Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T15:17:33.388Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Building Community Resilience: What Can the United States Learn From Experiences in Other Countries?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2013

Melinda Moore ,
Anita Chandra  and
Kevin C. Feeney
Melinda Moore*
Affiliation:
RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia
Anita Chandra
Affiliation:
RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia
Kevin C. Feeney
Affiliation:
RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Melinda Moore, MD, MPH, RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22202-5050 (e-mail [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives

Community resilience (CR) is emerging as a major public policy priority within disaster management and is one of two key pillars of the December 2009 US National Health Security Strategy. However, there is no clear agreement on what key elements constitute CR. We examined exemplary practices from international disaster management to validate the elements of CR, as suggested by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), to potentially identify new elements and to identify practices that could be emulated or adapted to help build CR.

Methods

We extracted detailed information relevant to CR from unpublished case studies we had developed previously, describing exemplary practices from international natural disasters occurring between 1985 and 2005. We then mapped specific practices against the five elements of CR suggested by HSPD-21.

Results

We identified 49 relevant exemplary practices from 11 natural disasters in 10 countries (earthquakes in Mexico, India, and Iran; volcanic eruption in Philippines; hurricanes in Honduras and Cuba; floods in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Mozambique; tsunami in Indian Ocean countries; and typhoon in Vietnam). Of these, 35 mapped well against the five elements of CR: community education, community empowerment, practice, social networks, and familiarity with local services; 15 additional practices were related to physical security and economic security. The five HSPD-21 CR elements and two additional ones we identified were closely related to one another; social networks were especially important to CR.

Conclusions

While each disaster is unique, the elements of CR appear to be broadly applicable across countries and disaster settings. Our descriptive study provides retrospective empirical evidence that helps validate, and adds to, the elements of CR suggested by HSPD-21. It also generates hypotheses about factors contributing to CR that can be tested in future analytic or experimental research. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:292-301)

Keywords

community resiliencehealth securitydisasterdisaster preparednessdisaster managementlessons learnedsocial networksglobal disaster
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , June 2013 , pp. 292 - 301
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Dawes, S, Cresswell, AM, Cahan, BB. Learning from crisis: Lessons in human and information infrastructure from the World Trade Center response. Soc Sci Comput Rev. 2004;22:52-66.Google Scholar
2.Beaudoin, CE. News, social capital and health in the context of Katrina. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2007;18(2):418-430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Curtis, A, Mills, JW, Leitner, M. Katrina and vulnerability: the geography of stress. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2007;18(2):315-330.Google Scholar
4.Cutter, S, Emrich, C, Mitchell, J, etal. The long road home: race class, and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Environment. 2006;48:8-20.Google Scholar
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (US HHS). National Health Security Strategy of United States of America. December 2009. HHS Web site. http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/opsp/nhss/nhss0912.pdf. Accessed January 18, 2010.Google Scholar
6. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (US DHS). Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21: Public Health and Medical Preparedness. October 18, 2007. http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=480002. Accessed April 20, 2012.Google Scholar
7.Moore, M, Trujillo, HR, Stearns, BK, etal. Learning from exemplary practices in international disaster management: a fresh avenue to inform U.S. policy? J Homeland Security Emerg Manage. 2009;6(1):35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Kreimer, A, Echeverria, E. Case study: housing reconstruction in Mexico City. World Bank Web site. http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/urban/dis_man/mexico.htm. Accessed October 13, 2006.Google Scholar
9.de Castro, E. Philippine volcano erupts, 30,000 flee homes. ReliefWeb Web site. February 24, 2000. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/ACOS-64C59D?OpenDocument. Accessed July 2006.Google Scholar
10.Mercado, RA, Bertram, J, Lacsamana, T, etal. Socioeconomic impacts of the Mount Pinatubo eruption. In: Newhall CG, Punongbayan RS, eds. Fire and Mud: Eruptions and Lahars of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines. Quezon City, Seattle and London: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and University of Washington Press; 1996. U.S. Geological Survey Web site. http://pubs.usgs.gov/pinatubo/mercado/index.html. Accessed July 2006.Google Scholar
11.Beck, T. Learning Lessons From Disaster Recovery: The Case of Bangladesh. World Bank, Disaster Risk Management Working Paper Series, No. 11; 2005.Google Scholar
12.Telford, J. Learning lessons from disaster recovery: the case of Honduras. World Bank Disaster Risk Management Working Paper Series No. 8; 2004.Google Scholar
13.International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. World Disasters Report 2001: Focus on Recovery. Geneva, Switzerland: IFRC; 2001.Google Scholar
14.United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Evolution of a Disaster Risk Management System: A Case Study of Mozambique. Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery; 2004.Google Scholar
15. Republic of Mozambique. Special appeal by the Government of Mozambique to deal with floods in the centre of the country. ReliefWeb Web site. March 2, 2001. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/AllDocsByUNID/81393b07566c47e6c1256a030038bea6. Accessed October 19, 2006.Google Scholar
16.Sadasivam, M. From relief to recovery: the Gujarat experience, United Nations Development Programme; 2001.Google Scholar
17.International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). World Disasters Report 2004: Focus on Community Resilience. Geneva, Switzerland: IFRC; 2004.Google Scholar
18.Cosgrave, J. Tsunami Evaluation Coalition: Initial findings, December 2005. London, Great Britain: ALNAP; 2006.Google Scholar
19. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA). Coordination and the Indian Ocean Tsunami. UN OCHA Web site. http://ochaonline.un.org/ocha2006/chap6_1.htm. Accessed July 2006.Google Scholar
20.International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. World Disasters Report 2002: Focus on Reducing Risk. Geneva, Switzerland: IFRC; 2002.Google Scholar
21. Oxfam. Hurricane Dennis leaves behind destruction in Cuba. Oxfam News. Updated July 14, 2005.Google Scholar
22. EM-DAT [database online]. Brussels, Belgium: Center for the Research of the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). http://www.emdat.be. Accessed December 17, 2009.Google Scholar
23. ReliefWeb. Disaster History by Country-Cuba. ReliefWeb Web site. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/doc109?OpenForm&rc=2&cc=cub. Accessed October 2008.Google Scholar
24.Martin, ST. Can we learn from Cuba's lessons? St. Petersburg Times. September 9, 2005.Google Scholar
25. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Goodpractice. 2005-04-13.0920531175: Community-Based Information Management for the Quake-Stricken People in Bam. UNDP; 2005a. Accessed April 2006.Google Scholar
26.Simão Renço, L. Good Practice Examples of Disaster Risk Management in the Búzi District of Central Mozambique. Testimony before the World Conference on Disaster Reduction. Kobe, Japan; January, 2005.Google Scholar
27.Villagram de León, JC. Community early warning systems: a strategy for the local management of disaster reduction in Central America. National Coordination Office for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) Web site. http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/230352/Session-2/CaseStudy2.doc. Accessed October 19, 2006.Google Scholar
28.Thompson, M, Gaviria, I. Weathering the storm: lessons in risk reduction from Cuba, Oxfam America; 2004.Google Scholar
29.White, R. Managing water disasters and minimizing the vulnerability of Mozambique to floods. Testimony before the 6th Annual Water Africa Conference. Johannesburg, South Africa; September 2001.Google Scholar
30. World Bank. Coping with natural disasters: the role of social funds. The World Bank; June 2006.Google Scholar
31. World Bank. The World Bank and social funds. The World Bank Web site. June 2006. http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/HDNet/HDdocs.nsf/socialfunds/912775EDFEC3102C85256BBA0065558D?OpenDocument. Accessed June 2006b.Google Scholar
32.Guerra, JL, Montes de Oca Dias, M. Cuba: Beyond a simple response to hurricanes. United Nations International Strategy Disaster Reduction (ISDR); June 2002.Google Scholar
33. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Goodpractice. 2005-04-18.4648364550: Forearmed for Surviving Natural Disasters. UNDP;2005b.Google Scholar
34.Hanlon, J. Should the USA seek disaster advice from Mozambique? Africa News, September 8, 2005.Google Scholar
35. United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). Platform for the promotion of early warning newsletter; December 2004.Google Scholar
36.Fritz Institute. Lessons from the tsunami: top-line findings. San Francisco, California: Fritz Institute; 2005.Google Scholar
37.Arrington, V. Wilma floods Havana but kills none, highlighting Cuba's hurricane preparedness. Associated Press Worldstream. October 16, 2005.Google Scholar
38.Tamayo, JO, San Martin, N. Cuba imposes a strict response to hurricane threat. The Miami Herald. September 18, 2004.Google Scholar
39.Punongbayan, RS, Newhall, CG, Bautista, LP, etal. Eruption hazard assessments and warnings. In: Newhall CG, Punongbayan RS, eds. Fire and Mud: Eruptions and Lahars of Mount Pinatubo. Philippines, Quezon City, Seattle and London: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and University of Washington Press; 1996, http://pubs.usgs.gov/pinatubo/punong2/index.html. Accessed July 2006.Google Scholar
40.Munoz, LE. Minimizing the impact of water disasters: the 2001 floods in Mozambique. Testimony before the 6th Annual Water Africa Conference. Johannesburg; September 2001.Google Scholar
41. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) Summary Report of the Lessons Learned from the Mozambique Floods Workshop; 2001.Google Scholar
42.North, R. Cleaning up after the elephant-sized typhoon in Vietnam. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Web site. September 28, 2005. http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/05/05092802/. Accessed September 29, 2006.Google Scholar
43.Minh, HJ. Green screen protects Vietnam from violent seas. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Web site. January 12, 2004. http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/04/04011202/. Accessed September 29, 2006.Google Scholar
44.Wiles, P, Selvester, K, Fidalgo, L. Learning lessons from disaster recovery: the case of Mozambique. Disaster Risk Management Working Paper Series. Washington, DC: The World Bank; 2005:12.Google Scholar
45.Battista, F, Bass, S. The role of local institutions in reducing vulnerability to recurrent natural disasters and in sustainable livelihoods development: consolidated report on case studies and workshop findings and recommendations. Rome, Italy: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization; April 2004.Google Scholar