1.4. Unsafe Conditions

And they talk about they have come with the understanding of this framework is called a pressure and release model. So we have the root causes as I discussed with you, that the limited access to the power, structures, resources. Ideologies where the political ideology, the systems, political systems and economic systems and how these root causes can actually create certain add-on to the dynamic pressures.

The discussion begins by introducing a framework known as the pressure and release model. This model emphasizes understanding the root causes of unsafe conditions, which can include factors like limited access to power, resources, and infrastructure. Additionally, prevailing political and economic ideologies play a crucial role in fostering these root causes, which ultimately contribute to increased pressures on communities and individuals.

Think of this like a pressure cooker. If the heat (root causes) is applied continuously without an appropriate outlet for the steam (dynamic pressures), the cooker will eventually become a danger, highlighting the need for managing both the heat and the steam to prevent an explosion.

For example, when we have the institutional lack of institutional training, appropriate skills, local investments, even how the markets will also create some kind of everyday issues. And the press freedom you know like if you take the example of North Korea you know how what is happening in North Korea may not be known to the whole world you know how to communicate with this, the press freedom, ethical standards in public life and these are more of the everyday processes.

This chunk delves into specific everyday issues that contribute to unsafe conditions. It highlights the lack of institutional training and skills, insufficient local investments, and market-related challenges. The mention of press freedom, using North Korea as an example, indicates how limited communication and ethical standards can further exacerbate these unsafe conditions. Such issues often go unnoticed but significantly affect communities.

Imagine a small town where there is a factory that produces goods. If the workers are not trained properly and the factory does not invest in safety equipment, it can lead to accidents. If the local newspaper cannot report on these issues freely, problems can persist and worsen without any awareness or action from the community.

The other aspects are the macro-forces, the demographic change you know the rapid population change, rapid urbanisations and the amputation expenditure, the debt repayment because we have been taking lot of loans from world bank and other things. So how we are able to, how this particular debt is increasing, and it is adding to the burden of the citizen's lives and their livelihoods.

This section discusses macro-forces that contribute to unsafe conditions, such as rapid demographic changes, urbanization, and economic issues related to debt. As populations grow and urban areas expand quickly, there can be a strain on resources and services. Additionally, debt can become a significant burden for citizens, affecting their economic well-being and leading to precarious living conditions.

Consider a city that is growing very fast due to people moving from rural areas in search of better opportunities. If the city does not have enough healthcare, schools, and housing to support the new population, it can lead to overcrowding and increased poverty, making it unsafe for residents.

Deforestation because of the industrial and expansions, physical expansion of cities, and how the deforestation is in turn affecting the climate change and which is again relating to the DRR. Decline in soil productivity you know, in many at cases we have this how the agriculture have been converted into aquaculture, and again aquaculture has been at some point they come into losses, and again they want to come into agriculture you know how they face these difficulties and how it will reduce the soil productivity as well.

This chunk addresses environmental factors, particularly deforestation due to industrial expansion and its impact on climate change. It explains how converting agricultural land to aquaculture can lead to a decline in soil productivity, and the circular challenges that arise when industries are not sustainable. These environmental issues contribute to creating conditions that are unsafe for communities reliant on farming and natural resources.

Imagine a farmer who switches from growing crops to raising fish in a pond. Initially, it may seem like a good decision, but if the pond becomes polluted or the fish market crashes, the farmer may end up without a viable source of income, leading to unsafe living conditions due to lack of resources.

However, not only that it will also go with the land use like imagine you would talk about a industrial land use and how it can pollute the surrounding soil nature, that is also an important, and it will affect certain species of trees and flora and fauna, this how the result into the unsafe conditions. Where we talk about the dangerous locations people live in the physical dangerous locations, unprotected buildings and infrastructure, maybe many of in poorer countries, they do not have even money to safeguard those existing structures.

This section highlights the direct impact of land use decisions on safety, especially in industrialized areas where pollution can harm the environment and biodiversity. Furthermore, it emphasizes that people often live in dangerous locations, with unprotected infrastructure, particularly in poorer countries, where financial constraints prevent them from safeguarding their homes and communities. This results in vulnerabilities for those populations.

Think about a community built next to a factory that emits toxic waste. Residents may have no choice but to live there due to lack of alternatives, resulting in health risks and unsafe living conditions because they cannot afford to relocate or improve their homes.

Livelihoods at risk and the low-income levels like today we are looking case of Venezuela, how the situation, the financial situations have been you know disrupting the whole community in a global level, and it is also relating how even on one side when the economy falls down how it have impact on the whole society as a whole.

This chunk discusses economic vulnerabilities, particularly referring to the crisis in Venezuela as an example of low-income levels and how economic instability can affect entire communities. When a country’s economy collapses, it leads to widespread disruptions and creates unsafe living conditions, as people struggle to meet their basic needs.

Consider the situation in Venezuela where hyperinflation has caused prices of basic goods to skyrocket. Families that used to afford all their needs now find themselves unable to buy food, leading to hunger and unsafe living conditions, much like a house built on shaky ground that can collapse anytime.

Social relationships, special groups at risk maybe a target groups, lack of local institutions. And when we talk about the public actions and institutions, this is where the preparedness because majority of the political institutions they do not rely on, they do not fund for the preparedness program because that is not much visible because they are not sure whether disaster is going to happen or not.

This section highlights the importance of social relationships and the risks faced by vulnerable groups in society. It also addresses the lack of local institutions that can support preparedness efforts. There is a tendency for political institutions to underfund preparedness programs since disasters are hard to predict, often leading to a gap in essential support for communities.

Imagine a neighborhood that has no community center or group to help prepare for emergencies like floods or earthquakes. When a disaster strikes, the residents, lacking connection and resources, are much more vulnerable, similar to a ship without a crew to navigate through rough seas.

But the most visible programs are mostly focused on after the disaster. Yes, we have constructed this many houses, we have given this many boats, we have given this many livelihoods, but before what are the training programs, what are the early warning systems you know how we can actually dedicate our budget in the preparedness programs.

This chunk points out that many programs focus on response rather than preparedness. While it is important to assist communities after disasters occur, investing in training programs and early warning systems before disasters happen is critical for effective disaster risk reduction. Allocating budgets for preparedness can significantly minimize the impact of future catastrophes.

Consider a fire department that only responds to fires instead of also training the community on fire safety and prevention. If they invested part of their budget into fire drills and awareness, families would know what to do in case of a fire, reducing the chances of a disaster.

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