Characteristics of a Disaster-resilient Community A ... - PreventionWeb

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Characteristics of a Disaster-Resilient Community: A Guidance NoteSection B: Using the TablesThe guidance note contains a set of five tables settingout the ‘characteristics of a disaster-resilientcommunity’.Each table covers a different thematic area relatingto resilience and DRR. The five thematic areas arebased on those in the Hyogo Framework for Actionand are intended to cover all aspects of resilience.Each thematic table is divided into three sections(columns):The following pages contain suggestions about howeach part of the tables might be used and discussionsof issues relating to their application.One point to note here is that some aspects ofresilience may belong to more than one of the themesand components and may therefore be repeated indifferent tables.1. Components of ResilienceThe thematic areas are very broad. Each area ofresilience is therefore subdivided into a set of its maincomponents. Because the scope of each thematic areavaries, the number and range of components differsfrom one thematic area to another. The table on page9 lists the components of resilience for each thematicarea.As a first step, it may be useful to consider thesemain components of resilience. An organisation mightlook at these as part of a basic ‘mapping’ or ‘scoping’exercise to identify:●●●TableThematic area1 Governance2 Risk assessment3 Knowledge and education4 Risk management and vulnerabilityreduction5 Disaster preparedness and responseComponents Characteristics Characteristicsof resilience of a resilient of an enablingcommunity environmentwhich main areas of resilience or DRR it, and otheragencies, are currently addressing in a particularcommunity or districtwhere the current emphasis is in their interventionsany major gaps in coverage or missing linksbetween DRR componentsThe findings of this review could contribute todiscussions about the focus of future work.It is extremely unlikely that a single organisation willbe working in all of the relevant areas. It is probably notadvisable that it should, since specific technicalexpertise is required in many cases. Where anorganisation’s own expertise lies in one particular field(e.g. disaster preparedness, livelihood support,education), it will usually want to build on its existingstrengths. But a mapping or scoping exercise will enableit to consider if it should be involved in other relevantaspects of DRR and resilience that might support itscurrent work or help to increase its impact.For example, an organisation with expertise inhazard and risk assessment or vulnerability analysis(which comes under Thematic area 2: Riskassessment) might want to make sure that the results ofits work are being shared and applied effectively,which might cause it to think about becominginvolved in public information work (an aspect ofThematic area 3: Knowledge and education) and earlywarning systems (Thematic area 5: Disasterpreparedness and response).As another example, an organisation focusing ontechnologies for DRR such as safe buildings and floodand landslide control measures (part of Thematic area4: Risk management and vulnerability reduction)would probably need to be involved in discussionsabout building codes, land-use regulations and otherlegislative provisions (Thematic area 1: Governance)that might affect its initiatives, as well as in providingtechnical training to community members (Thematicarea 3: Knowledge and education).Thematic area 1 (Governance) is really a crosscuttingtheme underlying the other thematic areas.Planning, regulation, integration, institutional systems,partnerships and accountability are relevant toeveryone, because they are issues likely to affect anyinitiative in DRR, development or relief. Users aretherefore advised to refer to these governance aspectswhatever the thematic areas they are focusing on.A scoping or mapping exercise of this kind may beparticularly helpful in multi-stakeholder settings. It canindicate gaps in agencies’ collective coverage andhighlight potential for new or stronger collaboration onspecific issues. Partnerships between differentinstitutions and the collective application of differentkinds of technical expertise are important to thesuccess of DRR.8
Version 1 (for fieldtesting), August 2007Thematic areaComponents of resilience1 Governance ● Policy, planning, priorities and political commitment.● Legal and regulatory systems● Integration with development policies and planning● Integration with emergency response and recovery● Institutional mechanisms, capacities and structures; allocation ofresponsibilities● Partnerships● Accountability and community participation2 Risk assessment ● Hazards/risk data and assessment● Vulnerability and impact data and assessment● Scientific and technical capacities and innovation3 Knowledge and ● Public awareness, knowledge and skillseducation ● Information management and sharing● Education and training● Cultures, attitudes, motivation● Learning and research4 Risk management and ● Environmental and natural resource managementvulnerability reduction ● Health and well being● Sustainable livelihoods● Social protection● Financial instruments● Physical protection; structural and technical measures● Planning régimes5 Disaster preparedness ● Organisational capacities and coordinationand response ● Early warning systems● Preparedness and contingency planning● Emergency resources and infrastructure● Emergency response and recovery● Participation, voluntarism, accountability2. Characteristics of a ResilientCommunityFor each component of resilience, the tables provide aset of characteristics of a resilient community. Again,the number of characteristics varies according to thenature of the component. Here is an example of onecomponent of resilience with its related characteristicsof a resilient community:Thematic area 2:Risk assessmentCharacteristics of a resilient communityComponent of ● Community hazard/risk assessments carried out which provide comprehensiveresilience 1:picture of all major hazards and risks facing community (and potential risks).Hazards/risk data ● Hazard/risk assessment is participatory process including representatives of alland assessment sections of community and sources of expertise.● Assessment findings shared, discussed, understood and agreed among allstakeholders, and feed into community disaster planning.● Findings made available to all interested parties (within and outside community,locally and at higher levels) and feed into their disaster planning.● Ongoing monitoring of hazards and risks and updating of assessments.● Skills and capacity to carry out community hazard and risk assessments maintainedthrough support and training.9
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