DISASteR RISK ReDUctIoN
BUILDING SAFER
COMMUNITIES
the term ‘natural disaster’ implies something unforeseen, unstoppable, and
inevitable. However, this does not have to be the case.
Pip Robertson
talks
to elizabeth McNaughton about ways to build safer communities and reduce
the risk of disasters.
ACCORDING TO THE United Nations, over
200 million people are affected by natural
disasters every year. Lives and development
gains are lost as infrastructure crumbles, crops
are swept away, businesses close, production
ceases, education is disrupted, and health is
compromised. Economic losses are also
rising fast, in some years amounting to over
US $1 billion.
Elizabeth McNaughton is a development
programme officer in the Pacific Regional
Social and Vulnerability Team at NZAID. She
has previously worked for the International
Federation of the Red Cross as a regional
advocacy delegate in disaster management in
South Asia, and has extensive experience in the
field both in the aftermath of disasters and in
helping communities to reduce their level of
vulnerability.
Elizabeth explains that it is frustrating to those
working in disaster risk management that disasters
are treated as inevitable. “If a cyclone destroys an
uninhabited island there is no disaster. It is only
when a hazard meets vulnerability (communities’
unmanaged risks and unmet development needs)
that a disaster occurs.”
Responding to disasters is essential but not
enough. “The increasing number and magnitude
of natural disasters demands a new way of doing
things. We must look broadly at how to support
communities to adapt and live more safely with
increasing risk.”
Health is a useful analogy to understand
the concept. Disaster risk reduction is like
preventative medicine that keeps a person
healthy and better able to fight injury and
disease, whereas responding after a disaster is
like an ambulance rushing to the scene. Disaster
risk reduction helps to prepare communities
so that they can identify potential threats
sooner, and when an event occurs they will be
better able to deal with it, potential harm will
be minimised, and the community can recover
more quickly. If people are aware and prepared,
building codes are implemented and livelihoods
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there are simple cost effective
measures that can be put in place to
reduce this vulnerability, to prevent
deaths, to protect livelihoods and
reduce economic losses. this is what
disaster risk reduction is all about.
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are diversified, then the scale of the disaster will
be reduced.
Disasters are a development issue
Developing countries are particularly at risk from
disasters. This is not necessarily because they are
inherently more exposed to natural events but
because they are less equipped to prepare for
them. For example, New Zealand is prone to
earthquakes, but it has programmes, processes
and budgets in place (civil defence strategies,
public awareness campaigns, insurance policies,
building codes and so on) that are designed to
minimise the effects and hasten recovery if a large
earthquake were to occur. Many earthquake-
prone developing countries simply do not have
the same resources in place. This was tragically
demonstrated in the 2005 Pakistan-Indian
earthquake where 16,000 children were killed
when their schools collapsed.
Mr Encho Gospodinov, Permanent Observer
to the United Nations, pointed out the value
of disaster risk reduction in a speech to the
UN General Assembly in 2006: “It is common
knowledge that disasters wipe out years of
development work at a single stroke.
It is also well-known that good preparedness,
including programmes based on sustainable
development at the community level, does more
to diminish the impact of disasters than any
response work done after the event.”
the cost to communities in human
and economic terms is enormous.
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1
An aerial view of the Irrawaddy
Delta in Myanmar, devastated by
cyclone Nargis in May 2008.
UN Photo – evan Schneider
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Why reduce risk?
The most urgent reasons to reduce risk are the
most obvious ones in any disaster – to avoid the
loss of life and property. But there are other less
visible, ongoing effects after the most immediate
danger of a disaster has passed.
A community’s recovery after a natural disaster
can be a long process. Economically, years of
work can be destroyed and infrastructure
damage may have a serious ongoing effect on
productivity, for example, impassable roads that
cut off communities from markets. Damaged or
destroyed facilities hamper education and health
services; and food stores may be wiped out.
People’s resistance to disease may be reduced,
and more disease may exist as a result of
damage to fresh water supplies and sanitation.
If a government fails to protect people in
times of disaster, this can contribute to political
instability and unrest. And if a community does
not recover properly, it risks being even more
adversely affected if faced with the threat of
disaster again.
There is also a moral obligation to reduce risk in
vulnerable communities. “We know disaster risk
reduction saves lives, livelihoods and
infrastructure. We know how to do it and that
it’s needed, but so often not enough is done.
This has to change because we have a moral
duty to prevent deaths and suffering,” says
Elizabeth.
What role does the
environment play?
The way people use and interact with the
environment has a direct relationship with disaster
risk. Urban growth without sufficient urban
planning, increasing population density around
vulnerable low-lying coastal areas, deforestation,
and poor land use all increase vulnerability.
But just as environments can become more
at risk as the result of human activity, they can
also be managed to reduce risk. For example,
the depletion of mangroves from coastal areas
increases susceptibility to storm surges and salt
water seeping into fresh water supplies. In Viet
Nam a number of successful programmes are
underway to replant mangroves in coastal areas.
Not only does this address an environmental
risk, it also becomes a source of employment
for local people, and as the mangroves get more
established, there are further benefits. Crabs
make homes in mangrove plantations, providing
a valuable source of nutrition and a product that
communities can sell for income.
Encouraging diverse livelihoods that can
withstand disaster threats is important so that
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1
IFRc regional disaster
response team training
and simulation exercise
in Sri Lanka
2
A woman involved in a
vulnerability and capacity
assessment in Fiji. Photo
– Rebecca McNaught
3
Woman with a water tank in
the very dry areas of Savaii,
Samoa. Photo – Rebecca
McNaught
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people can maintain control over their lives
and communities make quicker economic
recovery following a disaster. For example, if a
community’s main source of income is low-lying
crops, in a flood the whole community will be
affected and both their food source and their
livelihood may be destroyed. Diversifying food
crops also offers more protection if drought or
disease affects one crop, as others are available.
Environmental management in growing urban
environments is just as important – particularly
given the high concentrations of people.
Sometimes simple things can make a significant
difference. Elizabeth gives the example of
women doing embroidery work in low-lying
slums in Delhi. “The slums flood regularly, and
when this happens the women are unable to
work, and the clothes and materials they work
on are spoiled. By raising the foundations of the
slum houses, these women can continue working
while floodwaters subside, and their work is
protected.” This continuity of income is particularly
important for people earning so very little.
Climate change is having an impact on how
environments and communities respond to
weather events. Communities cannot wholly rely
on traditional methods as environments are
changing. Many of the measures that reduce
vulnerability to climate change are the same as
those designed to reduce disaster risk, such as
forestation, and the diversification of crops
and livelihoods.
Accordingly, Elizabeth says we should not address
climate change adaptation separately but recognise
that climate change is bringing a range of new
risks and hazards and that we need to revise and
strengthen disaster risk assessments and disaster
risk reduction measures in light of this. “Disaster
risk reduction provides many tried and tested
tools for addressing risk. National adaptation
efforts can be enhanced when these tools are
combined with knowledge of climate change.”
The Tuvalu Red Cross Society for example, has
a regular slot on national radio where messages
on health, the environment, climate change,
and disaster preparedness, are broadcast and
promoted . During dry periods, the Red Cross
reminds people to use water wisely, offers advice
on boiling water and stresses the importance
of hand washing. competitions are also run to
raise awareness of how people can protect
themselves from disaster risks.
early warning systems
Forewarning that an event will occur is key
to minimising its effects. In many developing
countries communities may be isolated and
there are significant communication difficulties.
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An essential part of any early warning system
is therefore simple ways to spread information
through communities and warn people of a
disaster threat.
In Bangladesh a successful early warning system
has been set up with the support of the
Government, the International Federation of
the Red Cross, the Bangladesh Red Crescent,
the Meteorological Service, and volunteers.
The initial stage of this system relies on the
technology of the meteorological service, which
monitors threatening weather. This information
is then communicated through the Bangladesh
Red Crescent to 32,000 village-based volunteers,
organised into teams of 12. Volunteers are
selected by the villagers themselves, using
clear criteria, and each team includes two
female volunteers.
Two members of each team are trained in first
aid. All members have equipment including
ropes, whistles, lifebuoys, first aid kits, and
protective clothing such as boots and life-jackets.
An integrated approach
Disaster risk reduction strategies need to have
support at all levels – individual, household,
community, civil society and government – in
order to be effective. It is vital to have financial,
legal and political support for risk reduction
strategies.
Disaster risk reduction should not be seen as
a separate project or exercise, but should be
incorporated into all aspects of development
work, including urban planning, water and
sanitation, infrastructure, housing, livelihoods
and environmental projects. Disaster risk
reduction initiatives include the identification,
assessment and monitoring of disaster risks;
enhancing early warning systems; and promoting
awareness and education to build a culture of
safety and better preparedness.
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elizabeth McNaughton asks
women from a community
in Nepal for feedback on
a flood response and their
interest in being involved
in the Nepal Red cross
community-based disaster
preparedness programme.
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the teams are equipped with
basic warning equipment, including
transistor radios to monitor weather
bulletins, megaphones and hand-
operated sirens.
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However, these initiatives can be difficult to
achieve. Reducing risks focuses on long-term
goals, and therefore is not always afforded the
urgency that other more visible and immediate
projects are given. This is especially true in
developing countries, where a wide range of
needs are competing for limited government and
donor money.
The results can also be difficult to quantify. As
former UN Secretary-General kofi Annan
describes it: “Building a culture of prevention is not
easy. While the costs of prevention have to be
paid in the present, its benefits lie in the distant
future. Moreover, the benefits are not tangible;
they are the disasters that did NOT happen.”
Advocacy is required to make disaster risk
reduction a priority at the national level. This
can include representing and speaking on
behalf of people, influencing policy, mediating
different groups, empowering people with the
tools and knowledge to speak for themselves,
accompanying people, and harnessing knowledge.
While disaster risk reduction has benefits across
societies, it is the poor and marginalised who
are most affected by disasters, and these people
are the least likely to be heard. Advocacy is
particularly important to ensure that disaster
risk reduction becomes a priority and the most
vulnerable are heard and included. Elizabeth
points out that Asia Pacific is home to a majority
of the world’s people living with disability.
“We know through experience that many of
these people are not included in disaster risk
reduction activities and face additional barriers
in emergency situations. We need to learn more
about how to better meet the needs of people
with disabilities and to involve them in all aspects
of disaster risk reduction.”
NZAID and risk reduction
in the Pacific
Pacific island countries are among the most
vulnerable in the world to natural disasters,
particularly tropical cyclones, tsunami, earthquakes
and volcanic activity. Since 1950, the World Bank
estimates that extreme events have directly affected
more than 3.4 million people in the Pacific. With
increasing numbers of people living in vulnerable
low-lying coastal urban areas and evidence
suggesting that disasters are becoming more
frequent and more intense, the need for effective
and appropriate risk reduction is growing.
NZAID provides funding to Pacific regional
agencies with risk reduction programmes,
such as the South Pacific Applied Geoscience
Commission (SOPAC) and the Secretariat for
the Pacific Regional Environment Programme,
but is also supporting community-based risk
reduction strategies that use local knowledge.
As Elizabeth says, there is a lot to learn from
indigenous populations. “People in the Pacific are
resilient and adaptable, and have lived in cyclone-
prone areas for countless generations. Capturing
that knowledge is important, particularly as
populations become more urban and other
traditional aspects are lost.”
In the Pacific, recovery efforts supported by
NZAID are designed so that countries are
stronger and more resilient. For example, to
support communities recover from the recent
Fiji floods NZAID is supporting the retrofitting
of damaged houses to make them safe and
secure, the installation of systems to collect/
save rain water to provide a safe water supply
for schools (which also serve as evacuation
centres) in the next extreme weather event,
and community based disaster awareness and
preparedness activities.
“Well-coordinated, long-term disaster risk
reduction is absolutely necessary if we are
going to reduce poverty in the Pacific, enhance
livelihoods and safeguard economic development
gains” says Elizabeth. “We have to work to
reduce the vulnerability of communities to
natural events, especially where people living in
poverty are affected. In doing this we might help
to prevent these natural events from turning
into disasters”.
Currents is grateful for information in
A Practical Guide to Advocacy and Disaster Risk
Reduction by Elizabeth McNaughton, published
by the International Federation for the Red
Cross and Red Crescent in 2009, that was used
in this story.
An opportune time to support
disaster risk reduction efforts is
when rebuilding after a disaster. the
concept of ‘build back better’ means
that infrastructure, livelihoods, and
policy are developed so that countries
are better positioned to withstand
future disasters.