Managing Disasters → Linking preparedness, response, recovery

Linking preparedness, response, recovery

Thinking ahead is critical in reducing vulnerability to future disasters.

Emergency preparedness

The best opportunity to introduce and implement mitigation and preparedness measures is in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

Effective national and local preparedness will involve activities in:

• Vulnerability assessment – to assess hazards and their potential effects including social and economic impacts in addition to threats to life and property, vulnerable groups and anticipated resource and relief needs.
• Disaster response and contingency planning – to set out objectives and allocate responsibilities, and explore different risks and emergency scenarios.
• Institutional strengthening – to identify existing expertise, coordination and communication structures, capacity gaps and clear roles.
• Information systems – to coordinate the collection and dissemination of information between those responding to disasters and the general public.
• Allocation of resources and stockpiling – to ensure arrangements are in place for funding, supplies (water, grain, seeds), logistics and coordination.
• Early warning systems - to raise public and international awareness.
• Response mechanisms – to identify and develop standby capacity at national and local level e.g. trained personnel, supplies, designated shelters, search and rescue mechanisms, medical and care arrangements.
• Public education and training – to enable effective community based action.
• Testing – to provide opportunities for practice and planning improvements.

Linking response, recovery and development

Linking short term humanitarian response to longer term recovery and development avoids the risk of gaps and increased vulnerability to disaster.

Disasters represent a major threat to sustainable development but also an opportunity to ‘build back better’ e.g. safer houses, effective land use and water resource management, reconciliation between conflicting groups.

• Take the long term implications of emergency response activities into account to strengthen opportunities for recovery and improved future preparedness.
• Be aware of limitations of short term ‘life-saving’ funding and response activities.
• In development planning, take local hazards and disaster risks into account.
• Essential to effectively linking response, recovery and development are:
• A well planned phase out and arrangements for handover of responsibility for short term humanitarian response projects;
• Involvement of beneficiaries and host communities in decision making and implementation at all stages in response and recovery;
• Consideration of existing national and local development plans, policies, priorities, projects and capacities in response planning;
• Addressing the differing and long term needs of affected groups e.g. livelihood opportunities, land, access to basic services, support for vulnerable groups;
• Sufficient resources to meet sustainable development needs;
• Integration of disaster risk reduction (mitigation and preparedness measures) as an integral part of the recovery process.