Building local capacities for disaster response and risk reduction

This study assesses the perceptions of coastal communities on disasters, aid, and changes to their own response capacity and community resilience subsequent to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, with reference to the Hyogo Framework of Action's five thematic areas for disaster resilience: (i) governance, (ii) risk assessment, (iii) knowledge and education, (iv) risk management and vulnerability reduction, and (v) disaster preparedness and response.

It reaffirms the need for greater community guidance of a disaster response and the need to identify and strengthen existing resilience and capacities to make this possible. It confirms that the humanitarian sector needs to continue to work towards a more rights-based model of disaster response and risk reduction—one that views disaster-affected community members as resourceful agents of their own recovery rather than helpless victims of inevitable catastrophe.

The study aims to answer a number of critical questions around: (i) international humanitarian agencies' roles in strengthening local capacity for emergency response and disaster risk reduction; (ii) external agencies' ability to strengthen the capacity of local disaster management systems—encompassing communities, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and local NGOs, local government and individuals; (iii) local mechanisms for resilience and existing capacity identification; (iv) local relationships, channels of communication, and accountability mechanisms strengthening (and not undermining); and (v) balancing scarce resources with the immediate humanitarian imperative of saving lives with the longer-term objectives of building the capacities of affected communities, local organizations, and governments to respond and protect against future disasters.