Question

From the article, "A whole community approach to emergency management: Strategies and best practices of 7 community programs," What does it mean "disasters happen locally"? Explain with an example.

Answer 1

Planning response and recovery from a disaster is most effective when members of a community form partnerships in advance and work collberatively with government.

All disaster happens locally.Well integrated local communication networks are critical to creating resilient communities.

When crisis happens at a specific place ,people must rely firstly on local community resources.The foremost responders will be members of the community, neighbours ,friends and family.Local assets will be first deployed.This means the first emergency messages must be develeoped at the local level.

Local responders should take the responsibility for such emergencies because of their close proximity to the crisis.

Local communication plans that incorporate Crisis and Emergnecy Risk Communication principles can help communities reduce risks, responds more effectively , nad recover more quickly.

EXAMPLE: COVID 19 disaster is also a disaster which happened locally though it is a pandemic.

Strict measures should be followed at individual and local level like :

• Frequent hand washing and hygiene.
• Wearing a mask wherever necessary.
• Keeping social or physical distancing.
• Intake of high immune diet.
• Reducing unnecessary roaming in public areas.
• Lock down should start from the local level like closing theatres ,shopping malls etc.

If we had taken all the above measures there would be reduced risk, and the response and recovery would have been more effective and quick.