2.5. Implementation

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 the capacity of individuals and communities to adapt and adjust to adverse situations like natural disasters or conflicts. It emphasizes maintaining a standard of living despite facing shocks. For instance, if a community faces an earthquake, resilience means they can rebuild and maintain their living conditions rather than suffering a permanent decline in quality of life. DFID highlights that this involves not only bouncing back but also transforming and improving their living conditions over time.

Think of a rubber band. When stretched, it can return to its original size but can also be reshaped. Similarly, a resilient community can recover from a disaster while adapting to improve its overall situation for the future.

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, they, I would say like how they construct their livelihoods...

The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework outlines how communities can use different types of capital (human, natural, social, physical, and financial) to build resilience and enhance their livelihoods. It emphasizes that the availability and management of these resources directly influence a community's ability to withstand and recover from shocks. In discussing capital, it's important to consider not just what is present but how these assets are accessed and utilized effectively.

Imagine a farmer who has land (natural capital), farming tools (physical capital), savings (financial capital), and knowledge about agriculture (human capital). If a drought occurs, this farmer's ability to adapt will depend on how effectively they can utilize these resources to cope with the situation.

For instance in Ghana, which has much of gold resource, but is it a rich country? So which means that is where it is talking about where there is certain limitations and even having natural resources, how the country is still lacking with some abilities...

Having natural resources does not automatically translate into wealth or capability. Ghana, despite its gold resources, faces structural challenges that limit its economic growth and resilience. These can include poor governance, lack of infrastructure, and limited human capital, which makes it difficult for communities to leverage their resources effectively.

Think of a treasure chest filled with money. If the person who owns the chest cannot access the money due to restrictions or a lack of understanding of how to use it, the treasure is of little value. Similarly, Ghana's gold remains underutilized due to systemic issues.

And then the governance situation, the policies, institutions and the processes how they actually work. So it is not just only because of this natural, human, social and physical and financial capital...

Effective governance is critical for resilience. It includes the role of policies, institutions, and processes that can either facilitate or hinder access to resources. Strong governance ensures that the resources are allocated effectively, laws are enforced, rights are protected, and that communities have a voice in decisions affecting their lives. Poor governance can exacerbate vulnerabilities and diminish the ability to recover from shocks.

Consider a community meeting discussing plans for a new water supply system. If local leaders are inclusive and transparent, the project is likely to be successful and serve the needs of the community. If decisions are made without input from the residents, it may fail to address key needs, leading to a diminished capacity to cope with droughts.

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

The project cycle is crucial in disaster risk management as it outlines the systematic steps needed to manage projects effectively. Each stage serves a purpose: programming sets the framework for cooperation; identification focuses on assessing needs; appraisal evaluates stakeholder relevance; financing secures funding; implementation puts plans into action; and evaluation assesses success and learning for future projects.

Think of planning a community festival: you start by setting goals (programming), then identify what needs to be done (identification), get feedback (appraisal), secure funds (financing), carry out the festival (implementation), and finally review what went well or what could be improved for next year (evaluation).

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