Evacuation plans must consider gender and diversity in communities

There is no ‘out of the box’ template for effective evacuation planning. The experience of a disaster event is unique to each community, and affects individuals within communities in different ways. Recognising diversity is integral to upholding the principle of ‘shared responsibility’ at the heart of Australia’s National Strategy for Disaster Resilience – inclusive planning supports communities to be more actively engaged in their own resilience, and consequently better placed to recover from disasters.

The need for greater emphasis on gender, diversity and inclusion was identified early in the 2016-17 review process of Handbook 4 Evacuation Planning, managed by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR). Based on nationally-agreed principles, the handbook supports planning to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of an evacuation. Extensive stakeholder consultation was conducted, with expert input from the Gender and Disaster Pod, to strengthen the handbook’s guidance in relation to gender, diversity and inclusion. The revisions are designed to encourage users to maintain a broad perspective of diversity, and an agile and flexible response to the needs of their community.

In particular, the logistics of evacuation centres are an important litmus test for inclusive planning. These centres should be safe places for all members of the community; for example, consideration must be given to the needs of families, and protecting survivors of family violence. Toilet and washing facilities must meet suitable standards of accessibility, and consider people with diverse gender and sexual identities.

Similarly, evacuation warnings cannot be a ‘one size fits all.’ Community members who are pregnant, or caring for babies or small children may have differing capacity to respond quickly to threats and warnings. Tailored messaging should meet the varied needs and vulnerabilities across community segments.

Achieving inclusive planning demands a community-centred approach. Diverse groups and individuals hold vital local knowledge; availability of public transport, likely egress routes, the ins and outs of local business and economy, and groups with specific needs. Where possible, evacuation exercises should involve local community representatives, who can then act as powerful advocates for shared responsibility and building public awareness.

Successful evacuation planning is dynamic, shifting over time in response to the changing needs and composition of communities. Maintaining currency requires an essential investment of time and effort, if we are truly committed to building greater resilience.

The complete Australian Disaster Resilience Handbook Collection is managed by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience and located on the Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub.

The National Gender & Emergency Management Guidelines were developed as part of the Gender & Disaster Pod All on Board project.

Amanda Lamont is the Director of Engagement & Projects at the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR). In this role, Amanda is responsible for growing the national disaster resilience body of knowledge through engagement with key stakeholders and managing the Australian Disaster Resilience Handbook Collection. Amanda has an extensive background in emergency management, international community development and strategic partnerships. She is also a volunteer firefighter with the Country Fire Authority in Victoria and a Psychological First Aid trainer and emergency services volunteer at the Australian Red Cross.