Towards a culture of disaster preparedness worldwide

1
Towards a culture of disaster preparedness
worldwide

• Veronica De Majo
• Falun, 14-03-19

2
 
Tsunami, Phuket Island Thailand 2004
Earthquake, Port-au-Prince Haiti 2010
Picture Deddeda Stemler 
Picture EPA / RED CROSS INTERNATIONAL
Tsunami, Natori Japan 2011
Hurricane Sandy, Long Beach Island USA 2012
Picture Noah K. Murray/The Star Ledger/Corbis
Picture Newscom/Kyodo/WENN.com
3
Background

• No community is immune to natural disasters
  (many) risks are difficult to avoid or even
  prevent.
•  Communities have different hazard profiles,
  social, cultural and economic characteristics
  The impact of hazards is different.

4
(No Transcript)
5
Key concepts in DRR

• Disasters, sudden events which overwhelm local
  capacity and lead to a serious disruption of its
  functioning, causing human and material losses,
  necessitating a request to a national or
  international level for external assistance.

6

• Disaster risk represents potential disaster
  losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods,
  assets and services, which could occur to a
  particular community or a society over some
  specified future time period.
• Equation hazard (frequency and severity)
  vulnerability (exposure/capacity)

7

• Disaster risk reduction, is defined as the
  concept and practice of reducing disaster risks
  through systematic efforts to analyze and manage
  the causal factors of disasters (reduced exposure
  to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and
  property, wise management of land and the
  environment, and improved preparedness) (UNISDR
  2009).

8

• Disaster management phases and incident time-line

9
My contribution

• Overarching aim of the research project,
• To explore and have a better understanding of the
  development of a culture of preparedness in
  disaster reduction and how it has been (and can
  be) strengthened through international
  cooperation, ICT and learning.

10

• 1990s, shift from a culture of reaction to a
  culture of preparedness.
• Still much to do! Need for integral and
  systematic approaches that focus on disaster risk
  reduction with emphasis in all the phases.
• International cooperation, ICT and learning in
  focus.

11
Culture of disaster preparedness

• In nuclear energy safety the personal dedication
  and accountability of all individuals engaged in
  any activity which has to do with safety.
• In patient safety effective systems and teamwork
  to accomplish the mutual goal of safe.
• In corporate safety members attitudes, values
  and beliefs in relation to safety.
• Strategies aiming to improve communities
  capacity to cope with natural disasters.
• Values, attitudes, beliefs roles.

12
1) International cooperation

• Increase communities capacity to cope with
  natural disasters, especially in developing
  countries.
• Multiplicity of actors interacting in different
  arenas and through different channels at local,
  national, regional and global level.
• Emergent network system in DRR

13
2) Public awareness

• Common knowledge about disaster risks (causes and
  actions that can be taken).
• Public information, education, dissemination of
  routines, community and participation actions,
  radio or television broadcasts, use of printed
  media and internet (nowadays strongly associated
  to social media).
• Enhance individuals awareness

14
3) ICT

• Internet, wireless technology (including GPS),
  remote sensing, emergency management decision
  support systems, hazard analysis and modelling
  (simulation), and early warning systems, among
  others.
• Two-way communication .
• Training and education spreading knowledge

15

• New challenges for disaster risk reduction
  (especially implementation)
• Lack of resources, technology seen as an end
  rather than a mean internet systems not that
  robust information overload and diffusion of
  inappropriate information (which does it less
  efficient) information security and the dilemma
  regarding high costs of technology vs.
  uncertainty of disasters.

16
Swedish Civil ContingenciesAgency,
http//www.dinsakerhet.se/
17
(No Transcript)
18
In sum,

• A growing culture of preparedness.
• Benefits of international cooperation, ICT and
  learning.
• Challenges, still much to do.

19

• Thank you!
• Veronica De Majo
• vdm_at_du.se