Fostering New Ways of Working: New Practices

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Fostering New Ways of WorkingNew Practices
Session 32
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Session Objectives

• Identify key planning principles supporting a
  social vulnerability approach in practice
• Review common approaches in the field which are
  not based on this perspective
• Review approaches in the field which do reflect a
  vulnerability reduction perspective

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Principles for Realizing a Vulnerability Approach
through Planning

1. Recognize/integrate coping mechanisms of disaster
   survivors and local agencies
2. Avoid arbitrary relief assistance
3. Beware commercial exploitation
4. Avoid relief dependency
5. Decentralize decision-making when possible
6. Recognize disasters as political events

1. Recognize pre-disaster constraints
2. Balance reform and conservation
3. Avoid rebuilding injustice
4. Accountability the key issue
5. Relocation is the worst option
6. Maximize the transition from relief to development

Source Blaikie et al. 1994. At Risk.
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Principles for Managing a Reduction of
Vulnerability

1. Vigorously manage mitigation through structural
   and nonstructural means
2. Integrate elements of mitigation, developing
   risk-reduction measures in sequence and
   eliminating gaps
3. Capitalize on a disaster to initiate or develop
   mitigation
4. Monitor and modify to suit new conditions
5. Focus attention on protection of the most
   vulnerable
6. Focus on protection of lives and livelihoods of
   the vulnerable

1. Focus on active rather than passive approaches
2. Focus on protection priority sectors such as
   lifelines but also cultural artifacts and
   long-term economic resources
3. Measures must be sustainable over time
4. Assimilate mitigation in normal practices
5. Incorporate mitigation in specific development
   projects
6. Maintain political commitment

Source Blaikie et al. 1994. At Risk.
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Examples of Misleading Assumptions about
Vulnerable Social Groups

• Seniors are needy
• Disabled are dependent
• Households are singular and nuclear
• Households are male-headed
• Men are primary earners of the household
• English is the primary language

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Examples of Misleading Assumptions about People
at Risk or Affected by Disasters

• Personal attributes or lifestyle choices make
  people vulnerable
• Ethnic and racial minorities are especially
  vulnerable
• Women and men are equally vulnerable within
  income or age groups
• Most people have functioning cars

• Most people have disposable income and control
  over their finances
• Special populations always need help
• Getting people back into their homes is the first
  priority
• People are equally impacted by damages and loss

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Examples of Ignorance about Social Conditions

• How ethnic institutions vary from dominant Angle
  norm
• Extent of police surveillance/harassment
  experienced and corresponding fear
• Where shelters for battered women or juveniles
  are located and what they do
• Which neighborhoods are likely to have many
  home-based businesses
• Where and how migrant agricultural laborers live

• Living conditions in local public housing
  facilities
• Informal health care systems providing care
• Support systems for the chronically ill
• The resources of residential shelters
• Where the homeless stay and how many stay there

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Examples of Non-Inclusive, Top Down Planning

• Community meetings held at night no on-site
  child care no public transportation
• Open public meetings with pre-set agendas
  representing emergency practitioners as outside
  experts
• Outreach to mainstream nonprofits included in
  local VOAD groups
• One-way and one-time consultation with
  community members
• Emergency communications in English only or at
  advanced literacy levels

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Approaches Which Reflect a Vulnerability
Reduction Perspective

1. Inclusive communication
2. Reducing service barriers
3. Local innovations
4. Anticipating need
5. Increasing community and family preparedness
6. Project Impact
7. Planning ahead to reduce cultural barriers

1. Collaborating with community-based organizations
2. Networking community organizations in disasters
3. Special needs planning
4. Governmental tools for reducing vulnerability
5. Neighborhood initiatives
6. Working with emergent groups
7. Building on capacities of vulnerable people