New findings: community-led disaster response and adaptation
In the wake of unprecedented climate-induced disasters sweeping across New South Wales in recent years, a newly released report sheds light on the crucial role of community-led initiatives in disaster response, recovery and adaptation.
The ‘Empowering Communities, Harnessing Local Knowledges: Self-Organising Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction Findings Report’ explores the strength of communities in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, and Northern Rivers regions of NSW after major recent flooding and bushfire events. The report also investigated the challenges local communities faced, and what ongoing support is needed to sustain them into a climate-changed future.
Authored by a team of researchers at the Sydney Environment Institute and the University Centre for Rural Health, the report underscores the significance of grassroots responses and networks in mitigating the impact of climate-related disasters.
The report details that amidst catastrophic floods and fires, local communities have taken matters into their own hands, organising swift and targeted response efforts. These initiatives, often underpinned by pre-existing community relationships and social networks, have played a critical role in saving lives and providing essential support to those in need, while fostering long-term preparation.
SEI Director Professor David Schlosberg notes the unique nature of the findings: “It has long been known that social cohesion is central to disaster survival and recovery, but this work has illustrated how specific pre-existing networks stepped up and grew in the midst of fires and floods, and how community resilience organisations have worked to develop and formalise the social infrastructure needed in the face of ongoing climate-change induced emergencies.”
The report also identifies disparities between grassroots initiatives and government decision-making processes, hindering effective disaster management. To address these challenges, the report emphasises the need for increased investment in community relationships and infrastructure, particularly in remote areas.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Scott Webster notes that one of the key findings from the report was the need for recognition of community-led initiatives and local knowledges: “Members of disaster-affected communities consistently identified structural and cultural change in how emergency management and government agencies recognise, engage and collaborate with community-led initiatives and harness their local knowledges as the support needed to minimise future disaster risk.”
These highly specialised and indispensable qualities are vital in the broader emergency management landscape. As communities across NSW continue to grapple with the aftermath of unprecedented climate-induced disasters, the insights gleaned from the report offer valuable guidance for policymakers, emergency responders, and community leaders alike.
As communities across NSW continue to grapple with the aftermath of unprecedented climate-induced disasters, the insights gleaned from the report offer valuable guidance for policymakers, emergency responders, and community leaders alike.
With a collaborative and proactive approach to expanding social infrastructure, stakeholders can work together to enhance disaster preparedness, mitigate risks, and build sustainable communities for the future.
This project was funded under the joint Australian Government – NSW Government National Partnership on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Header image by Petr Matous.