risk reduction, creating capacity to manage girl-led processes, and strengthening risk reduction through local girl-led activities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 229 ◽  
pp. 04009
Author(s):  
Widodo Pawirodikromo

The Mw6.3 of 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake and the VEI4 of 2010 Merapi Volcano eruptions at Yogyakarta Special Province (YSP) have shocked the Yogyakarta community. It is necessary, therefore, to identify and to explore the achievements and the lesson learned mainly during the early warning, evacuation, emergency response and disaster recovery phases of the 2010 Merapi eruption. Research on the 2010 Merapi eruption disaster management (DM) focusing on the emergency response and disaster recovery up to 2014 has been done. Results of the investigation showed that in general Disaster Management has been applied appropriately including material qualities and construction quality of earthquake resistant structure. Among the achievements in the DM respectively are the accuracy of monitoring the direction of mountain summit deformation, successfully prediction and evacuation of people before 2010 Merapi eruption, quick resettlement buildings based on the principles of earthquake resistant structure. Meanwhile among the lesson learned to improve the DM respectively are the early warning should be presented as clear as possible, the government should officially be carried out regular “tell story” to community about the development of the disaster threat, building disaster knowledge and awareness to community for reducing the risk should be regularly carried out and the skills of the builders should be well prepared. Implementation of resilience in schools and villages, sister school and village are efforts toward Sustainable Disaster Risk Reduction.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pashupati Nepal ◽  
Narendra Raj Khanal ◽  
Bishnu Prasad Pangali Sharma

This paper is a review of policies for disaster risk management in Nepal and discusses the strengths, gaps and constraints of the same. Institutional and Legislative Systems (ILS) approach has been adopted focusing on three aspects: i) legal and regulatory frameworks, ii) policies and programs, and iii) organizational/institutional set-up. This paper concludes that newly endorsed Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (2017) can be a milestone in disaster management of Nepal not only because it has replaced about 40 years old Natural Calamity (Relief) Act, 1982 but also for the first time, it saw disaster risk management as an process focusing on different stages of disaster management cycles, preparedness, response and rehabilitation and mitigation. The provision of well-structured functional institutional set-up from the centre to local level can have positive outcome in disaster management. However, it overlooks significant aspect, such as the declaration of disaster-prone zones limiting the right of provincial disaster management committee only for recommendation to the Government of Nepal. Most of policies, strategies and legislations focused on some specific disasters such as flood, landslide, earthquake and GLOF/avalanches at national level paying less emphasis to the local level. Even now, most of the policy interventions towards different cycles of disaster risk management have laid emphasis on preparedness and response rather than to rehabilitation and mitigation. The conflicting provisions in Acts such as Water Resource Act (1992) and Building Act (1998) with Local Government Operation Act (2017) have made overlapping of their roles and responsibilities. So, the policy formulation and institutional set-up needs to be complemented by the ability and competence to operationalize the intent of the relevant acts and policies at all levels of government.The Geographical Journal of NepalVol. 11: 1-24, 2018 


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Burnside-Lawry ◽  
Luis Carvalho

Purpose – Contributing to the global dialogue on disaster risk reduction (DRR), the purpose of this paper is to address a key priority for the Post-2015 Framework for DRR (HFA2) by analysing initiatives used by one local government to increase local-level engagement in DRR. Design/methodology/approach – A review of literature from the multidisciplinary areas of communication, social and political theory examines the role that communication theory and practice can play in facilitating public participation to build community resilience. Building on these insights, the authors introduce a research methodology to examine modes of communication, the quality of dialogue and opportunities for “voice” and “listening” between decision makers and local-level stakeholders during DRR planning A qualitative, case study is undertaken with data sourced from observation, document analysis and interviews to provide insights into public engagement events, policies and procedures that enhance or impede local engagement in DRR. Findings – Communication between the DRR campaign team and publics are analysed according to the range of communication practices used and opportunities provided for dialogue between parties. Findings differentiate between public information, consultation and participation events. Factors that enable and conversely, constrain local-level engagement to build community resilience, and conditions associated with each factor, are identified. Research limitations/implications – A unique analytical framework adapted from the duel lenses of participatory communication and information flow models, is used to differentiate events using one-way information from those offering opportunities for dialogue and participation. The framework provides a method for DRR practitioners to plan and evaluate local-level engagement events to meet the communication needs of particular situations. Practical implications – The framework provides a method for DRR practitioners to plan and evaluate local-level engagement events to meet the communication needs of particular situations. Originality/value – Co-authored by an Australian academic and a member of Amadora’s campaign team, the paper is a combination of one city’s experience in developing strategies to build community resilience, analysed using communication, social and political theory. Findings have implications for standard command-and-control management systems and styles of leadership and crisis management. Results will assist practitioners’ advance their understanding of different ways that publics may be engaged to build community resilience.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osmar Shalih

The world has agreed that people resilience to immediately recover from disaster should be a priority, considering the increase of disaster hazards as well as scientific and technological advances. Disaster impacts and risks can be reduced along with increasing people or community resilience towards hazards. Many studies have examined and measured the level of disaster resilience but have not reached the holistic aspect of sustainable development on a community scale. This study was carried out in the Cisolok District, Sukabumi, a highly landslide-prone region. This study uses a qualitative approach with a conceptual foundation of interpretative geography and also uses primary and secondary data. Primary data are obtained from field observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation. Secondary data are obtained from literature studies in the collection of text and maps of published scientific works such as textbooks and study reports or research papers. The results of the study show that factors influence to disaster resilience are community capacities (social capital, disaster preparedness, and risk knowledge) and the roles of local institutions. Community resilience assessment efforts play a key role to identify less resilient regions as well as identify other factors that need to be considered by the government and all stakeholders to develop an inclusive and integrated disaster risk management framework in reducing disaster impacts and risks.


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