Disaster Risk Management and Social Impact Assessment: Understanding Preparedness, Response and Recovery in Community Projects

Abstract

This chapter is subdivided into four sections. After the introduction the next section is devoted to the clarification and definition of major conceptual issues with a view to establishing a link between each of the concepts and providing a framework for the entire paper. We also provide a discussion on the ways disaster risk can be minimised in community development projects. The next two sections in the paper examine respectively the livelihood contexts in disaster management and the need for a process that integrate disaster risk into community projects through social impact assessment. In this section, the paper provides a typical example from previous projects. The SIA process is also discussed as a series of interrelated steps and how hazards and disaster risk typically require a SIA. Finally, the last section is devoted to examining the critical challenges to the success of adoption of SIA in community projects.