building a culture of disaster preparedness: moving towards social contracting

8/14/2019 BUILDING A CULTURE OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Moving Towards Social Contracting

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Iris Legal and Dallay Annawi

Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC)

BUILDING ABUILDING ACULTURE OFCULTURE OF

DISASTERDISASTER

PREPAREDNESS:PREPAREDNESS:Moving TowardsMoving Towards

Social ContractingSocial Contracting


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OUTLINE

Cultural (and sectoral) definitionCircumstances: environmental and social

Role of forests: challenging conventional

wisdom

Ondoy: awakening culture of mistrustand finger-pointing

Building block: social contracting

Moving forward: management schemeand strengthening governance


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DEFINITION: DISASTER

Primarily define personaldisaster

Loss of life

Loss of home

Loss of livelihood

Loss of community

Context of Faith: God doesnot kill yet disasterviewed as judgment from

God or timely reminder ofreality and responsibility


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DEFINITION: DISASTERFor government:

beyond numbers &extent

Broader scope ofarea loss -

infrastructure &production

Logistics

Bigger budget

allocation & donorworld


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CIRCUMSTANCES:Environmental

Earthquake, seismic activity,tsunami

Volcanic eruption

High tides

Increasing rainfall intensities,duration

Heightening coastal waters

Landuse changeDebris floods & landslides

Floods on the plains

Riverbank floods

Narrow coastal area floods


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Challenging conventionalwisdom

1. Forests increaserainfall

Forests havelimited effect onrainfall but havesignificant effectson cloud formationand circulation,especially in

maritime areas.


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Challenging conventional

wisdom

2. Forests insuredry seasonriver flow

Forestsincrease dryseason flowswhen soil

infiltrationcapacity isimproved.


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wisdom

3. Forestspreventerosion andsedimentation

Certain treesif planted inthe wrong

sites willcriticallyaffect thewater tableand water

availabilitydurin their


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wisdom4. Forests prevent landslides

Forests in areas with good soilconservation/ protection measures in

place will check erosion but cannotprevent deep landslides.


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5. Forests prevent floods

Forests reduce stormflows but cannoteliminate worst floods.

Challenging conventionalwisdom


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Upland & coastal social isolation

Poor perception of risksLack of perceived options

Lack capacity to act

Some faulty evacuationLimited city & municipal planning &enforcement

Increasing urbanization

Upland shifting subsistenceDegrading forest, soil, water, coastal

resourcesThe poor ends in worst circumstance with limitedunderstanding, will, linkage & process + weak

governance= oor Social Contractin

CIRCUMSTANCES: Social


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Culture of mistrust, blaming

and finger-pointing

Compartmentalizedgovernance

Poor understanding ofrisk

Limited local planningand enforcement

Awakening from dawn: need for

real-istic disaster

preparedness, adaptation, and

mitigation schemes

Ondoy Experience


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CONTRACTING

Disasters are the concern of society as awhole.

Society must act as one in addressingdisaster risks.

A social contractprimarily captures thedistinctive cultural relationship with theenvironment, a relationship which is

founded upon a reciprocity and respect ofthe rights of and obligations to nature.

The community is bound by its understandingof as well as responsibilities to the natural

environment. This cultural referencerovides a workin foundation for formal


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A social contract is an on-goingprocess that is continuously negotiatedthrough partnership and dialogue. It is

grounded on the premise that, whilelittle can be done about the naturalconditions, there is much opportunityfor necessary changes and actions thataddress disaster risks and mitigate theirdamaging impacts.

CONTRACTING


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Much has been learnt from the creative

disaster prevention efforts of poor

communities in developing countries.

Prevention policy is too important to be

left to governments and international

agencies alone. To succeed, it must also

engage civil society, the private sector

and the media.

Kofi Annan, IDNDR Programme Forum, Geneva, July 1999


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COMMUNITY ADAPTATIONS

Diversity of landslide and flooding

risk contexts and responses

Organized urban poorcommunities setting up family orcommunity savings program forhousing development

Community awareness andpreparedness of site mapping,geo-hazard ECC results

Local warnings established:barbecue stick as gauge toindicate need for immediateevacuation

Bamboo footbridges and rafts to


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LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Implemented through

collaborative work withorganized communities

Wide easement forfloodway controlproject

Relocation sitesaccessible to marketand livelihood

Consultative process ofengineering

Well structuredrelationship with

community relocation


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MANAGEMENT SCHEMEDisaster management scheme includes:

Pre-disaster preparation: warnings, evacuation,services

Disaster (event): managing peoples safety

Post-disaster: (risk reduction) adaptation,mitigation, and social contracting

While we cant eliminate natural hazards, we can

minimize risks by strengthening governance andresiliency of people


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GOVERNANCE

Appropriate planning & governance key todisaster reduction

RISK management involves:

Understanding the riskGenerating awareness

Establishing area information

Supporting processes for implementationSetting up policy, legal controls, &

enforcement

Adapting & mitigating development


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LESSONS LEARNED: Understandingrisk and generating awareness

Better ask the questions first rather than later

SlopeIs the lot on or near a steep slope? Does it lie on

flat terrain?

Is it within a concave or convex slope?Drainage and streamsIs there a spring or seepage within or near the lot?Ponding? Sinkhole?

Are there streams within or near the lot?Is the lot on a riverbank, near a stream?Are there gully formations?


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Evidence and oral history of past landslides and flooding

Are there scarps, slumps? Signs of landslides?

Do long-time residents have memory of landslide/flood?

Are there debris caught in the branches of trees or bamboo?

Vegetation

Are the coconuts or trees bowed at their bases?Location

How far is the site from the reach of mudflows?

How close is the lot to a mountain edge or hill?



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Better ask the questions first rather thanlater

Flood plains more extensive flooding dueto a buildup of water in a generally wet area

Round slumps in flat area indicative of oldriver bedSediment banks, natural shifting or

humanly diverted streamsSigns of migrating rivers especially near the

coast that can change pathsInfrastructure that diverts or retains

water/landCutting off hills to create a level plain or for

landfill elsewhere



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Mountain slopes and mud flowsExposed rocks

Estuarine flooding due to high tides,sometimes compounded by heavy rainfallWarnings or disaster preventive measuresSeek local knowledge and history of disasters

area from different cultures if in area

Problematic neighboring areasNames of places indicative of landscape or

event: kangkongan, nilad, batohan, busay,patag, taytay, isla verde



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WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD

1. SCIENTIFIC: Studying the parameters pre

conditions and triggers

Pre-conditions and pre-disposing: landcover and change, soil management andtype, slope, river network, geology

Triggers: rainfall, duration and velocity,(pore) pressure and discharge

Sea level rise and climate change potential Indicators of environmental risk


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2. NATIONAL: Knowing the places of risk mappingand governance

Mapping: DENR-MGB, PAGASA, Philvolcsconducting geo-hazards and risks assessment inthe Philippines

Governance: translating government geo-hazards

and risks assessment for local government andcommunity integration to land use planning anddevelopment plans

Technical capacity: upgrading PAGASAsforecasting tools; linkaging among government,

research, and academic institutions Disaster coordination system: reviewing national,

regional, and local disaster coordination



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3. COMMUNITY AND LOCAL: responsibilities and

adaptations; allocation and land suitability Improve peoples perception of risk whether

out of limitation in knowledge or sense ofhelplessness and resignation and fatalistic

attitude even with adequate information Livelihood options need to be developed:

longer-term employment skills Governance question: What are the roles of the

standing and receiving local government units

in community-initiated relocation efforts? Integration of disaster risk reduction and

adaptation in school curriculum



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4. GOVERNANCE: access to basic services andlivelihood

National government need to set up systems tomake public lands available for relocation andhousing or acquire private lands

Disaster creates high demand for land, taken

advantage of by some private landowners Livelihood options in safe areas with services

support



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THANK YOU

building a culture of disaster preparedness: moving towards social contracting

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