Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Salvador case-study areas, such aid involves door-to-door advice and evacuation;
guarding empty houses; temporary stays with community members living
in more secure areas; and sharing food and services (like toilets) with others.
Similar measures can be found elsewhere (see Douglas et al. 2008; Jabeen et al.
2010).
An important part of preparedness for response is anticipating and
monitoring hazards. Social cohesion and community networks are crucial for
local communication structures to ensure rapid diffusion of hazard information
for early warning. Sources used for predicting extreme weather events include
television, radio, Internet, local religious leaders or places of worship, as well
as individuals' observations and traditional monitoring systems (e.g. Wamsler
2007b; SAARC 2008; Singh 2011; Wamsler et al. 2012). In the Rio case-study
area, people forecast heavy rains on the basis of clouds, and cockroaches entering
houses. In the San Salvador study area, people monitor the flood risk by noting
river water-levels, the sound level caused by rain up-hill and the appearance of
clouds.
Apart from the numerous preparedness measures in advance of potential
emergencies, many responses are ad hoc. To cope with water scarcity, people
may have to buy overpriced bottled water, or reduce the amount of water used
for drinking, cooking, cleaning and washing to an extent that can create risks to
health and hygiene.
Preparedness for recovery
Urban dwellers use various preparedness measures
to recover quickly from disaster
impacts
(housing damage, income loss, injury) and bounce back swiftly to their
former, or improved, living conditions (systematized in the fourth column in
Tables 4.1
and
4.2
). Such measures are also called 'self-insurance': the creation
of (access to) formal and informal security systems that can provide post-disaster
assistance.
Financial assistance for funding post-disaster reconstruction and
rehabilitation may come from a range of sources, like formal bank loans; savings
accounts; informal credits from employers and relatives; community-based
saving schemes, donations; or monetary compensation from insurance schemes
(Wamsler 2007a; SAARC 2008; Jabeen et al. 2010). In urban low-income
settlements, such as in Rio and San Salvador, people may save money 'under
the mattress'; work extra hours; or take on additional jobs to increase their post-
disaster income.
In the San Salvador case-study area, people also stockpile assets like
construction material, which can be sold quickly as needed (see also Jabeen et
al. 2010). For instance, to alleviate financial distress after Hurricane Mitch in
1998, one man sold his corrugated iron roofing sheets and then re-roofed his
home with materials from an old car chassis:
Search WWH ::
Custom Search