1.1. Community Participation in Disaster Risk Governance

Disaster Recovery And Build Back Better Community Participation in Disaster Risk Governance Voices from Mumbai and Ghana Hello everyone, Welcome to the lecture series on Disaster recovery and build back better. This lecture focuses on participation in disaster risk governance by getting insights from Mumbai, India and Ghana. We already told about that community participation is really a key element in disaster risk governance.

This chunk introduces the topic of community participation within the context of disaster risk governance. Community participation is emphasized as a critical factor in effectively managing disaster risks. The lecturer sets the stage for a discussion that draws on examples from Mumbai and Ghana to illustrate these concepts.

Imagine planning a community event like a neighborhood clean-up. If everyone pitches in with ideas and resources, the event is likely to be successful. Similarly, involving the community in disaster risk governance ensures that the plans are relevant and effective.

What we need that we need some framework. And that framework can be divided into two parts, one is the process part and one is the outcome part. With that one we can get these variables of a comprehensive framework of participations.

This chunk introduces the concept of a framework to guide community participation in disaster risk governance. The framework is divided into two components: the 'process' part, which outlines how participation occurs, and the 'outcome' part, which assesses the results of that participation. This structure is essential for understanding how community involvement can be systematically evaluated and improved.

Think of a cooking recipe. The 'process' is the step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the dish, and the 'outcomes' are the final flavors and presentation of the dish. Similarly, this framework helps in understanding both how to engage the community and what benefits arise from that engagement.

This is Mumbai, the financial capital of India, this is also Mumbai at Dharavi area close opposite to Bandra-Kurla complex, and this is Mithi river, mangrove forest and this is Bandra-Kurla and this is Dharavi areas okay, this is our study area.

This chunk provides a geographical context for the discussion, focusing on Mumbai and the specific area of Dharavi. It identifies Dharavi as the study area for analyzing community participation in disaster risk governance. This setting is significant because it was heavily impacted by a catastrophic flood in 2005, which serves as a backdrop for understanding community needs and responses.

Imagine you are studying emergency services response in a city. Knowing the neighborhoods that are most prone to emergencies, like Dharavi with its dense population and flooding risks, helps to tailor responses and resources effectively.

In 2005 there was a catastrophic disaster in Mumbai, one day 1000 almost 1000 millimetre of rainfall and it paralyzed the city, 60% of the city were indirectly or directly affected. Around 1,000 people were killed due to this flood just one day flood or 2 days flood.

This chunk discusses the devastating impact of the 2005 flood in Mumbai, which serves as a critical point for the necessity of community involvement in disaster preparedness and response. The extent of the flooding, which affected a large portion of the city and resulted in significant loss of life, underscores the need for effective disaster risk governance that leverages community insights and resources.

Think of a school being closed due to a sudden snowstorm. When students and teachers collaborate to plan better snow day preparations, like remote learning options, it can help mitigate negative impacts. The same goes for community involvement in preparing for floods.

We set up a small office in a ward G-North ward, MCGM, a research hub from there imagine this is a timeline, we started to say used to go to Dharavi and say people hey hello how are you, and then we started to build kind of rapport with the people.

Here, the chunk describes the initial steps taken to engage with the community in Dharavi. By setting up a local office and initiating informal conversations, researchers began building relationships and trust with community members. This grassroots approach is vital for genuine participation, as it allows for open communication and understanding of the community’s unique challenges.

Think of a new student joining a school. If they are welcomed and encouraged to share their opinions, they are more likely to feel comfortable participating in class activities. Similarly, building rapport with community members fosters a more collaborative environment for disaster risk governance.

We have chat over on tea stall and juice shop wherever whatever places we have, then they started talk about the flood and waterlogging problem in this area and we had continuous discussions.

This chunk emphasizes the informal channels through which community needs were identified. Casual conversations in local settings, like tea stalls, opened up dialogues about critical issues such as flooding and waterlogging. Understanding these realities from the community’s perspective is crucial for developing effective solutions.

Imagine a coach trying to improve a sports team's performance by sitting down with players during lunch to understand their challenges. This open dialogue helps the coach gain insights into what adjustments need to be made for the team to succeed, much like understanding community concerns for disaster management.

So they said that yes we need some help if you can do to manage better the flood we are facing every year. So we developed risk mapping and then over the period of time we developed an action plan with them.

In this chunk, the focus is on how community members expressed their need for assistance concerning recurrent flooding. Following these discussions, researchers collaborated with the community to develop risk mapping and an action plan aimed at managing flood risks more effectively. This collaborative approach ensures that the solutions are aligned with the community’s actual needs and priorities.

Think of a town council that asks residents for ideas on improving local parks. By jointly developing plans to enhance the parks, the council ensures that the changes made will reflect the desires and needs of the community instead of top-down decisions that may not be well received.

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