Capacity Development of Local Self-Governments for Disaster Risk Management

Vladimir M Cvetković,Neda Nikolić,Adem Ocal,Aleksandar Dragašević,Želimir Kešetović,Jasmina Tanasić

doi:10.3390/ijerph181910406

Abstract

The objective of this research was to examine the capacity development of local self-governments in the field of disaster risk management (DRM). This quantitative research examines the degree of implementation of strategic, legislative, and institutional frameworks, as well as the capacity of local authorities to apply related policies through five analytical scopes: (1) degree of preparedness and legal framework; (2) financial framework; (3) policy aspects; (4) cooperation and partnership; (5) communication. The ability of municipalities and towns to respond to disasters was also analyzed and compared. In this paper, our initial hypothesis was that the effective implementation of the concept of DRM policy in towns of Serbia requires the continual strategic, tactical, and operational transformation of the public administration and public management system in order to strengthen the capacity of local self-governments for disaster prevention, preparation, response, and recovery. This multimethod research was conducted over the period of 2014–2017 and included the following two target groups: (a) heads of disaster sectors in local self-government units (mayor) and (b) employees of the DRM sector in local self-government units. The results of this research will enable decision makers to successfully respond to challenges and help to improve the capacity of local self-governments and public local administrations within the scope of DRM in the Republic of Serbia, based on the principles of prevention and proactive action, coordination, cooperation, partnership, and responsibility.

Highlights

The disaster management process is defined as all stages of intervention, recovery, reconstruction, harm reduction, and disaster preparedness that occur after a disaster event and continue until the disaster occurs [1]
The multivariate regression analyses showed that the most important predictor of local self-government preparedness for a disaster is the assessment of the legislation (β = 0.150), which explains 2.13% of the variance in the score
At the end of the study, it was found that the most important predictor of local self-government preparedness for a disaster is the assessment of the legislation

Summary

Introduction

The disaster management process is defined as all stages of intervention, recovery, reconstruction, harm reduction, and disaster preparedness that occur after a disaster event and continue until the disaster occurs [1]. Disaster management activities must be considered at all stages of a country’s development. In this context, it is preferable to include all groups of society at all phases of governance, reducing the risk of disasters and achieving a sustainable development trend. It is preferable to include all groups of society at all phases of governance, reducing the risk of disasters and achieving a sustainable development trend For this purpose, educational programs aimed at ensuring that people who make up society acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to reduce the possible damage from disasters are put on and participation in these programs is ensured at the highest level [2].

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Discussion

Conclusion