The possibilities and limitations of community-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

Findings across the city studies

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 1 November 2018

• Document Type: Briefing
• Theme: Climate and Environment, Humanitarian Disasters and Emergencies
• Authors: Satterthwaite, D

Abstract

Community-based organisation and action can contribute greatly to disaster risk reduction, and interlinked to this, to building resilience to the impacts of climate change. However, as the case study cities from the Urban Africa: Risk Knowledge (Urban ARK) programme show, community action needs to be oriented towards working with local government, and not become a substitute for local government inaction. This is the case even when local government lacks the capacity to act, since it can still encourage and legitimate (or constrain and repress) community based action. The city studies also show how attention to the full spectrum of risk highlights the synergies between risk reduction from everyday small and large disasters. In addition, community-led data collection on conditions ininformal settlements can inform and strengthen community-local government partnerships for risk reduction.

This is an output from the Urban Africa: Risk Knowledge (Urban ARK) programme

Citation

Satterthwaite, D., (2017) ‘The possibilities and limitations of community-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; findings across the city studies’. Urban Ark Briefing No 8. November 2018

Link

The possibilities and limitations of community-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; findings across the city studies

Published 1 November 2018