This document summarizes a presentation given at the 6th International Disaster and Risk Conference in Davos, Switzerland. The presentation examined the capacity of communities in Chile to cope with natural disasters, using a case study of the town of El Morro. An ethnographic study was conducted in El Morro for 6 months, using interviews, observation, and document analysis. The study found that social and cultural capacities like local knowledge, sense of community, cooperation and leadership were essential for community resilience in responding to disasters. Communities have the potential to transform from victims to survivors through activating their own resources.

1. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
The power of communities in
coping with natural disasters: The
case of El Morro, Chile
Jenny Moreno, The University of Nottingham, UK.

2. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Introduction
1. Context
2. Case study
3. Methodology
4. Findings
5. Conclusions

3. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
The 1960 Chile earthquake and tsunami, 9.5 Mw

4. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
The 2010 Chile earthquake and tsunami, 8.8 Mw

5. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
The devastating effects

6. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
The devastating effects

7. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
El Morro

8. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Research Question
What are capacities and resources that
contribute to coping with natural disasters in
the Chilean context?

9. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Community Resilience
The capacity of communities to cope with
and recover from disasters, learning from
such stress, activating their latent resources
and transforming in the face of adversity

10. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
- An ethnographic work was conducted for 6
months in El Morro.
- The main data techniques were semi-structured
interviews, participant observation and
document analysis.
Methodology

11. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Community resilience capacities
• Employment
• Income
• Local infraestructure
• Basic Services
• Natural Resources*
• Traditions
• Norms
• Values
• Language
• Beliefs
• Local knowledge
• Participation
• Leadership
• Cooperation
• Organisation
• Social Networks
• Trust
• Sense of Community
• Place attachment Social Cultural
EconomicPhysical

12. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Local Knowledge and sense of community

13. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Cooperation and leadership

14. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Model of community resilience
Time
Context
Inter-relationships
Intra-relationships
Disaster
Resilience
Transformation
Hindering
Factors
Economic
Physical
Social
Political
Intangible
Capacities
Social
Cultural
Capacities
Enhanced
/Undermined
Decay/
Dark side
Growth/
Positive side
Learning from
success
Learning from
failure
Enabling
Factors
Economic
Physical
Social
Political
Tangible
Capacities
Physical
Economic
Pre-disaster
resilience
Latent
capacities
Learning
Catalyst
Capacities
Mixed
Factors
Post-event
Resilience

15. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
- Communities play an important role in emergency
situations, especially in poor neighborhoods.
- Social and cultural capacities are essential to cope
with disasters.
- Communities have the potential for resilience.
- From victims to survivors.
- Practical implications: Disaster Risk Reduction Policies.
Conclusions

16. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org

17. 6th
International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2016
‘Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities‘ • 28 Aug – 1 Sept 2016 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Thank you
Jenny Moreno
ldxjamo@nottingham.ac.uk