Call for greater recognition of community’s role in disaster recovery

A NEW report by Northern Rivers disaster resilience and regeneration group Plan C outlines a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening community responses to future crises.

Key among the recommendations are calls for policymakers to recognise the critical role communities play during disasters, to disaster-proof the national telecommunications network, and to provide funding for communities to establish alternative communications systems where national infrastructure fails.

The Mutual Aid study — looking at neighbours helping each other in times of crisis — was led by Dr Claire McLisky and funded by the French humanitarian think tank Groupe URD. It forms part of a global investigation into how grassroots communities respond to crises.

The research focused on the Greater Uki community, which has experienced several natural disasters in recent years and has developed a robust, community-led resilience network.

The study found that mutual aid in Greater Uki takes many forms — from spontaneous acts like flood rescues and offers of help or shelter, to more organised responses such as fire-fighting rosters and the establishment of emergency hubs in local halls, sheds or private homes.

“Our study of mutual aid in the Greater Uki area shows how Northern Rivers communities are adapting to climate-change related disasters, becoming more organised, better resourced, and more connected in order to cope with the devastation of the floods and fires of the past six years,” Dr McLisky said.

“Building on the initiative of community leaders, many communities are now organising themselves in a diversity of ways — some through structured groups like Community Resilience Teams (linked to the Red Cross), others through more organic grassroots organisations.

“In Greater Uki, for example, there are a number of community resilience groups, from the Byrrill Creek, Kunghur, Doon Doon and Mt Burrell CRTs, to Resilient Uki, a larger organisation which at times acts as an umbrella group for all the areas.

“Having relationships, resources and systems in place when disaster strikes is crucial, but such organisations also play a role in community building during ‘times of peace’.”