APG5619 Community resilience and disaster risk reduction

Disasters are increasing both globally and regionally, and also in frequency and complexity. A major thrust internationally is to reinforce the importance of not only managing disasters but also of managing disaster risk across all aspects of our society. Disaster prevention,  mitigation, and building community resilience is essential for every country.  This unit begins by examining the classification, scope and trends of major events that actually, or potentially, threaten the social, economic, infrastructure or environmental status of a community from both a global and local perspective. After a review of key international frameworks for managing disasters and managing disaster risk, the unit then looks at deconstructing disasters through multiples lenses. The lens of vulnerability, risk and resilience lays the basis for examining: community resilience and safety; emergency preparedness, planning and leadership; hazard assessment, mitigation and prevention; adaptation and sustainable capacity building, in the setting of disasters and humanitarian crises. This unit aims to promote the development of a broad and critical conceptual and practical understanding of principles, international consensus statements and policy documents which inform global strategies and application to the professional contexts of students in their home country. The unit will introduce the interface with political and social contexts, multi-disciplinary approach, gender, diversity, ethics and communication issues within the community in the setting of emergency preparedness