Community-Based Disaster Management

Question 1

The Key Elements of Community-Based Disaster
Management

Answer 1

People’s participation is providing or allowing people more
power to be able to participate and contribute to the
initiatives in looking for possible answers to many
problems and issues including disaster.

People or community participation aims at exploring solutions to
the issues and concerns in an appropriate way by giving them
responsibilities to contribute to the sustainable implementation
of disaster activities.

Question 2

The Key Elements of Community-Based Disaster
Management

Answer 2

In community-based disaster management (CBDM), the
priority sectors include the vulnerable sectors in the urban
areas such as the urban poor and informal settlers and in
the rural areas, which consist of the subsistence farmers,
fisherfolk, and indigenous people.

Also included are the elderly, the differently-abled, children, and
women.

Question 3

The Key Elements of Community-Based Disaster
Management

Answer 3

In CBDM, the measures applied in risk reduction are
community-specific and defined based on the community’s
disaster risk analysis.

The analysis takes into consideration hazards, vulnerabilities,
and capacities and the different perceptions on disaster risk.

Question 4

The Key Elements of Community-Based Disaster
Management

Answer 4

In CBDM, existing coping mechanisms and capacities are
acknowledged.

It
builds on common social and organizational values and
mechanisms such as cooperation, community/people’s
organization, local knowledge, and resources.

Question 5

The Key Elements of Community-Based Disaster
Management

Answer 5

In CBDM, the goal is to reduce vulnerabilities and build
resilient communities.

Towards this end, it is necessary to strengthen the
organizational capacity of the most vulnerable communities
through community-based disaster preparedness.

Question 6

The Key Elements of Community-Based Disaster
Management

Answer 6

In CBDM, disaster risk reduction also includes addressing
the roots of people’s vulnerabilities and contributes to
transforming and eliminating structures that breed inequity
and underdevelopment.

Question 7

The Key Elements of Community-Based Disaster
Management

Answer 7

In CBDM, institutions such as the government and
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have a role to play.
The NGOs have supporting, facilitating, and catalytic roles in
disaster risk reduction. Nevertheless, their presence in
communities is only temporary. The government’s role, on the
other hand, is integral in the institutionalization of the CBDM
process.

Question 8

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 8

1. Disasters are unforeseen events that cannot be prevented.

Question 9

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 9

2. The stress is on offering emergency response and recovery.

Question 10

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 10

3. People affected by disasters are helpless victims and passive
   recipients of external aid.

Question 11

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 11

4. Adults act on behalf of children in responding to children’s needs.

Question 12

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 12

5. Disaster management is the sole responsibility of the disaster
   response agency and specialists such as scientists, economists,
   social workers, the government, and NGOs.

Question 13

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 13

6. The focus is on physical and material aid and technical solutions.

Question 14

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 14

7. Focus is given to individual households.

Question 15

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 15

8. Donors/outsiders decide on what the families and communities
   need.

Question 16

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 16

9. Disaster management aims to reduce immediate suffering and
   meet emergency needs.

Question 17

Traditional Approach in Disaster Management

Answer 17

10. The goal is to bring things back to normal.

Question 18

In the traditional approach, the people affected are seldom asked or
never asked about their needs. They are not invited to participate or
join post-disaster planning and activities geared toward capacity
building. The community observes that the government applies
traditional processes in disaster response such as the following:

Answer 18

1. The general response is reactive and emergency focused.
2. The actions are, most often than not, relief-centered and limited
   only to relief distribution and preparation.
3. Rehabilitation works are rarely done.
4. Most of its strategies and approaches are not participatory; and
5. The strategies do not respond to the root causes of people’s
   vulnerability.

Question 19

Community-Based
Disaster
Management Approach
Risk
Reduction

The CBDRRM process includes:

Answer 19

a. initiating the process and establishing rapport;
b. community risk assessment (hazard, vulnerability, and capacity);
c. participatory community disaster risk reduction and management
plan;
d. formation and strengthening of community organization;
e. community-managed implementation of the disaster risk reduction
plan;
f.
participatory monitoring and evaluation; and
g. progression towards safer, adaptive, and resilient communities
(Kafle and Murshed, 2006).

Question 20

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 20

1. Disasters can be prevented. We can prepare to avoid and reduce
   damage and losses.

Question 21

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 21

2. The stress is on prevention, mitigation, and preparedness.

Question 22

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 22

3. Pebble’ affected by disasters are active actors in rebuilding their
   life and livelihood.

Question 23

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 23

4. People’s existing capacities are used and strengthened.

Question 24

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 24

5. Children participate in conceptualizing, implementing, monitoring,
   and evaluating disaster risk reduction activities.

Question 25

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 25

6. Community participation is very important in managing disasters.
   Disaster management is everybody’s responsibility. Stress is
   given on building capacity at the national, local, and community
   levels for an integrated and responsive disaster risk reduction and
   management system.

Question 26

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 26

7. The assistance covers material, social, and motivational aspects
   to reduce vulnerability.

Question 27

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 27

8. Attention is spread among individual, family, and community
   preparedness. Disaster management is linked to community
   development.

Question 28

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 28

9. The community participates in decision-making to prioritize needs
   and risk-reduction solutions or measures.

Question 29

Characteristics and Elements of CBDRRM

Answer 29

10. Disaster management aims to reduce people’s vulnerabilities and
    increase capacities to better prepare and cope with disasters.

Question 30

Essential Requisites of CBDRRM
The CBDRRM-based experiences of various NGOs and POs in
CBDRRM point to the following essential requisites:

Answer 30

1. Capability Building in Disaster Management—sustained
   education and training activities; sustained public awareness
   using local language and culture.

Question 31

Essential Requisites of CBDRRM
The CBDRRM-based experiences of various NGOs and POs in
CBDRRM point to the following essential requisites:

Answer 31

2. Community Disaster Response Organization—disaster
   management teams, disaster response committee, disaster
   management committee, disaster management network, etc.

Question 32

Essential Requisites of CBDRRM

Answer 32

3. Counter Disaster Plan—emergency/contingency plan; counter
   disaster plan; preparedness and mitigation plan; community
   development plan.

Question 33

Essential Requisites of CBDRRM

Answer 33

4. Disasters Risk Reduction—Development Continuum—linking
   vulnerability reduction and capacity building to achieving
   sustainable people-centered development.

Question 34

Essential Requisites of CBDRRM

Answer 34

5. Partnerships in Disaster Risk Reduction—partnerships Of the
   vulnerable sectors with less vulnerable groups in CBDM; partner
   ships of the community with the local government, NGOs, and
   other communities.