Beyond preparedness: development impact of community-based disaster risk management in Pakistan

This report documents the impacts community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) in five districts in Pakistan. The publication shows that the CBDRM process helps to address the disaster preparedness needs of at-risk communities. It can also serve as a gateway for long-term community development that touches upon the integrated themes of social cohesion, women empowerment, livelihood opportunities and poverty eradication.

The publication focuses on drawing lessons from CBDRM implementation and demonstrating the short- and long-term impacts on project communities. The programme’s research component was a core part of the CBDRM implementation process.

This document presents the following conclusions and lessons learnt:

• There were different degrees of collective learning;
• The pre-existing community capacity was found to greatly matter in shaping the scope and content of the collective learning;
• Regardless of the different levels of capacity, every community maintained their adaptative strategy and coping mechanism;
• A holistic view is needed to track the wide social impacts of CBDRM;
• DRR mainstreaming into local development planning is urgently needed;
• The social development of risk information and knowledge depends on the collaboration and integration of different epistemic group in light of local contexts;
• CBDRM can be implemented in line with national and global discourses.