Culture "enhancing" citizens' abilities in disasters

What is actually meant by culture “enhancing” the abilities of citizens in disasters? Essentially, it is all about reducing mortality, injury and damage to property and livelihoods, by either accounting for cultural factors (working around them or changing them for example), or exploiting them (harnessing and nurturing functional elements). Thus, solutions to cultural barriers are outlined in the report, but also, culture as the solution in itself. Additional metrics that measure how culture enhances capabilities can include better mitigation of risk, greater awareness of hazards, improved safety measures, improved relations between actors, improved coping capacities, more empowered communities and citizens and improved capacities.

Cultural Factors: Norms/values, Customs/traditions/rituals, Worldviews, Livelihoods

Hazards: Natural hazards, Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards

Disaster Phases: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, Recovery, All disaster phases

Types of Actors Concerned: Non-active citizens

Recommendations:

• Develop a personal “culture of preparedness”