week 5

Question 1

disasters and geopolitics

Answer 1

Disasters can be ‘used’ for geopolitical purposes, e.g. Castro’s 1963 ‘never again’ speech helped define the nation; declaring Haiti dysfunctional and ‘vulnerable’ is powerful and has enabled unsuccessful intervention. Expressing a country as vulnerable can lead to a country taking power over a country (geopolitics).

How did this system emerge? Politics of the Cuban revolution and understand how cunning Fidel Castro was. He used that idea (that he was going to mobilize Cuban society towards natural disasters) to prove that communism would win against the capitalist system. The storm, and hurricane risk was used to shape the nation’s political and cultural development. When they had success during one disaster, people would believe in the system more and more.

Question 2

role and purpose of VCAs

Answer 2

to show that some people are more vulnerable to disasters in some countries/places than others because disaster risk is unevenly spread over the world, and within states and cities. Also, disaster causes are deeply embedded in societal history, and are made inevitable by the historically produced pattern of vulnerability.
also: they assist intervening organisations to provide effective DRR, but most importantly they should motivate and educate at-risk individuals to understand and act on their own position. This type of education and community engagement helps people to use their own capacities to try to address their own vulnerabilities

Question 3

by doing a VCA:

Answer 3

• People better understand the extent and origins of risk factors they are and will be facing
• Community/neighbourhood groups can identify relevant and practical actions to reduce the risks and strengthen their resilience
• Can be used to raise awareness and mobilize resources within the community and externally so that the community can implement its own risk reduction action plan
• DRR actors (like Red Cross) can use VCA to support people to reduce their risk, by influencing policies, laws and development investments to benefit their communities. Knowledge is power and leads to lobbying and change.

Question 4

Community based disaster risk reduction

Answer 4

CBDRR recognises and (aims to) support grassroot perspectives and the participation of disaster-affected populations in DRR. It focusses on transformative education that builds capacity, leadership and empowerment. To in the end create awareness about injustices and build solidarity to drive forward social change.
Understanding vulnerabilities assists in building capacities and can lead people to lobby power holders (government/other actors) for delivery of services/infrastructure. People who have been politically excluded often need help to build their own ‘bargaining capability’ (to feel like they have not just rights, but ‘the rights to have rights’)

Question 5

three dimensions of VCA

Answer 5

Physical/material: poor Vs rich; land climate and environment, skills and labor, food, infrastructure, capital, technology

• Social/organizational: how societies are organized; formal political structures, informal systems through which people organize; conflict or prejudice makes social and organizational vulnerabilities more obvious
• Motivational/attitudinal: how people in the society view themselves and their ability to affect their environment; beliefs and motivations before e and after disaster, religion- can provide common faith and strength, varying with context, a sense of purpose, empowerment or awareness that they are agents of their own lives and futures; fighting spirit