Together We Stand

[ 146 ] Recovery resilience: empowerment in the face of adversity Saleha Ali, Carol Liew and Masahiro Ishizeki, Mercy Relief I n the aftermath of disasters, communities often come to the grim realization that surviving is only the begin- ning. The road ahead is an uphill journey to reinstate a sense of normalcy into their lives, both physically and psychologically, with vulnerable communities exercising a heavier reliance on external interventions and aid. Despite its challenges, the recovery phase proves to be a critical period in ensuring communities are empowered to be key change agents in building resiliency. Programmes based on disaster risk reduction (DRR) principles, when effectively implemented, have helped reduce the loss of lives and minimize impact from natural disasters. Communities who have experienced a natural disaster or are facing a new threat due to climate change and rapid urbanization, are deemed less vulnerable when preparedness activities and community- managed emergency systems are in place. While the objectives for effective DRR strategies are achieved when communities survive disasters, these communities are often overwhelmed and do not have the capacity to kick-start their recovery process in its aftermath. There is a need for humanitarian agencies and stakeholders alike to increasingly utilize the recovery period to implement community-managed DRR (CMDRR) programmes. These programmes guide the communities not only to equilib- rium, but also to a level surmounting that of in pre-disaster. In essence, activities during this period should ideally address the precipitating factors that have hindered resiliency and the ability for communities to self-induce recovery post-disaster. In Mercy Relief’s disaster risk management approach, the emergency phase serves to meet the survival needs of affected communities and is an entry point for effective development planning. It allows the response team to create the foundation for the integration of CMDRR programmes in the recovery phase, which encompasses a larger scheme of activities, beyond disaster preparedness. A key feature of these CMDRR programme is the adoption of participatory processes that enable community members, who are seen as equal stakeholders and whose knowledge are Image: Mercy Relief Women have assumed integral roles through the savings initiative in Coron, and have become advocates for resiliency in their immediate environment T ogether W e S tand