Community-based Disaster Mitigation

This course introduces the major activities and concepts related to disaster mitigation. It covers components, programs and organizations, and major stakeholders involved in mitigation. Since grassroots community movements are vital to disaster mitigation programs, the course focuses on community-based approaches to mitigation. It also discusses various issues related to disaster mitigation such as sustainability and best practice building techniques. The course introduces participants to the relevant disaster mitigation academic literature and relates theoretical findings to practice. Additionally, this course focuses on the inequalities that result from disasters. Sixty years of research indicates that disasters are not equal opportunity events, and the same is true in regards to disaster mitigation programs. The course uses recent case studies, videos, presentations and group discussion to explore the content.

Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:

• Identify and describe major techniques used for disaster mitigation
• Discuss and employ techniques of sustainable development
• Understand the empirical and theoretical basis for disaster mitigation programs
• Understand the difference between “developed” and “developing” countries’ approaches to disaster mitigation

Testimonials from Past Course Participants for Community-based Disaster Mitigation:

“This course was very good. I think it helped me develop new ways of looking at opportunities to integrate disaster mitigation with environmental protection. I had not previously looked at the disaster mitigation side of things – my agency is more in the disaster response mode. I feel like I have a better base from which to do further reading on the subject. The instructor was very good about suggesting other readings or sources of information on topics that came up or in response to questions from the students.”