How Can Practitioners Support Citizen Volunteers in Disaster Risk Reduction? Insight from “Good and Ready” in Aotearoa New Zealand

Lo&#239;c Le D&#233;; Steve Ronoh; Ei Mon Thinn Kyu; Brigitte Rive

doi:10.1007/s13753-024-00563-9

Volume 15 Issue 3

Jun. 2024

Turn off MathJax

Article Contents

Article Navigation > International Journal of Disaster Risk Science > 2024 > 15(3): 374-387

Loïc Le Dé, Steve Ronoh, Ei Mon Thinn Kyu, Brigitte Rive. How Can Practitioners Support Citizen Volunteers in Disaster Risk Reduction? Insight from “Good and Ready” in Aotearoa New Zealand[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(3): 374-387. doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00563-9

Citation:

Loïc Le Dé, Steve Ronoh, Ei Mon Thinn Kyu, Brigitte Rive. How Can Practitioners Support Citizen Volunteers in Disaster Risk Reduction? Insight from “Good and Ready” in Aotearoa New Zealand[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(3): 374-387. doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00563-9

Citation:

Loïc Le Dé, Steve Ronoh, Ei Mon Thinn Kyu, Brigitte Rive. How Can Practitioners Support Citizen Volunteers in Disaster Risk Reduction? Insight from “Good and Ready” in Aotearoa New Zealand[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(3): 374-387. doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00563-9

PDF

How Can Practitioners Support Citizen Volunteers in Disaster Risk Reduction? Insight from “Good and Ready” in Aotearoa New Zealand

doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00563-9

1. School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, 2025, New Zealand;
2. Pacific Health Research Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, 2025, New Zealand;
3. New Zealand Red Cross, Auckland, 2241, New Zealand

Funds:

We would like to acknowledge the support of the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) through the Resilience to Nature’s Challenges 2 for funding this research.

Accepted Date: 2024-05-26

Available Online: 2024-10-26

Publish Date: 2024-06-12

Abstract

Abstract

Global and national policy frameworks emphasize the importance of people’s participation and volunteers’ role in disaster risk reduction. While research has extensively focused on volunteers in disaster response and recovery, less attention has been paid on how organizations involved in disaster risk management can support volunteers in leading and coordinating community-based disaster risk reduction. In 2019, the New Zealand Red Cross piloted the Good and Ready initiative in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, with the objective to empower local people in resilience building with a focus on volunteers and community participation. This research examined the positive and negative outcomes of Good and Ready and investigated volunteers’ experiences in the disaster resilience initiative. It involved the codesign of a questionnaire-based survey using participatory methods with Good and Ready volunteers, the dissemination of the survey to gather volunteers’ viewpoints, and a focus group discussion with participatory activities with Red Cross volunteers. The findings highlight that a key challenge lies in finding a balance between a program that provides flexibility to address contextual issues and fosters communities’ ownership, versus a prescriptive and standardized approach that leaves little room for creativity and self-initiative. It pinpoints that supporting volunteers with technical training is critical but that soft skills training such as coordinating, communicating, or facilitating activities at the local level are needed. It concludes that the sustainability of Good and Ready requires understanding and meeting volunteers’ motivations and expectations and that enhancing partnerships with local emergency management agencies would strengthen the program.
- Community-based approach,
- Disaster risk reduction,
- New Zealand,
- Participation,
- Volunteers

FullText(HTML)

References(45)

References

[1]	Anderson, B. 2019. Community driven development: A field perspective on possibilities and limitations. Canberra, Australia: Australian National University.
[2]	Bajek, R., Y. Matsuda, and N. Okada. 2008. Japan’s Jishu-Bosai-Soshiki community activities: Analysis of its role in participatory community disaster risk management. Natural Hazards 44(2): 281-292.
[3]	Bankoff, G. 2017. Living with hazard: Disaster subcultures, disaster cultures and risk-mitigating strategies. In Historical disaster experiences, ed. G.J. Schenk, 45-59. Cham: Springer.
[4]	Barbour, J.B., and J.N. Manly. 2016. Redefining disaster preparedness: Institutional contradictions and praxis in volunteer responder organizing. Management Communication Quarterly 30(3): 333-361.
[5]	Bubb, J., and L. Le Dé. 2022. Participation as a requirement: Towards more inclusion or further exclusion? The community disaster and climate change committees in Vanuatu as a case study. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 76: Article 102992.
[6]	Cadag, J.R., C. Driedger, C. Garcia, M. Duncan, J.C. Gaillard, J. Lindsay, and K. Haynes. 2018. Fostering participation of local actors in volcanic disaster risk reduction. In Observing the volcano world: Volcano crisis communication, ed. C.J. Fearnley, D.K. Bird, K. Haynes, W.J. McGuire, and G. Jolly, 481-497. Cham: Springer.
[7]	Carr, J., and J. Jensen. 2015. Explaining the pre-disaster integration of community emergency response teams (CERTs). Natural Hazards 77(3): 1551-1571.
[8]	Chambers, R. 1994. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA): Analysis of experience. World Development 22(9): 1253-1268.
[9]	Cooke, B., and U. Kothari. 2001. Participation: The new tyranny?. London: Zed Books.
[10]	Cull, P. 2019. Community-based disaster response teams for vulnerable groups and developing nations: Implementation, training and sustainability. Master’s thesis. Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
[11]	Delica-Willison, Z., and J.C. Gaillard. 2012. Community action and disaster. In Handbook of hazards and disaster risk reduction, ed. B. Wisner, J.C. Gaillard, and I. Kelman, 711-722. London: Routledge.
[12]	Drabek, T.E., and D.A. McEntire. 2003. Emergent phenomena and the sociology of disaster: Lessons, trends and opportunities from the research literature. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal 12(2): 97-112.
[13]	Gaillard, J.C., and J. Mercer. 2013. From knowledge to action: Bridging gaps in disaster risk reduction. Progress in Human Geography 37(1): 93-114.
[14]	Gaillard, J.C., J.R.D. Cadag, and M.M.F. Rampengan. 2019. People’s capacities in facing hazards and disasters: An overview. Natural Hazards 95(3): 863-876.
[15]	Grant, A., and E.R. Langer. 2019. Integrating volunteering cultures in New Zealand’s multi-hazard environment. Australian Journal of Emergency Management 34(3): 52-59.
[16]	Grant, A., and E.R. Langer. 2021. Wildfire volunteering and community disaster resilience in New Zealand: Institutional change in a dynamic rural social-ecological setting. Ecology and Society 26(3): Article 18.
[17]	Guijt, I., and M.K. Shah. 1998. The myth of community: Gender issues in participatory development. London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
[18]	Haynes, K., D.K. Bird, and J. Whittaker. 2020. Working outside “The Rules”: Opportunities and challenges of community participation in risk reduction. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 44: Article 101396.
[19]	Heijmans, A. 2009. The social life of community-based disaster risk reduction: Origins, politics and framing. Disaster Studies Working Paper 20. Aon Benfield University College London Hazard Research Centre, London.
[20]	Heijmans, A., and L.P. Victoria. 2001. Citizenry-based and development oriented disaster response: Experiences and practices in disaster management of the citizens’ disaster response network in the Philippines. Center for Disaster Preparedness, Quezon City, Philippines.
[21]	Hustinx, L., F. Handy, R.A. Cnaan, J.L. Brudney, A.B. Pessi, and N. Yamauchi. 2010. Social and cultural origins of motivations to volunteer: A comparison of university students in six countries. International Sociology 25: 349-382.
[22]	Lalone, M.B. 2012. Neighbors helping neighbors: An examination of the social capital mobilization process for community resilience to environmental disasters. Journal of Applied Social Science 6: 209-237.
[23]	Le Dé, L., J.C. Gaillard, and W. Friesen. 2014. Academics doing participatory disaster research: How participatory is it?. Environmental Hazards 14(1): 1-15.
[24]	Livi, S., V. De Cristofaro, A. Theodorou, M. Rullo, V. Piccioli, and M. Pozzi. 2020. When motivation is not enough: Effects of prosociality and organizational socialization in volunteers’ intention to continue volunteering. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology 30: 249-261.
[25]	MacDougall, C., L. Gibbs, and R. Clark. 2014. Community-based preparedness programmes and the 2009 Australian bushfires: Policy implications derived from applying theory. Disasters 38(2): 249-266.
[26]	Maskrey, A. 2011. Revisiting community-based disaster risk management. Environmental Hazards 10(1): 42-52.
[27]	MCDEM (Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management). 2019. National disaster resilience strategy Rautaki ā-Motu Manawaroa Aituā. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Wellington, New Zealand.
[28]	McGee, T. 2011. Public engagement in neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation and preparedness: Case studies from Canada, the US and Australia. Journal of Environmental Management 92(10): 2524-2532.
[29]	McLennan, B.J., J. Whittaker, and J. Handmer. 2015. Community-led bushfire preparedness in action: The case of Be Ready Warrandyte. Melbourne, Australia: Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC.
[30]	Mitchell, A., B.C. Glavovic, B. Hutchinsony, G. MacDonald, M. Roberts, and J. Goodland. 2010. Community-based civil defence emergency management planning in Northland, New Zealand. Australasian Journal of Disaster Trauma Studies 2010(1): 1-10.
[31]	Moore, H.E. 1964. And the winds blew. Austin, Texas: University of Texas.
[32]	Nahkur, O., K. Orru, S. Hansson, P. Jukarainen, M. Myllylä, M. Krüger, M. Max, L. Savadori, et al. 2022. The engagement of informal volunteers in disaster Management in Europe. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 83: Article 103413.
[33]	NZRC (New Zealand Red Cross). n.d. Youth engagement strategy 2020-2030. https://www.redcross.org.nz/about-us/what-we-do/our-strategy/. Accessed 16 May 2024.
[34]	Okita, Y., S. Glassey, and R. Shaw. 2022. COVID-19 and the expanding role of international urban search and rescue (USAR) teams: The case of the 2020 Beirut explosions. Journal of International Humanitarian Action 7(1): Article 8.
[35]	Quarantelli, E.L. 1984. Emergent citizen groups in disaster preparedness and recovery activities. Final Project Report no. 33. Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, Delaware, USA.
[36]	Rich, H., and I. Kelman. 2013. School emergency response training in Pueblo, Colorado (USA). In Disaster risk management-Conflict and cooperation, ed. S.R. Sensarma, and A. Sarkar, 58-84. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing.
[37]	Ryan, B., K.A. Johnston, M. Taylor, and R. McAndrew. 2020. Community engagement for disaster preparedness: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 49: Article 101655.
[38]	Simpson, D.M. 2001. Community emergency response training (CERTs): A recent history and review. Natural Hazard Review 2(2): 54-63.
[39]	Titz, A., T. Cannon, and F. Krüger. 2018. Uncovering “community”: Challenging an elusive concept in development and disaster related work. Societies 8(3): 71-99.
[40]	Twigg, J., and I. Mosel. 2017. Emergent groups and spontaneous volunteers in urban disaster response. Environment and Urbanization 29(2): 443-458.
[41]	UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction). 2015. Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction 2015-2030. https://www.unisdr.org/files/43291_sendaiframeworkfordrren.pdf. Accessed 16 May 2024.
[42]	Wenger, D.E., and J.M. Weller. 1973. Disaster subcultures: The cultural residues of community disasters. Preliminary paper 9. Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, Newark, USA.
[43]	Whittaker, J., B. McLennan, and J. Handmer. 2015. A review of informal volunteerism in emergencies and disasters: Definitions, opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 13: 358-368.
[44]	WREMO (Wellington Region Emergency Management Office). 2024. Hub guide. https://www.wremo.nz/get-ready/community-ready/community-emergency-hubs/find-your-hub/. Accessed 16 May 2024.
[45]	Yumagulova, L., S. Phibbs, C.M. Kenney, D.Y.O. Woman-Munro, A.C. Christianson, T.K. McGee, and R. Whitehair. 2021. The role of disaster volunteering in Indigenous communities. Environmental Hazards 20(1): 45-62.