IMPROVING OUR UNDERSTANDING & POTENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

Jessica Petersen – Canterbury CDEM GroupWilliam Hurtes – University of CanterburyChris Webb – Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

Tertiary Community Engagement Summit30 August 2013

Christchurch, New Zealand

Disaster risk reduction

Community engagement

Key Components

What is it? Identifying and analysing long term risks from hazards Taking steps to eliminate and/or reducing their

likelihood and consequences

Why is it important? National CDEM Strategy Promotes sustainable management of hazards Encourages acceptable levels of risk

Current Situation Largely driven by local authorities

Disaster Risk Reduction

How long is a piece of string?

Questions & debates abound What is a community? Engaging the community?

Informing; consulting; An engaged community

Empowerment Participatory community involvement

Community Engagement

So why engage the community in disaster risk reduction?

Disasters: impact on people

affect and disrupt communities

disrupt the systems that serve, organise and sustain communities

notion of resilience implies individual, group & community action prior to, during and following a disaster

Key points emerging

Potentially Community Engagement provides:

Better understanding of the risks Opportunity for more control over the risks Complementary approach to “top down” planning Joined up thinking rather than stitched up thinking (Shaw,

2005) More effective use of local resources Potential for integrating the views of multiple stakeholders Greater level of trust between communities and local

authorities

Identify & represent the social diversity of communities

Clearly define a community – confusion & lack of focussed action

Balance the focus on majority rule & that of minority groups

Communities are not internally homogeneous, nor harmonious

Develop the competencies & social resources Align & balance community perceptions &

interpretations Personalise and disseminate hazard information

However it is challenging to:

It does offer a range of opportunities for progressive risk reduction measures

Can allow the coming together of lay and technical expertise

Has the potential to bring risk reduction measures closer to the local level

Has the potential to make policy makers and planners more accountable

Level of engagement will depend on context & aims of those initiating the risk assessments

It is not a PANACEA but....

Is to understand and give voice to local perceptions of risk reality through local people’s own analysis of challenges and capacities.

Community engagement approaches:

1. What is your group’s understanding of community?

2.  What types of communities should to be involved in the DRR process?

3.  What do we perceive engagement to be in this context?

4.  What strategies could you recommend to meet the DRR & community engagement objectives?

Engagement

Jessica PetersenCanterbury CDEM Group03 379 9481jessica.petersen@cdemcanterbury.govt.nz

William HurtesUniversity of Canterbury027 344 4068william@hurtes.info

Chris Webb Auckland University of Technology (AUT)9 921 9999 ext 7677chris.webb@aut.ac.nz