Communities are the first responders in case of any disaster. Therefore, a community-based disaster risk management approach should be the core of any risk reduction approach. Community based disaster risk management approach (CBDRM) is a process, which leads to a locally appropriate and locally ‘owned’ strategy for disaster preparedness & risk reduction. Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) is the result of this realization and aims to create opportunities and build partnerships with the communities to establish disaster-resilient societies.

1. Community Based Disaster Risk
Management Approaches

2. Introduction
• Communities are the first responders in case of any
disaster. Therefore, community based disaster risk
management approach should be the core of any risk
reduction approach. Community based disaster risk
management approach (CBDRM) is a process, which
leads to a locally appropriate and locally ‘owned’
strategy for disaster preparedness & risk reduction.
Community Based Disaster Risk Management
(CBDRM) is the result of this realization and aims to
create opportunities and build partnerships with the
communities to establish disaster resilient societies.

3. Importance of CBDRM
 By building the capacity of the community, CBDRM
automatically reduces their vulnerability to any disaster
and hence the overall disaster risk is significantly
decreased.
 It increases resilience to disasters at community level,
hence reducing the losses in case a disaster strikes.
Instead of hopelessness and defeated mentality, it
infuses hope and fighting spirit in the community
which proves to be vital in the disaster situation.

4. • If masses are capable to take on and absorb the shocks
of disaster and manage to avoid major damages, it
makes the individual economies disaster resilient which
becomes a valuable asset for the national economy also.
• Prevention, mitigation, risk reduction and risk
management strategies and plans can be put to test at
community level, as a pilot project and their success or
failure can lead to treasured conclusions for provincial
and federal level planning and strategy making .

5. CBDRM Process
• Risk Assessment
• Ensuring sustainability of CBDMOs & CBDRM
Plan
• Community Based Disaster Risk Planning
• Plan Simulation & Execution Dills
• Mainstreaming DRR into Development
Process

6. Risk Assessment
The community based disaster management
organization should start the planning process by
planning the risk assessment of the area. It includes
hazard, vulnerability, exposure and capacity
assessment of the area. Moreover, they will also
analyze the gaps between their present capacity and
the capacity that they should have to successfully
avert the possible damages.

7. Community Based Disaster Risk
Planning
Initially with external help, the community
should plan to structure the community based
disaster management organization, should
build the capacity of the human resource
available as per requirements and should
formulate a local disaster management plan as
per the risk assessment carried out.

8. Plan Simulation and Execution Dills
During this phase the chalked out plan is
deliberated upon in detail looking into all its
pros and cons, requirements and obligations
and socio-economic challenges and
opportunities.

9. Mainstreaming DRR into
Development Process
Disaster Risk Reduction should be made a part
of the community life, should be infused in
their culture, should be blended with their
values, customs and mores and should be
mainstreaming in the local level development
planning process by developing requisite
linkages with the government system and
processes

10. Ensuring sustainability of CBDRM Plan
Capacity Building and resource provision to
the CBDMOs should be done with the purpose
to develop them into self-sustained units.

11. Traditional vs. CBDRM Approach
• Traditionally people affected by disasters used to be
helpless victims where is in CBDRM approach people
affected by disasters are active actors in rebuilding
their lives and livelihood. This change gives new
impetus and effectiveness to the system and processes.
• Previously damage and needs assessment was rapidly
done by external people but now assessment covers
capacity and needs done together with the community.
This change leads to a more realistic assessment with
the help of local input.

12. • Disaster management used to be the responsibility only of
relief institutions, mostly government, but in CBDRM
disaster risk reduction starts from community level
sensitization, community participation and mainstreaming
DRR into socioeconomic, political and development
initiatives.
• The aim, in traditional approach, was to respond to
disasters to meet emergency needs and bring life to pre-
disaster level, while the aim, in the new approach, is to
reduce vulnerability and build capacities for more resilient
communities.

13. Role of Planning at Community Level
No disaster management strategy can successfully
and comprehensively handle disaster issues of a
country till the time people at large, the most
important stakeholders, are taken on board in the
whole system. This wholesome process should start at
grass root community level and then be consolidated
at higher levels to finalizing it at federal level for
making it people centric, long lasting, reality based
and sustainable.

14. Importance of Planning at Community
Level
• It promotes awareness among the general public
giving them opportunity to understand the
dangers around and be a part of all initiatives to
reduce these damages.
• It massively reduces disaster risks because of the
planning at local level and implementation with
the help of the local community. The capacity of
the masses is built and value is added to it and
their contribution is resultantly enhanced.

15. • It enhances the general awareness of the public about the
dangers they will have to face and hence they are better
prepared to do so with better use of external help.
• With trained and value added community, the quality,
response, speed and hence effectiveness of the emergency
services would be improved.
• Development planning based on CBDRM processes and
mainstreaming DRR into development process, results in
sustainable development.

16. What is community resilience
A community’s resilience is simply its
ability to overcome adversity. This can
either mean recovering rapidly from the
shock of a natural disaster, or working to
solve grinding chronic problems such as
unemployment or blighted neighborhoods.

17. The process and benefits of
community resilience
 Preventing loss of life and injury.
 Reducing property damage to homes and businesses.
 Helping to lower emergency response and disaster
recovery costs.
 Reducing business interruption and revenue loss.
 Helping to lower emergency response and disaster
recovery costs.
 Protecting cultural and historical assets.
 Attracting new businesses and residents.
 Building a sense of place and peace of mind.