高清福利片

By Dr Scott Webster, Sydney Environment Institute, Associate Professor Petr Matous and Dr Nader Naderpajouh, School of Project Management, and Emma Pittaway, Faculty of Medicine and Health.

Australia is readying itself for a scorcher of a summer 鈥� expected to be hit by bushfires,听floods,听heatwaves,听and drought.听Disaster mitigation and preparation, and response and recovery were once distinctly separate phases.听We鈥檙e听now听staring down the barrel of听a season听beset by听鈥榤ulti-crises鈥櫶�鈥撎齛 multitude of听disasters听that hit communities in rapid succession听or听even all at once.听

Many of the same communities which听are still recovering from听being underwater听in 2022听are already back at the coal face,听preparing for the impending dangers of an earlier-than-expected start to the bushfire season.听

These are听the very听communities who were听largely听left听to their own devices to deal with听floods and fire:听surviving and rebuilding听through their remarkable resilience听and听quick听thinking听in the face of great adversity.听In the wake of a potentially catastrophic summer, we must urgently tap into this extraordinary community spirit and combine it with our formalised responses to disasters.听

Our recent research under the听 involved dozens of interviews and community discussions across disaster-affected regions听in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Northern Rivers, areas which听suffered听greatly听through听the 2019-20听bushfires and听floods of 2020-22.听

While waiting for government听assistance during and immediately after these disasters, communities banded together to save听lives, offer shelter, provide essential supplies, and听disseminate听vital information.听Rapid community-driven actions highlighted听the听power of local knowledge and social听connections.听

When we sat down and听listened to people鈥檚 experiences,听it became clear听that community-led听disaster responses are more听than听just a听鈥渇eel听good鈥澨齨ews story听鈥撎齮hey are听crucial to emergency responses and听often听vital听for听survival.听
听
One person told us that when bridges were cut off by floods in their听Local Government Area (LGA)听and landslides prevented supplies from being transported from another direction, locals and听鈥渕um鈥澨齨etworks听set up informal supply centres,听banding together and coordinating the distribution of听essential supplies like听food听and听medication听to听isolated individuals and families. Many of them were society鈥檚 most vulnerable:听pregnant women,听single parents, people with disabilities, the elderly and those听living in poverty.听听

Despite this听remarkable, life-saving effort, many听of听the people听we spoke to听felt听ignored听by the听formal emergency response,听and that their experience and knowledge听weren鈥檛听fully recognised as legitimate听expertise:

This sense of not being viewed as a legitimate in what we were doing, even though we'd been consistently there from day dot, and doing it well with very little [Participant NRP16].

Spontaneous community-driven听efforts are听also听sometimes treated by outsiders as disorganised chaos rather than听recognised for its strengths in agility and nimbleness:

听And I addressed them and stopped one of them and asked them to listen to what we'd been doing and what was really needed and they didn't want to listen, didn't respond [Participant NRP11].

So how do we plan for future disasters, and best utilise both these self-organising community responses, as well as the formal, government led responses?

How we听move forward is听not by formalising spontaneity听or听imposing external structures on decentralised approaches.听What these communities need is;

1. Better investment in physical infrastructure听鈥� like roads, telecommunication coverage,听and听alternatives听like UHF radio
2. 听Increased funding for community venues and events, including practice evacuations听and disaster planning,听all听so that听when听disaster听strikes,听communities can听easily听mobilise.听
3. Local knowledge must be recognised as听legitimate knowledge听鈥� not just in immediate disaster response but also听be听on听the听drawing board听of听formal,听long-term preparedness and planning.听听
4. Competition for short-term, community grants reduced, something critical in remote and isolated communities that听don鈥檛听necessarily have robust networks around schools, sports clubs,听churches听or other centres that听usually听draw people together.听

The knowledge and social connectedness听of local communities will be the sources of the nation鈥檚 resilience听against increasingly severe bushfires and floods听鈥� a听resilience rooted in their听bonds and听understanding of their environments. Locals听simply听鈥済et鈥� their own community: they know the lay of the land, the shifting patterns of fire and water, and who among them need听the most help.听We must support them so they can support each other.听听

Header image: Ismael Paramo on Unsplash.