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Achieving Urban Resilience: Understanding and Tackling Disasters from a Local Perspective

Wamsler, Christine LU (2008) In Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Urban Design and Planning 161(4). p.163-171
Abstract
The damage caused by a dramatic worldwide increase in

so-called natural disasters is staggering, with the poor in

developing countries being most at risk. This paper analyses:

(a) the key variables and their causal relations that

underlie the complex system of risk and disaster occurrence

in slums; (b) the impacts of disasters on slums; (c)

the strategies used by local people to cope with risk and

disasters; and (d) the reasons for weak coping. The views

and knowledge of slum dwellers in El Salvador are the

focus of this analysis. On this basis, fi ve complementary

ex ante risk-reduction measures have been identifi ed

and developed to match... (More)
The damage caused by a dramatic worldwide increase in

so-called natural disasters is staggering, with the poor in

developing countries being most at risk. This paper analyses:

(a) the key variables and their causal relations that

underlie the complex system of risk and disaster occurrence

in slums; (b) the impacts of disasters on slums; (c)

the strategies used by local people to cope with risk and

disasters; and (d) the reasons for weak coping. The views

and knowledge of slum dwellers in El Salvador are the

focus of this analysis. On this basis, fi ve complementary

ex ante risk-reduction measures have been identifi ed

and developed to match local needs, capacities and

dimensions of risk—hazard reduction (or prevention),

mitigation, preparedness, risk ‘fi nancing’ and stand-by for

recovery. The complementary measures provide a frame

of reference that allows urban development actors to

systematically search for and design potential risk

reduction measures. It is concluded that keeping these

measures compartmentalised and separate from each

other during planning and implementation of urban

development programmes helps ensure both sustainable

poverty reduction and urban resilience. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
disaster, coping strategy
in
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Urban Design and Planning
volume
161
issue
4
pages
163 - 171
publisher
ICE Publishing Ltd.
ISSN
1755-0793
DOI
10.1680/udap.2008.161.4.163
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0eba9090-9f6c-4438-96fa-a94798c69b68 (old id 1719841)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 07:10:58
date last changed
2022-04-19 10:38:49
@article{0eba9090-9f6c-4438-96fa-a94798c69b68,
  abstract     = {{The damage caused by a dramatic worldwide increase in<br/><br>
so-called natural disasters is staggering, with the poor in<br/><br>
developing countries being most at risk. This paper analyses:<br/><br>
(a) the key variables and their causal relations that<br/><br>
underlie the complex system of risk and disaster occurrence<br/><br>
in slums; (b) the impacts of disasters on slums; (c)<br/><br>
the strategies used by local people to cope with risk and<br/><br>
disasters; and (d) the reasons for weak coping. The views<br/><br>
and knowledge of slum dwellers in El Salvador are the<br/><br>
focus of this analysis. On this basis, fi ve complementary<br/><br>
ex ante risk-reduction measures have been identifi ed<br/><br>
and developed to match local needs, capacities and<br/><br>
dimensions of risk—hazard reduction (or prevention),<br/><br>
mitigation, preparedness, risk ‘fi nancing’ and stand-by for<br/><br>
recovery. The complementary measures provide a frame<br/><br>
of reference that allows urban development actors to<br/><br>
systematically search for and design potential risk<br/><br>
reduction measures. It is concluded that keeping these<br/><br>
measures compartmentalised and separate from each<br/><br>
other during planning and implementation of urban<br/><br>
development programmes helps ensure both sustainable<br/><br>
poverty reduction and urban resilience.}},
  author       = {{Wamsler, Christine}},
  issn         = {{1755-0793}},
  keywords     = {{disaster; coping strategy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{163--171}},
  publisher    = {{ICE Publishing Ltd.}},
  series       = {{Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Urban Design and Planning}},
  title        = {{Achieving Urban Resilience: Understanding and Tackling Disasters from a Local Perspective}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5128820/3559255.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1680/udap.2008.161.4.163}},
  volume       = {{161}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}