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

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.

Keywords

Community-based approach / Disaster risk reduction / New Zealand / Participation / Volunteers

References

Anderson B. Community driven development: A field perspective on possibilities and limitations, 2019, Canberra, Australia: Australian National University

Bajek R, Matsuda Y, Okada N. Japan’s Jishu-Bosai-Soshiki community activities: Analysis of its role in participatory community disaster risk management. Natural Hazards, 2008, 44(2): 281-292

Bankoff G. Schenk GJ. Living with hazard: Disaster subcultures, disaster cultures and risk-mitigating strategies. Historical disaster experiences, 2017, Cham: Springer 45-59

Barbour JB, Manly JN. Redefining disaster preparedness: Institutional contradictions and praxis in volunteer responder organizing. Management Communication Quarterly, 2016, 30(3): 333-361

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.

Cadag JR, Driedger C, Garcia C, Duncan M, Gaillard JC, Lindsay J, Haynes K. Fearnley CJ, Bird DK, Haynes K, McGuire WJ, Jolly G. Fostering participation of local actors in volcanic disaster risk reduction. Observing the volcano world: Volcano crisis communication, 2018, Cham: Springer 481-497.

Carr J, Jensen J. Explaining the pre-disaster integration of community emergency response teams (CERTs). Natural Hazards, 2015, 77(3): 1551-1571

Chambers R. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA): Analysis of experience. World Development, 1994, 22(9): 1253-1268

Cooke B, Kothari U. Participation: The new tyranny?, 2001, London: Zed Books

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.

Delica-Willison Z, Gaillard JC. Wisner B, Gaillard JC, Kelman I. Community action and disaster. Handbook of hazards and disaster risk reduction, 2012, London: Routledge 711-722.

Drabek TE, McEntire DA. Emergent phenomena and the sociology of disaster: Lessons, trends and opportunities from the research literature. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 2003, 12(2): 97-112

Gaillard JC, Mercer J. From knowledge to action: Bridging gaps in disaster risk reduction. Progress in Human Geography, 2013, 37(1): 93-114

Gaillard JC, Cadag JRD, Rampengan MMF. People’s capacities in facing hazards and disasters: An overview. Natural Hazards, 2019, 95(3): 863-876

Grant A, Langer ER. Integrating volunteering cultures in New Zealand’s multi-hazard environment. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 2019, 34(3): 52-59.

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.

Guijt I, Shah MK. The myth of community: Gender issues in participatory development, 1998, London: Intermediate Technology Publications

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.

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.

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.

Hustinx L, Handy F, Cnaan RA, Brudney JL, Pessi AB, Yamauchi N. Social and cultural origins of motivations to volunteer: A comparison of university students in six countries. International Sociology, 2010, 25: 349-382

Lalone MB. Neighbors helping neighbors: An examination of the social capital mobilization process for community resilience to environmental disasters. Journal of Applied Social Science, 2012, 6: 209-237

Le Dé L, Gaillard JC, Friesen W. Academics doing participatory disaster research: How participatory is it?. Environmental Hazards, 2014, 14(1): 1-15

Livi S, De Cristofaro V, Theodorou A, Rullo M, Piccioli V, Pozzi M. When motivation is not enough: Effects of prosociality and organizational socialization in volunteers’ intention to continue volunteering. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 2020, 30: 249-261

MacDougall C, Gibbs L, Clark R. Community-based preparedness programmes and the 2009 Australian bushfires: Policy implications derived from applying theory. Disasters, 2014, 38(2): 249-266

Maskrey A. Revisiting community-based disaster risk management. Environmental Hazards, 2011, 10(1): 42-52

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.

McGee T. Public engagement in neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation and preparedness: Case studies from Canada, the US and Australia. Journal of Environmental Management, 2011, 92(10): 2524-2532

McLennan BJ, Whittaker J, Handmer J. Community-led bushfire preparedness in action: The case of Be Ready Warrandyte, 2015, Melbourne, Australia: Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC

Mitchell A, Glavovic BC, Hutchinsony B, MacDonald G, Roberts M, Goodland J. Community-based civil defence emergency management planning in Northland, New Zealand. Australasian Journal of Disaster Trauma Studies, 2010, 2010(1): 1-10.

Moore HE. And the winds blew, 1964, Austin, Texas: University of Texas

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rich H, Kelman I. Sensarma SR, Sarkar A. School emergency response training in Pueblo, Colorado (USA). Disaster risk management – Conflict and cooperation, 2013, New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing 58-84.

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.

Simpson DM. Community emergency response training (CERTs): A recent history and review. Natural Hazard Review, 2001, 2(2): 54-63

Titz A, Cannon T, Krüger F. Uncovering “community”: Challenging an elusive concept in development and disaster related work. Societies, 2018, 8(3): 71-99

Twigg J, Mosel I. Emergent groups and spontaneous volunteers in urban disaster response. Environment and Urbanization, 2017, 29(2): 443-458

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.

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.

Whittaker J, McLennan B, Handmer J. A review of informal volunteerism in emergencies and disasters: Definitions, opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015, 13: 358-368

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.

Yumagulova L, Phibbs S, Kenney CM, Woman-Munro DYO, Christianson AC, McGee TK, Whitehair R. The role of disaster volunteering in Indigenous communities. Environmental Hazards, 2021, 20(1): 45-62