Disaster risk reduction through community participation

Abstract

Disaster risk reduction is a totalizing framework that was established from the conception of protecting communities from hazards and minimizing their vulnerability to the risks of disaster. One of the many aspects of disaster risk reduction is through the participatory involvement of the local community. The paper will discuss the application of systematic disaster management in managing emergency and post emergency situations by adopting the role of civil society in the context of community based approaches. These approaches are proven to be adaptive and comprehensive enough in progressing through the hard times during and after the event of disaster. The paper will outline comprehensive and integrated methods from previous experiences in assisting the process of internalizing the concept of disaster risk reduction and strategic planning for disaster management. It is hoped that from the shared experience discussed in this paper will contribute to a more resilient community that are well informed and prepared on the culture of disaster risk reduction and disaster management practices. © 2011 WIT Press.