Governance And Natural Disasters

Question 1

Why are governments key players?

Answer 1

Community infrastructures and housing depend upon good planning. Buildings can withstand earthquakes, but not all governments enforce building or planning regulations that allow them to do so.

Even where buildings are of poor quality, a good deal can be done through disaster preparedness and planning.

Finally, good financial management and decision-making enable aid and donations to reach the right people when they need it.

Question 2

What’s does the PAR model stand for?

Answer 2

Pressure and release model

Question 3

What does the PAR model do?

Answer 3

Looks at the underlying causes of a disaster

Question 4

What is the PAR model based on?

Answer 4

The idea that a disaster happens when two opposing forces interact

On one side are the processes that create vulnerability and on the other side is the hazard event itself.

Question 5

What’s the equation for the PAR model?

Answer 5

Risk (R) = hazard (H) x vulnerability (V) / capacity to cope (C)

Question 6

What does the PAR model suggest?

Answer 6

Vulnerability is a process

Question 7

What is the process of vulnerability?

Answer 7

It starts with ROOT CAUSES. These are political and economic systems that control who has power in a society and who has access to resources (such as money).

Through a series of processes called DYNAMIC PRESSURES, these roots causes can lead to UNSAFE CONDITIONS.

Question 8

What’s an example of the process of vulnerability?

Answer 8

A country that is poor (a root cause) will probably not spend time or money enforcing building codes (a dynamic pressure), which means that buildings may be poorly built (leading to unsafe conditions).

Question 9

What is the process from root causes to unsafe conditions called?

Answer 9

The progression of vulnerability