Abstract
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has become a policy priority worldwide and in line with this trend, the South African Disaster Management Act and National Disaster Management Framework prioritise DRR in efforts to build resilient communities with local municipalities being required to develop their own Disaster Management Frameworks. The problem is that public participation is treated as of secondary importance yet international agreements such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) actively promote public participation in DRR. A bottom-up approach is the most effective in ensuring successful DRR initiatives at the local level because communities take ownership of these initiatives and gain a better understanding of their risks. Community-based disaster risk reduction originated in the paradigm shift away from the traditional disaster management approach, moving away from reactive responses in the top-down approach in disaster risk management to more proactive responses. This research study explored approaches used for public participation to ensure successful DRR initiatives in Katlehong township. The study is exploratory and descriptive, having used qualitative and quantitative research approaches, which included questionnaires and interviews. The results gleaned from the data suggested that the role of public participation in DRR initiatives is ineffective in Katlehong township because of the reluctance of stakeholders to participate in DRR. Accordingly, it was recommended that the municipality host stakeholder sessions where stakeholders are informed about the role of the centre and about their own role in DRR. Such stakeholder sessions should assist in resolving issues such as confusion about the stakeholders’ roles in DRR and help to obtain buy-in from all the stakeholders.
Highlights
Disasters are considered to be a local phenomenon because ‘local communities are on the frontlines of both the immediate impact of a disaster and the initial emergency response to a disaster’
At the time of the study the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) had both a Disaster Management Plan and a Disaster Management Framework in place, both of which are promulgated by these legal instruments
It emerged from the literature review that public participation is considered to be one of the cornerstones of effective Disaster risk reduction (DRR) and there are policies and/or plans in place, communities in high-risk areas are often excluded from the formal decision-making processes regardless of the fact that disaster risks have been magnified by the increase in vulnerabilities related to underdevelopment and climate variability, among others (UN/ISDR 2005:1)
Summary
Disasters are considered to be a local phenomenon because ‘local communities are on the frontlines of both the immediate impact of a disaster and the initial emergency response to a disaster’ In 1993, the IDNDR Aichi/ Nagoya International Conference urged that the response of http://www.jamba.org.za local administrations to natural hazards should be supported by community members, corporate institutions and nongovernment organisations (NGOs) (IDNDR 1993:7) Such support became more formalised in 1994 through the Yokahama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World, in which the community’s involvement and participation was encouraged in order to gain greater insight into individual and collective perceptions of development and risk. It is important to ensure that the residents of the township are involved in the planning, development and implementation of the DRR initiatives undertaken in the area It will assist in building a community that is resilient to hazards and help to inform the public of the underlying scientific facts through education provided by disaster management officials. The data available at the time of the study showed that, in this area, the members of the public are not given a platform to voice their understanding of disaster risks in their area (Strydom 2008:50)
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