Culture as an empowering force in disasters

When thinking about how culture can be an empowering force in the disaster process, it is important to understand where and how culture is a problem. In the context of building resiliency, “it is the ability to navigate and negotiate these stresses and threats that leads to… resiliency”. There may be ways to change behaviours that are culturally rooted, and DMAs can be more sensitive to cultural needs, for example, as Kasdan (for literature reference see original source document) points out, “trying to change a nation’s culture may be an overwhelming task, but knowing the culture in order to tailor DRM policy for a particular context can serve as an effective approach”

Note: See source document for full reference.

Types of Actors Concerned: National civil protection body, Local authorities, Government, Red Cross, NGOs, Military, Law enforcement agencies, Healthcare and emergency services, European Civil Protection Mechanism, UN and other international organisations, National research bodies

Recommendations:

• Develop a personal “culture of preparedness”
• Foster the adoption of a culture of disaster prevention and resilience by informing and motivating citizens to take action