Some Aspects of Disaster Planning in Developing Countries

In this paper we discuss seven related matters or issues: 1) that planning for disasters encompasses four different but related aspects, namely mitigation or prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. We shall note that while the research knowledge is uneven about the different phases, nonetheless the necessity of linking them in the planning process is clear. 2) possible social differences between developing and developed countries that have implication for disaster planning. This is necessitated by the fact that the great bulk of disaster research has been undertaken in developed countries; the extrapolation or applicability of the research results to the situation in developing countries has to be considered. 3) in what ways, if any, a rural way of life differs from an urban one given that almost all developing societies are basically rural in nature. If there are some major differences, they would have important implications for disaster planning. 4) the criteria which can be used to assess disaster planning. Sets of such criteria have implicitly or explicitly been advanced in a variety of sources so we will primarily confine ourselves to presenting mostly a checklist that could be used, taking into account all the four phases of disaster planning. 5) the extent to which disaster planning can be integrated into developmental planning, particularly as the latter takes regional form. In a short examination, we will assess the extent to which such integration can occur with respect to the four aspects of disaster planning. 6) the nature of the possible participation of citizens and local communities in disaster planning. In a selective discussion, we shall give some indications what research in the disaster area suggests about getting citizen and community involvement, and 7) that the future will not be the same as the past or even the present insofar as disaster planning is concerned. Not only are developing societies ever changing, but the nature of disasters themselves are in flux moving us towards more and worse disasters