Editorial: Why is community action needed for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation?

Abstract

When disasters happen, the speed and effectiveness of response depends very heavily on local organizations that represent the needs of those most impacted and most vulnerable. As the paper by Jorgelina Hardoy, Gustavo Pandiella and Luz Stella Velasquez Barrero notes, it is at the local or neighbourhood level that disasters happen, lives and livelihoods are lost, houses and infrastructure damaged or destroyed, and health and education compromised. It is also at the local level that many of the disaster risks can be addressed before disasters occur. Much of the responsibility for disaster risk reduction falls to local governments and much of the death and destruction from disasters shows up the failings of local government. The success of post-disaster actions is also to a large extent determined by pre-disaster planning and awareness and readiness within local government and civil society organizations. In this way, community action and partnerships with local government are central not just to minimizing risk but also in responding to impact and shaping recovery in ways that can strengthen local livelihoods and quality of life. The papers in this issue bring to our attention the importance of community action – for disaster risk reduction, for post-disaster rebuilding and for climate change adaptation. The paper by Diane Archer and Somsook Boonyabancha highlights the energy and creativity of disaster-affected communities as they rebuild their homes and livelihoods far more effectively and far more cheaply than external agencies. The paper by Norberto Carcellar, Jason Christopher Rayos Co and Zarina O Hipolito describes the support programme developed by the Homeless People’s Federation of the Philippines for disaster-affected communities and for disaster risk reduction, and the benefits this brings to low-income disaster-affected or atrisk households. The paper by Cassidy Johnson reviews the roles of local civil society groups in Turkey after the 1999 earthquakes. And the paper by Mark Pelling considers the roles of community organizations in urban disaster risk reduction in Haiti, Guyana and the Dominican Republic. Other papers in this issue show the importance of community organizations in developing responses to disaster risk or in post-disaster rebuilding and in trying to get government support to do so. Furthermore, some papers have already been accepted for the April 2012 issue of Environment and Urbanization on the capacities of community organizations to map disaster risk and vulnerability and develop measures to address them. But is this focus on community organization appropriate for urban contexts? And what are the limits? Community organizations cannot design and build the citywide infrastructure that is so important for resilience to storms and heavy rainfall – for instance, storm and surface drains and road and bridge networks that can cope with sudden and much increased volumes of water. The paper by Mark Pelling describes how working with community organizations on risk mapping and awareness raising can lead to small works and provide a focus for group activities (e.g. building small bridges across drainage canals,