Flood emergency management in a municipality in the Czech Republic: A study of local strategies and leadership

Abstract

After the fall of Communism in the Czech Republic, the centralised flood management was entrusted to a municipality. The new approach to disaster management in 1997 emphasised on emergency preparedness at the local level. The changing paradigms of emergency management and the changing rules and regulations of insurance companies have increased the responsibility of the local government to reduce the loss of property and save lives in villages. A qualitative method was used to explore a phenomenon in a bounded system and to understand the role and responsibilities of the municipality and the villagers' expectations. In addition, policy papers were examined to help understand the emergency planning of the municipality. The study found that successful emergency leadership is associated with adequate planning, appropriate strategies and effective implementation. The leaders must encourage subordinates and other individuals to participate actively in emergency management. It has been observed that the mayor created a ‘sense of urgency’ after assessing the prevailing institutional situation so that the plans to manage the emergency may be implemented immediately. The municipality also improves its disaster management strategies by identifying the causes of failure in the past, rectifying existing gaps, building confidence among villagers and preventing migration. It is not expected that all the stakeholders, staffs and elected members at the grassroots level engage in emergency management activities equally. However, leadership of a mayor can bind all the stakeholders to achieve a successful emergency management. They may not have adequate emergency management knowledge, but the sharing of knowledge through workshops and training programmes enhance their skills. The effective emergency management at the grassroots level not only requires collaborative strategies and human resource management, but also needs adequate management of funds. Because the local government can not always depend on voluntary participation and contribution, in which the mayor plays an important role.