1.1. Guidance to DRR

Welcome to the course; disaster recovery and build back better, my name is Ram Sateesh, I am Assistant Professor in Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee. Today, we are going to discuss about guidance to DRR; Disaster Risk Reduction so, here today in this lecture what I tried to do is I tried to compile at least showcase, different kinds of manuals or which is providing some guidance.

In this lecture, the speaker introduces the topic of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and emphasizes the importance of guidance in recovery practices after disasters. The section highlights that various manuals exist that provide helpful instructions, best practices, and recommendations for professionals involved in disaster recovery. The guidance can vary from basic rules of thumb to more elaborate dos and don’ts tailored to specific disaster scenarios.

Think of disaster recovery as similar to following a recipe when cooking. Just like a chef refers to a recipe for guidance on ingredients and steps, professionals engaged in disaster recovery refer to guidelines and manuals to ensure safety and effectiveness in rebuilding efforts after disasters.

It could be a thumb rule guidance, it could be dos and don’ts, whatever you call it but it is showing some guidance; guidance to what, guidance to whom and guidance to which context so, when we say guidance to whom, this could be for the people who are working on the shelter practices whether it is an architect, whether it is a civil engineer, whether; so basically there is a group of built environment professions involved in the shelter recovery especially, in the humanitarian context.

The guidance provided in DRR manuals is directed at various professionals involved in shelter recovery, such as architects and civil engineers. This section stresses the importance of targeted guidance for specific contexts, meaning that advice can differ based on the disaster type (earthquake, flood, etc.) and the professionals' roles in recovery efforts.

Imagine if you're assembling furniture; you would want the instructions not only to tell you how to put it together but also to be suitable for different types of furniture like bookshelves or desks. Similarly, DRR guidance is tailored for specific professionals who deal with different aspects of disaster recovery.

And the second aspect is; it is talking about certain principles of do's and don'ts, you know what to do and what not to do which is better, it’s a very generic principles which is showing, it is not specific to the site but it will actually show some guidance to people working either on hilly areas or floodplain areas or an earthquake-prone area so, it is sometimes it is also specific to a disaster.

This part discusses the general principles of disaster recovery which serve as do's and don'ts for building professionals. These principles are not always site-specific, allowing them to be applicable across different types of disaster-prone locations, including hilly terrains and floodplains. However, they can also be tailored for specific disasters to enhance their relevance.

Consider the safety guidelines that apply to various types of sports, like wearing a helmet while biking or rollerblading. Though these guidelines may not be site-specific, they are broadly applicable to keep athletes safe across different environments.

So, this particular manuals earlier, they were too technical to work on it and but as the time moved on, the visual aspect has improved quite a lot and because it has to reach to the common man, the most of the target group population who were often affected by the disasters, they are probably from the vulnerable areas especially, from the remote rural areas where you hardly get any technical manpower.

Historically, manuals for disaster recovery were often too technical for the average person to understand. However, over time, there has been a concerted effort to make these manuals more visually engaging and simpler to understand, ensuring that they can be accessible to the common man. This is especially important for individuals in vulnerable communities who may lack technical expertise.

Think of how user manuals for electronics have changed over time. Earlier manuals might have been filled with jargon and complex diagrams, making it hard for someone unfamiliar with technology to use them. Now, they often include clear images, step-by-step instructions, and simpler language, making them easier for everyone to follow.

So, how this kind of guidance can show and these manuals can show your direction for the layman even to understand that what to do and what not to do and how to do, I will be showing a few guidelines and which has been developed by different agencies and what are the focus lights on and how they have tried to demonstrate and what is that they are trying to give an information or to a guidance to the shelter makers.

The speaker intends to provide specific examples of guidelines that have been developed by various agencies. These examples will help illustrate how manuals guide individuals in disaster recovery by providing practical advice on construction and safety measures, which can be comprehended by the average person.

It's like learning to ride a bike. You might first learn by watching a demonstration, which provides specific tips and guidance on how to balance, pedal, and steer. Manuals on disaster recovery similarly aim to demonstrate practical actions that shelter builders can take to ensure safety.

--