Are We Prepared as a Community for Disasters?

Disaster management is not only the government's responsibility. Every segment of society — individuals, neighborhoods, civil society organizations, local governments — is an active part of this process. **Four dimensions of community-based disaster management:** 1. **Preparedness:** The community acquiring knowledge, skills, and resources before a disaster. Neighborhood disaster drills, neighborhood networks, volunteer training programs. 2. **Response:** The community's first aid, search-rescue, and coordination capacity during a disaster. Before professional teams arrive, the first response is usually made by neighbors. 3. **Recovery:** The community's economic, social, and psychological recovery after a disaster. Social networks and solidarity accelerate the recovery process. 4. **Risk reduction:** The community's capacity to change dangerous structures, practices, and policies. Local knowledge can be more effective than national planning. Research shows that communities with high social capital — that is, communities where people know, trust, and cooperate with each other — suffer far fewer losses in disasters.