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Over the last decade, the disaster management community has come to recognize the limitations of only relief-based disaster management. There has been a greater emphasis on a more developmental approach to disaster management. Coupled with this, there has also been recognition of the limitations of strictly top-down approaches to disaster management. The important role of a large number of actors -- communities themselves, community organisations, local government, state governments, and national governments -- in disaster management is being acknowledged.

The Role of Local Governments

Even though we have witnessed an upsurge in number of community-based disaster management programs over the last decade, the important role of the government, particularly the local government can not be ignored. Mihir Bhatt of Disaster Mitigation Institute, India notes that "community-based relief requires an effective relief agency of the government, one that initiates, facilitates, encourages, monitors, and matches the local community-based efforts. Without an effective [local government] relief agency, effective disaster management, community-based or top-down is impossible." In most countries, the governments have an extensive network that reaches all segments. During the times of disaster local governments are best positioned to provide leadership, supervise the distribution of relief goods, medicine, manage evacuations and provide equipment and tools. Similarly, since its the local government institutions that are most closely involved in the local development processes, they are the ones that can most effectively play a leadership role in long-term risk reduction.

Strengthening Local Government

At present the performance of local governments in most countries raises concern. Some important issues that need to be addressed include: financial and human resources, strong links between need and supply, a legislative framework, collective training institutions and regular communication, clarity in jurisdiction, co-ordination in regional disasters, a sense of commitment, and maturity in priority-setting.

During this decade, a number of countries have adopted decentralized state structures and functions, accompanied by a re-organization of government and civil services. Osborne and Gaebler (1993) point out that the right kind of government redefines its traditional role to be a catalyst and facilitator. Such governments will tend to define problems and assemble resources for others, while at the same time improve co-ordination between NGOs and the community. In the wake of this paradigm shift, the local governments should build their capacities to play a more effective role in disaster management. This can be achtEved through the following ways:

Human Resource Development: This will include equipping local government officials with an understanding of prevalent hazards, vulnerabilities and capacities in their local area of operation, the necessary risk assessment skills and knowledge of risk management approaches.

Institutional Development: This will entail improving management structures to strengthen capacity to act as a facilitator for co-ordination between the organisations and communities involved in disaster management and encouraging information dissemination for increased disaster awareness among communities.

Legislative Development: Making legal and regulatory changes to enable local governments to enhance their capacities to allocate financial resources for disaster management, develop disaster plans, integrate mitigation strategies into the development process and involve business community, neighbourhood associations, builders and the media in risk reduction planning.

As our understanding of the social, economic and environmental aspects of disasters improves, the scope of disaster management activities will also expand implying participation from a wider range of stakeholders in a wider range of activities than before. In such a context, efficient and effective risk management will be achieved only through the active participation of local government, communities and other stakeholders. Overall decentralisation of the administrative structure will be the mode for shifting the focus from emergency response to risk management by involving a capable local government as a facilitator and greater authority. Local government institutions need to build their capacities in order to meet the demands placed on them in the area of disaster management.

Aman Mehta is an urban planner currently working as a Research Associate at the Urban Management Center (UMC) based at the Asian Institute of Technology. Over the last two years his work has focused on local governance issues in Asian cities.