Abstract
Precis for ‘Community Disaster Fatigue’ Workshop
When enduring a series of disastrous events a community must grapple with preparing for the next disaster before sufficiently recovering from the previous. Community disaster fatigue has the potential to slow down, or prevent, changes in the health, economy and social structure of the disaster-affected community. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss disaster fatigue and how it is evidenced on a collective level. We will explore community disaster fatigue through the perspectives of (i) disaster resilience, recovery and planning, (ii) mental health and wellbeing, and (iii) economics and social capital.
Defining and exploring disaster fatigue has important consequences. For example, there could be major implications for local community leaders who face a new impending disaster when there exists in their community people whose houses have not been restored from the previous disaster, whose businesses are still to get back on their feet, whose neighbours are still in need, whose children are only just back at school, whose social life is on hold or badly disrupted and so on. In other words, dealing with a new disaster is going to be difficult when the community is already in a state of disaster fatigue.
Given the cumulative and prolonged disaster exposure recently experienced in Australia, where years of regional drought, Black Summer bushfires and finally various flooding events impacted communities in the lead-up to the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects on community preparedness for these cascading disaster events deserves concentrated attention. In this workshop we seek to move beyond the individual experience and discuss, on a community leader level:
- How is community disaster fatigue evidenced now, and what will it look in the future?
- What mitigating strategies can be devised for the immediate and long-term benefit of the community?
When enduring a series of disastrous events a community must grapple with preparing for the next disaster before sufficiently recovering from the previous. Community disaster fatigue has the potential to slow down, or prevent, changes in the health, economy and social structure of the disaster-affected community. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss disaster fatigue and how it is evidenced on a collective level. We will explore community disaster fatigue through the perspectives of (i) disaster resilience, recovery and planning, (ii) mental health and wellbeing, and (iii) economics and social capital.
Defining and exploring disaster fatigue has important consequences. For example, there could be major implications for local community leaders who face a new impending disaster when there exists in their community people whose houses have not been restored from the previous disaster, whose businesses are still to get back on their feet, whose neighbours are still in need, whose children are only just back at school, whose social life is on hold or badly disrupted and so on. In other words, dealing with a new disaster is going to be difficult when the community is already in a state of disaster fatigue.
Given the cumulative and prolonged disaster exposure recently experienced in Australia, where years of regional drought, Black Summer bushfires and finally various flooding events impacted communities in the lead-up to the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects on community preparedness for these cascading disaster events deserves concentrated attention. In this workshop we seek to move beyond the individual experience and discuss, on a community leader level:
- How is community disaster fatigue evidenced now, and what will it look in the future?
- What mitigating strategies can be devised for the immediate and long-term benefit of the community?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 16 Sept 2021 |
| Event | IFS Conference 2021: Social Justice: The Unfinished Journey - Online Only due to COVID-19 Duration: 14 Sept 2021 → 17 Sept 2021 https://www.lcsansw.org.au/iCore/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=71887c13-7210-4024-8041-99a552717cab |
Conference
| Conference | IFS Conference 2021 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | Global issues - local solutions |
| Period | 14/09/21 → 17/09/21 |
| Other | Hosted by LCSA in partnership with ANHCA, the IFS Conference is an entirely virtual event, providing a unique opportunity for the international network of Settlement and Neighbourhood Houses and Centres to come together, to learn, connect and participate in a global movement to promote social justice. |
| Internet address |
