1.10. Disasters and Development

Welcome to the course disaster recovery and build back better. I am Ram Sateesh Pasupuleti, assistant professor, department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee. Today I am going to discuss with you about a few of the frameworks which are relevant to the DRR which is disaster risk reduction, and it covers both from a theoretical understanding to the project and the implementation aspects and also with the kind of community management process as well.

In this chunk, we introduce the topic of disaster risk reduction (DRR), which is essential in managing disasters effectively. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding various frameworks related to DRR, which encompass theoretical knowledge as well as practical implementation strategies. This holistic approach aids in community management as well.

Think of DRR like preparing for a major storm. Just as homeowners would learn about storm preparedness, securing their properties, and having emergency plans, communities must also understand the risks and prepare for disasters through frameworks designed for DRR.

First of all, we have to understand with the especially from the disaster risk context and also with the developing countries context. Countries like India which are more to do with the poverty because India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal so we have along with the disaster risk reduction we also have a challenge of the poverty reduction.

This chunk discusses the relationship between disaster risk and poverty, particularly in developing countries. It highlights that countries often face dual challenges of mitigating disaster impacts while also addressing poverty. This connection is crucial to understanding why some communities are more vulnerable to disasters.

Imagine a community living in a flood-prone area that also struggles with poverty. When a flood occurs, the damage is compounded not just by the physical destruction but also by the community's lack of resources to recover. This shows how intertwined disaster risk and poverty can be.

So even the governance because how one particular community or society is unable to handle shocks and stresses and that is where a system how it fails. These are all actually formulates the underlying risk drivers. When we talk about underlying risk drivers, we talk about the poor and urban local governance and the vulnerable rural livelihoods because especially with the climate change.

In this segment, the discussion focuses on the underlying factors that contribute to disaster risk. Poor governance, the inability of communities to cope with shocks (like natural disasters), and vulnerable livelihoods are critical drivers. Understanding these factors helps in better planning and resource allocation to improve resilience.

Think of a community as a team trying to win a game. If the coach (governance) lacks the skill to guide the team and if the players (community members) are skilled but untrained (poor livelihoods), the team is more likely to lose when faced with challenging competition (disasters).

These are the kind of underlying risk drivers. They tried to classify into intensive risk when you say intensive risk major concentrations of the vulnerable populations and economic asserts exposed to the extreme hazard. Whereas the extensive risk, when he talks about the extensive risk, he talks about the geographically dispersed exposure of vulnerable people and economic assets to low or moderate-intensity hazard.

This chunk explains two categories of risk: intensive and extensive risk. Intensive risk involves high concentrations of vulnerable populations facing severe hazards, while extensive risk refers to a broader, more dispersed group facing lower-level threats. Recognizing these distinctions aids in developing tailored disaster response strategies.

Imagine two neighborhoods. One is a high-rise apartment block in a floodplain (intensive risk) and the other is a rural area with scattered homes in a drought-prone region (extensive risk). Each community will need different strategies and resources for disaster preparedness and recovery.

Everyday risk, so when we say everyday risk, we are talking about households and communities exposed to foods, insecurity, disease, crime, accidents, pollution, lack of sanitation and clean water.

This chunk touches on everyday risks that communities face, which are often exacerbated by disasters. Risks like food insecurity, health issues, crime, and environmental pollution can lead to chronic vulnerability. Understanding these everyday challenges is pivotal when creating comprehensive disaster risk reduction strategies.

Imagine a family living in an area where the water supply is contaminated (pollution), and they may not have enough food (food insecurity). These daily struggles make it much harder to recover from a disaster like a flood, where their already limited resources are further depleted.

When we talk about poverty outcomes, when we say about poverty outcomes, it talks about the both short, medium on long term impacts on income, consumption, welfare and equality.

This segment emphasizes the connection between disaster impacts and poverty outcomes. It explains how disasters directly affect income, consumption patterns, and overall welfare in communities, particularly in the long-term, reiterating that disaster risk is deeply interconnected with socioeconomic factors.

Consider a farmer who loses his crops due to a flood. In the immediate aftermath, he may struggle to buy food for his family (income impact). Over time, he may have to sell his tools or livestock (consumption patterns), which affects his overall socioeconomic status (welfare).

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