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Community‐based Disaster Management During the 1997 Red River Flood in Canada
Author(s) -
Buckland Jerry,
Rahman Matiur
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/1467-7717.00112
Subject(s) - flood myth , preparedness , geography , social capital , flooding (psychology) , community development , poison control , emergency management , environmental planning , ethnic community , natural disaster , ethnic group , socioeconomics , environmental resource management , environmental health , political science , psychology , environmental science , sociology , medicine , social science , archaeology , meteorology , law , psychotherapist
This paper examines the relationship between community preparedness and response to natural disaster and their level and pattern of community development. This is done by investigating preparation and response to the 1997 Red River Flood by three rural communities in Manitoba, Canada. The communities were selected because of their different ethnic mix and associated level and pattern of community development. The hypothesis was supported that the level and pattern of community development affect community capacity to respond to flooding. Communities characterised by higher levels of physical, human and social capital were better prepared and more effective responders to the flood. However, where the pattern of community development was characterised by high levels of social capital, decision‐making processes were complicated.