IMPROVING OUR UNDERSTANDING & POTENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
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Transcript of IMPROVING OUR UNDERSTANDING & POTENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
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 [email protected]
William HurtesUniversity of Canterbury027 344 [email protected]
Chris Webb Auckland University of Technology (AUT)9 921 9999 ext [email protected]