2.3. Appraisal

The word resilience has become an important dimension of the DRR and this is what the DFID defines as the department for international development of UK. It says the ability of countries, communities, and households to manage change, by maintaining or transforming living standards in the face of shocks or stresses such as earthquakes, droughts or violent conflict without compromising their long-term prospects.

Resilience refers to a community's capacity to withstand and recover from adverse events like natural disasters or crises. The definition from DFID emphasizes that resilience is about maintaining living standards despite challenges. This means that even when faced with significant changes or stressors, a community should be able to adapt without jeopardizing future opportunities.

Imagine a farmer who faces a drought. Rather than giving up, the farmer uses techniques like drip irrigation and drought-resistant crops to sustain their yield. Thus, they adapt to the immediate challenge while ensuring that their ability to farm successfully in the future remains intact.

There are few more frameworks which I let us go through; one is the sustainable livelihoods framework. This has been developed again by the DFID in 1999. And you can see that it talks about the capital because they are referred as an asset framework as well and how the individual or a community, how they use...how they sustain they livelihood opportunities.

The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework identifies various types of capital (natural, human, social, and financial) that individuals and communities can use to improve their living conditions. It highlights that access to these assets can differ between communities, affecting their ability to create sustainable livelihoods. For example, a community with rich natural resources may struggle if they lack the skills or access to technology needed to utilize them effectively.

Think of a fisherman who depends on fishing for their livelihood. If they have a boat (capital), fishing gear (assets), and knowledge about fish behavior, they're more likely to succeed. In contrast, a fisherman without proper resources or knowledge may find it hard to earn a living, demonstrating how vital such assets are for sustainability.

And they also list out the government roles in DRR. So it plays a number of roles, one is as a providers of DRR goods and services for instance, maintaining early warning systems, emergency response, evacuation shelters and the healthcare sector.

Governments play crucial roles in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) by providing essential services and infrastructure that help communities prepare for and respond to disasters. This includes everything from setting up early warning systems to ensuring that there are shelters and healthcare services ready for emergencies. Such roles are vital for protecting lives and minimizing the impact of disasters.

Consider a town that has experienced flooding. The government can greatly help by deploying an emergency response team that provides shelter and medical care. Their timely actions can mean the difference between safe evacuation and chaos, underscoring the importance of government involvement in disaster management.

When we talk about the project cycle in the disaster context, these are the 6 aspects which we need to look at: programming, identification, appraisal, financing, implementation, and evaluation.

The project cycle in DRR comprises several key stages, each critical to successful disaster management. Programming sets the overall guidelines, while identification detects the problems needing attention. Appraisal examines stakeholder views and financial implications, followed by financing to secure necessary funds. Implementation puts plans into action, and evaluation assesses what worked and what didn’t for future improvements.

Think of organizing a community event to provide assistance after a disaster. First, you plan (programming), identify who needs help (identification), assess the budget and resources needed (appraisal and financing), execute the event (implementation), and finally, review its success (evaluation) to ensure better planning next time.

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