Cont: The impact of disasters on development and vulnerabilities caused by development.

      So I think it’s agreed that public policy must incorporate disaster management but what are the areas of concern? We will look at 1. Partnership 2. Flexibility 3. Selectivity

A. Partnership.
“No man is an island”, corny but true. Development feeds of bilateral foreign aid, collaboration among governments, communities, Ngo's private sectors and universities. Partnerships are important since they build ownership and the contribution of skill to ensure the best results. This is an area of concern number one.

Graidner partnership

B. Flexibility.

The draft must take into account that conditions vary in development and change rapidly leaning negatively or positively. Flexibility, adoptability and efficiency are key so that adjustments to the variations in the conditions can be met.

C. Selectivity

Development resources are limited to needs and these resources are scarce and investments must be carefully picked to ensure maximum impact. A 3 tier criteria is followed for assistance allocation among countries. One is the need for assistance, followed by the supplying nation’s foreign policy on the receiving nation and finally the countries commitment to reform and its leadership’s commitment. On a national level investment should be done in the areas that need it most given the scope of degradation to infrastructure, human and social systems, political and economical impact that a nation can suffer from a disaster to its development. Experts give the following as possible achievements of adequately formulated development policies.

Ø  They authorize governments to define rehabilitation and reconstruction methods in response and recovery in the disaster management cycle.

Ø  Set standards to manage and control public and private resources and their allocation for recovery.

Ø  Support local laws, codes and regulations, interagency teamwork and collaboration to sustain the development.

Ø  They make it possible for local communities to access resources for recovery that sustains development.

Ø  Design risk reduction strategies for communities such as early warning measures.

Ø  Allow government officials to use of hazard vulnerability mapping information to control relocation.

Ø  Enforce land elevation and set procedures for compliance with zoning laws, codes and regulations.

Ø  Provide for the development of land preservation in areas that need intervention and are under threat. For example the water catchment areas in the Mau in Kenya.

Ø  Establish the framework for disaster assistance in the form of loans and public assistance for immediate recovery.

Ø  Set out procedures for land use including maintaining natural mangrove for storm surge protection.

Quarantelli (1997) “policies can be established and steps can be taken that will reduce and weaken some negative effects of the probable catastrophic disasters of the future.” The policies mentioned can diminish the shattering impact that disasters place on development initiatives, particularly in developing countries where they set the country back significantly.

Benson Mutahi Githaiga

Disaster Management Enthusiast

References

Emergency Management: the American Experience,1900-2010. ed. Claire B.Rubin  

 http://www.un-spider.org/about-us/news/en/6627/2013-04-25t154700/odi-report-disaster-risk-management-and-development

http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.col.org%2FSiteCollectionDocuments%2FDisaster_Management_version_1.0.pdf&ei=TU0fUu2pCcPD7AaN5YCwBw&usg=AFQjCNFTu0x4d83emTdP7PeqNce5_tocqw&bvm=bv.51495398,d.ZGU

http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CFkQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gobookee.net%2Fintroduction-to-disaster-management%2F&ei=TU0fUu2pCcPD7AaN5YCwBw&usg=AFQjCNGfJUQc_bdnzhgRaoFoKkVLME69bw&bvm=bv.51495398,d.ZGU