scholarly journals Progress after the 2015 Nepal Earthquake: Evidence from Two Household Surveys in One of the Hardest-Hit Mountain Villages

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11677
Author(s):  
Jeet Bahadur Sapkota ◽  
Kyosuke Kurita ◽  
Pramila Neupane

Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 25 April 2015, followed by numerous aftershocks, including a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on 26 April and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on 12 May. Using two household surveys of a panel of 377 households conducted in February 2016 and March 2020 in one of the hardest-hit mountain villages, we found that most of the households recovered well, having better housing, increased income, improved awareness about disaster risk, and better infrastructure facilities than before the earthquake. Notably, the poverty headcount index reduced by 16% from 2016 to 2020, and more than 90% of the households reconstructed into earthquake-resistant houses with financial and technical support, mainly, from the government. The village has increased the quality and length of rural roads; there is also wider coverage of clean water supply and better functioning school buildings and hospitals. Similarly, the subjective well-being of the people, gauged using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), has also increased. These aspects combined indicate improved community resilience and the sustainable development of the village. However, the progress differs significantly across gender, caste/ethnic as well as income groups, which calls for inclusive reconstruction and recovery policies as well as disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks at a local level to contribute to community resilience and sustainable mountain development.

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.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-75
Author(s):  
Inga Jēkabsone ◽  
Biruta Sloka

Abstract During the last three decades, social capital has gained prominence throughout the social sciences. The concepts has been analysed in various manners (from perspectives of economics, political sciences, sociology, anthropology etc.) providing wide range of theoretical conceptualizations. The aim of paper is to analyse the relation of social capital and possibility to improve the well-being of the municipality’s citizens using co-responsibility approach. In order to achieve the aim, the tasks are formulated as follows: 1) to review theoretical background for concept of social capital and subjective well-being, 2) to analyse the factors of social capital at local level, and 3) to use the results of conducted empirical research at Salaspils municipality in analysing the correlation of level of social capital and possibility to improve well-being implementing inclusive local management. Research methods used: Scientific literature studies, several stages of focus group discussions, statistical data analysis, SPIRAL methodology, scenario method. The main findings of the paper - there are evidences on relation of social capital and possibility to improve the well-being of the municipality’s citizens. In municipalities with sufficient level of social capital are good opportunities to use participatory techniques for achieving higher level of overall well-being. The paper consists of practical value how to mobilise the social capital of the municipality in order to ensure the inclusive management of the territory.


Author(s):  
Aristotle Jacob ◽  
◽  
Wakama Ateduobie ◽  
◽  

This study examine how covid-19 has induced social changes and criminality in Nigeria as a result of economic lockdown, restriction on inter-state movement, closure of international borders, restriction of religious worship, restrictions on all forms of marital rites, ban on all burial and funeral activities, suspension of all educational activities, and social interactions replaced by social distancing. Due to this alteration of the normal human life, and since survival is key, hence the issue of criminality. This paper examined cases of criminality in the country during lockdown, government interventions to mitigate the increase in criminality as a result of the pandemic, implication of covid-19 on fashion, determinant, forms and resistance to social change. The paper is qualitative in nature and relied principally on secondary data to achieved the scope of the study, these includes publications sourced from text books, bulletins, journals, government documents, newspapers and internet. The conflict and conspiracy theory of social change was adopted as the theoretical framework for the study. The findings in this study showed that the government with the aim to mitigate the spread of the pandemic in the country restricted the movement of its citizens with compulsory sit-at-home, thus affecting the normal life of its citizens, government intervention at the federal, state and local level is grossly inadequate to cushion the effect of the epidemic on the vulnerable citizens of the country, several structural factors helped triggered Nigeria’s current economic crises such as poor public health infrastructure, institutional corruption, weak and underdeveloped digital economy, lack of social welfare programme, leadership problem, over-dependent on oil sector of the economy, lack of saving culture and, high debt profile of Nigeria. The paper recommends that government should create an enabling environment to increase the standard of living of its citizens as poverty fuels criminality, the government should not politicalize the distribution of relief materials to victims in the face of emergencies, since the protection of the welfare and well-being of the people is the reason for governance, need for good governance and the rule of law, and government should improve capacity-building strategies for adequate security of life and property in Nigeria.


Author(s):  
Yana Syafriyana Hijri ◽  
Wahyudi Kurniawan ◽  
Yusuf Adam Hilman

Abstract Disaster management (DM) gets a new dimension with the ratification of Law No. 24 (2007) on disaster management followed some related rules. DM as an thorough effort is started by disaster risk reduction, emergency, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Based on the authority, DM needs to be in a comprehensive policy level ranging from national, regional, up to the village scope as a front guard of the government, though DM is not only the responsibility of government, where the people have to also actively participate. Pujiharjo Village, Tirtoyudo District, Malang, is one of villages potentially affected by natural disasters, ranging from erosion and flooding. This village as the smallest government unit interacting with the community, has policies that are poured into village regulations (Perdes) about the disaster management with local knowledge to reduce disaster risk. Thus, the community is expected to be tougher because they can anticipate and minimize the disaster risk by breakthrough adaptation, ability to handle and keep the structure, and function certain basic in times of disasters. Even if affected by any disaster, they would quickly rebuild into normal or at least can independently recover. Desa Tangguh (Tough Village) as a national program of BNPB, can also act as the responsibility of a government against people in the disaster management.  Keyword : Disaster Management, Regulations, Village       Abstrak   Penanggulangan bencana (PB) mendapat dimensi baru dengan diterbitkannya UU No. 24 (2007) tentang penanggulangan bencana yang diikuti beberapa aturan terkait. PB sebagai upaya menyeluruh dan proaktif dimulai dari pengurangan risiko bencana, tanggap darurat, rehabilitasi, dan rekonstruksi. Berdasarkan kewenangannya, PB perlu memiliki kebijakan komprehensif mulai dari tingkat nasional, regional, hingga ruang lingkup desa sebagai ujung tombak pemerintahan, meski PB bukan hanya tanggung jawab pemerintah, di mana rakyat juga harus ikut aktif. Desa Pujiharjo, Kecamatan Tirtoyudo, Malang, adalah salah satu desa yang berpotensi terkena bencana alam, mulai dari erosi hingga banjir. Desa ini sebagai unit pemerintah terkecil yang berinteraksi dengan masyarakat, memiliki kebijakan yang dituangkan ke dalam peraturan desa (Perdes) tentang manajemen bencana dengan pengetahuan lokal untuk mengurangi risiko bencana. Dengan demikian, masyarakat diharapkan lebih tangguh karena mereka dapat mengantisipasi dan meminimalkan risiko bencana dengan melakukan terobosan adaptasi, kemampuan menangani dan menjaga struktur, dan fungsi dasar tertentu pada saat bencana. Bahkan jika terdampak bencana, mereka akan dengan cepat membangun kembali hingga normal atau setidaknya dapat pulih secara mandiri. Desa Tangguh sebagai program nasional BNPB, juga dapat berperan sebagai tanggung jawab pemerintah terhadap masyarakat dalam manajemen bencana.  Kata kunci: Penanggulangan Bencana, Paraturan, Desa


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
. Handriyana ◽  
Sofyan Cholid

Disaster Risk Reduction Forum is an organization set up to assist the government in terms of disaster risk reduction at stage one emergency preparedness. During this Forum PRB only until the district / city level, in Garut regency are Forum PRB to the village level in the village Pasawahan. PRB Forum Pasawahan Village is a forum that embodies elements of society that focuses on disaster risk reduction. Therefore in this paper will discuss the role of the forum on disaster risk reduction (DRR) Pasawahan Desa Garut district in an effort to improve disaster preparedness. Qualitative approach is used with a descriptive design and data collection methods are in depth interview, documentation study, and field observation. PRB Forum in Pasawahan Village is an organization formed independently by the community with the purpose of reducing high disaster risk in Pasawahan Village. The presence of PRB forum on a village level became an interesting attention to conduct disaster preparedness in Pasawahan Village, which has a high disaster potential. The result of this research shows is PRB Forum in Pasawahan Village conducted a series of preparedness to create a disaster preparedness


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vahid Mohamad Taghvaee ◽  
Abbas Assari Arani ◽  
Mehrab Nodehi ◽  
Jalil Khodaparast Shirazi ◽  
Lotfali Agheli ◽  
...  

Purpose This study aims to assess and decompose the sustainable development using the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Iran in 2018, for proposing agenda-setting of public policy. Design/methodology/approach It ranks the SDGs not only in Iran but also in the region and the world to reveal the synergetic effects. Findings Based on the results, subaltern-populace generally suffers from the hegemonic domination of ruling elite-bourgeois, lack of strong institutions, heterogeneous policy networks and lack of advocacy role of non-governmental organizations, due to no transparency, issues in law or no rule of law, no stringent regulation, rent, suppression and Mafia, all leading to corruption and injustice. Practical implications To stop the loop of corruption-injustice, Iran should homogenize the structure of the policy network. Furthermore, the failed SDGs of the three-geographic analysis are the same in a character; all of them propose SDG 3, good health and well-being as a serious failed goal. Social implications In this regard, strong evidence is the pandemic Coronavirus, COVID 19 since 2019, due to its highly-disastrous consequences in early 2020 where the public policymakers could not adopt policies promptly in the glob, particularly in Iran. Originality/value In Iran, in addition to this, the malfunction of health is rooted in “subjective well-being” and “traffic deaths,” respectively. Concerning the transportations system in Iran, it is underscored that it is damaging the sustainable development from all the three pillars of sustainable development including, economic, social and environmental.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Jensen ◽  
Corinne Ong

Collaborative actions between citizens and government agencies at the local level have the potential to raise community resilience to climate risks via social learning and increased social capital. However, for these actions to succeed, community members’ values, norms and risk perceptions must support collaborative action and be accompanied by self-efficacy. This paper develops a theoretical framework linking these concepts and applies the framework to a collaborative climate risk project in Singapore, using qualitative data from focus group discussions. We find that pro-social values are a strong enabling factor for residents to engage in collaboration, but that perceptions of low collective efficacy are a potential barrier. In particular, we find that the relative competence of the government leads to a perception of “exemptionalism,” which undermines individuals’ intentions to devote resources to collaborative action.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve ◽  
Jeffrey D. Sachs

Abstract This paper explores the empirical links between achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and subjective well-being. Globally, we find that in terms of well-being, there are increasing marginal returns to sustainable development. Unpacking the SDGs by looking at how each SDG relates to well-being shows, in most cases, a strong positive correlation. However, SDG12 (responsible production and consumption) and SDG13 (climate action) are negatively correlated with well-being. This suggests that in the short run there may be certain trade-offs to sustainable development, and further heterogeneity is revealed through an analysis of how these relationships play out by region. Variance decomposition methods also suggest large differences in how each SDG contributes to explaining the variance in well-being between countries. These and other empirical insights highlight that more complex and contextualized policy efforts are needed in order to achieve sustainable development while optimising for well-being.


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