1. Community Participation in Disaster Risk Management

So bringing the people into the driving seat is really important this is the celebrations of our after finishing this and Dharavi community led action plan for flood disaster risk management.

Community participation is crucial in disaster risk management as it allows individuals within the community to have a say and take control of their own safety and planning. In successful disaster management strategies, when communities are involved, it leads to more effective planning and preparedness. The reference to 'Dharavi' suggests that the community-led actions successfully celebrated are outcomes of this participation.

Imagine you're planning a party. If you only make decisions without input from your friends, they might not enjoy it. However, if you ask them for their preferences, ensuring everyone’s voices are heard, the party will likely be more enjoyable for all. Similarly, in disaster management, engaging the community leads to plans that are more relevant and effective.

But the question remains in question of participations that why people participate?.

Understanding the reasons behind community participation is essential. It helps facilitators and planners ensure that their strategies resonate with the people they aim to help. Recognizing these motivations leads to better engagement and more robust, community-oriented solutions.

Consider joining a sports team; you are more likely to play if you feel it's fun and if your friends are involved. When people see a personal stake or connection to a problem, like disaster management, they are more likely to participate.

These are the criterias right and these the right hand side you can see that, left hand side the process-based criteria and right hand side you can see some of the references that from where we can found that this is our proposed argued for community participation.

The criteria for community participation can be divided into process-based and outcome-based categories. Process-based criteria focus on how participation occurs, while outcome-based criteria assess the results of that participation. Understanding these criteria helps in examining how effective the participation is in real-life situations.

Think of a school project: the process could involve brainstorming sessions, while the outcome would be the final presentation and feedback. Both aspects are vital for the project to be considered successful.

But these criterias either process or outcome-based developed by researchers, project facilitators, local government, NGOs. What is missing is that we are seeking communities participations but community had never been involved in defining what is the meaning of participations.

Often, the definitions and criteria for participation are created by those outside the community—researchers and organizations—which means the actual community voices may be overlooked. This disconnect can lead to participation efforts that do not reflect the community's true needs or methods.

Imagine a recipe that tells you how to cook a traditional meal without consulting the chef of that cuisine. The resulting dish may not meet the original flavor or expectation because it didn’t account for the chef's expertise.

So what we did we are looking this thing from a different angle from a different perspective we are saying that instead of we define the criteria of participation is possible that community themselves will define what is the meaning of participations.

The shift from an outsider-defined criteria to a user-based approach allows communities to express what participation means to them. This approach promotes ownership and makes the participation definition much more relevant to the community's context.

This is similar to allowing a team of players to decide their game strategies rather than a coach imposing a rigid plan. When the players have input, they feel more invested and are often more successful.

We asked the community to define what a successful community participation should have in terms of process and outcome based criteria.

By asking the community what successful participation looks like, the planners ensure the participation process is aligned with the community's needs and insights. This participatory assessment helps make the efforts more tailored to what the community truly values.

This can be likened to creating a survey for a local business asking customers what products they would like to see instead of just guessing. It leads to higher satisfaction and better choices.

We conducted this study in Ghana a West African country and one of the most climate change impacted a disaster-prone community particularly the upper region, Wa region, the northern part of Ghana is around four hundred kilometre from the Accra their capital city and is one of the poorest region of this country.

The selection of Ghana, particularly the Wa region, emphasizes the importance of context in disaster risk management. The reference to its vulnerability to climate change indicates that the community's methods may illustrate the real challenges and resilience in dealing with disasters.

Think of studying how different neighborhoods respond to a flood. Each area's unique characteristics—like socioeconomic status, geographic features, and community ties—affect their responses and preparations.

So they have both issues of flood and drought.

The dual challenges of flood and drought highlight the complex realities faced by communities affected by climate change. It emphasizes the need for adaptive strategies that consider both types of disasters.

It's like having to prepare for both winter snowstorms and summer hurricanes. Communities need different strategies for each, but they must be prepared for both threats simultaneously.

This calendar were developed by the farmers or the local residents by themselves they are depicting, describing the impact of climate change they can sense they can feel.

The local residents created a calendar that reflects their understanding of climate patterns, showcasing their intimate knowledge of how climate change affects their environment. This emphasizes the value of local knowledge in disaster risk management.

Just as local farmers anticipate seasons based on generations of experience, communities affected by climate change can provide insights that are crucial for addressing their own challenges.

But as a result of climate change the rain now the onset of rainfall now moved from rain now move from April to May, sometimes it moves to June even.

The shift in rainfall patterns affects agricultural cycles and water availability, creating uncertainty for farmers. This unpredictability leads to challenges in planning and can be detrimental to food security.

Imagine trying to set a schedule for a school without knowing what time classes start; the unpredictability can create chaos and confusion. Likewise, farmers rely on predictable cycles to plant and harvest their crops.

So first there is no rain and they were facing water scarcity and drought, and then they have very heavy rain or flat.

This cyclical pattern of drought followed by floods highlights the extremes caused by climate change, posing significant risks to agriculture and the community's livelihood. It necessitates a flexible and responsive approach to disaster management.

Think about trying to balance your life between studying and socializing. If one is too extreme, either too much studying leading to burnout or too much socializing leading to poor grades, it will affect your overall well-being. Similarly, communities must respond dynamically to these extremes caused by climate conditions.

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