Red Cross Red Crescent - World Disasters Report 2004

Red Cross Red Crescent - World Disasters Report 2004 - Home page: "World Disaster Report 2004 focuses on community resilience

In the hours after sudden disaster strikes, most lives are saved by the courage and resourcefulness of friends and neighbours. During slow-onset crises such as drought, some rural societies have developed extraordinary capacities to cope and bounce back. How can aid organisations strengthen rather than undermine this local resilience?
Perceptions of disaster differ between those at risk and those trying to help. Evidence suggests that everyday threats to livelihoods are a greater concern to most poor communities than 'one-off' disasters. Meanwhile, local consensus and cooperation are as important in protecting communities as concrete walls. The report argues that a more developmental approach to creating disaster resilience is needed, which puts communities in charge of defining their needs and crafting the right solutions. "