Relocalising disaster risk reduction in Boulder, Colorado

Relocalisation aims to return communities to a more local basis from their current, relatively centralised and transport-dependent systems, in sectors such as food, energy, and manufacturing. Disaster risk reduction can also be relocalised, in line with practices which involve local residents in disaster-related activities, pre-disaster such as mitigation and prevention and post-disaster such as response and recovery, rather than relying on post-event external assistance. Boulder Valley, Colorado, USA is one example of a community forming a non-profit, non-governmental organisation to prepare a Master Plan for relocalisation. This paper details the process undertaken and the phase 1 results from the Crisis Preparedness Group contributing to the Boulder Valley Relocalisation Master Plan. Lessons for disaster risk reduction within the context of relocalisation are discussed.

[1]  James P. Lewis,et al.  Development in Disaster-Prone Places: Studies of Vulnerability , 1999 .

[2]  David Simpson,et al.  Community Emergency Response Training (CERTs): A Recent History and Review , 2001 .

[3]  John Twigg,et al.  The Age of Accountability?: Future Community Involvement in Disaster Reduction , 1999 .

[4]  G. Kent,et al.  The human right to disaster mitigation and relief , 2001 .

[5]  Katharina Thywissen,et al.  Components of risk: a comparative glossary , 2006 .

[6]  Jon Boura,et al.  Community Fireguard: Creating Partnerships with the Community to Minimise the Impact of Bushfire , 1998 .

[7]  Samantha Reinholtd.  Managing Change within the Emergency Services to Ensure the Long-term Viability of Volunteerism , 1999 .

[8]  John W. Polak,et al.  How much disruption to activities could fuel shortages cause? – The British fuel crisis of September 2000 , 2003 .

[9]  M. Hubbert,et al.  Nuclear energy and the fossil fuels , 1956 .

[10]  J. Laherrère,et al.  The End of Cheap Oil , 1998 .

[11]  Nick Robinson,et al.  Fuel Protests: Governing the Ungovernable? , 2003 .

[12]  D. Alexander.  Natural Disasters , 1993 .

[13]  C. Campbell,et al.  The Peak and Decline of World Oil and Gas Production , 2003 .

[14]  Ilan Kelman.  Warning for the 26 December 2004 tsunamis , 2006 .

[15]  Alfred J. Cavallo,et al.  Hubbert’s petroleum production model: an evaluation and implications for World Oil Production Forecasts , 2004 .

[16]  Pam Millican.  Volunteers: A Vision , 1997 .

[17]  Judi Walker,et al.  Training Can Be a Recruitment and Retention Tool for Emergency Service Volunteers , 2002 .

[18]  Tom Corsellis,et al.  Transitional Settlement: Displaced Populations , 2005 .

[19]  Hiroo Kanamori.  Preparing for the Unexpected , 1995 .

[20]  Mark Hennessy.  Effective Community Collaboration in Emergency Management , 1998 .