Author(s): M. Morando; E. Trasforini; M. Altamura; C. Franciosi; M. Giambelli

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: Community based approach; Emergency planning; Flood resilience; Participatory methods; Civil protection

Abstract: Definition of an experimental participatory approach for drafting and reviewing Municipal Civil Protection plans able to enhance the local flood resilience. The Italian model of Civil Protection (CP) is based on the ability to predict extreme hydro-meteorological events and consequently to alert the potentially affected population. Emergency Plans (EPs) constitute a key tool of this model, transforming forecasting and monitoring information in effective actions aimed to protect life, physical integrity, assets, settlements, animals and the environment from events damage or danger of damage. However, as demonstrated by numerous court cases (Genoa 2011, Sardinia 2013, Senigallia 2014), the lack of effective EPs has led to improper behaviours and actions by population and Municipalities, undermining an accurate meteorological forecast and a capillary alert system. Two critical elements were identified after a listening process involved local actors of CP (Parodi et al., 2012): (i) EP drafting has not considered specific local knowledge and capacities and/or has not been drawn up with an adequate administration involvement; (ii) lack of adequate information and communication to citizens, maintained in a passive role. To face with these issues, an innovative methodology for the drafting and revision of EP has been implemented in some Municipalities of Liguria Region. This methodology is based on: (i) the community participation in the definition of some contents of the EP; (ii) validation of the contents by full-scale exercises; (iii) the training of technicians and administrators on the CP System, emergency planning and participatory methods, and their involvement in the planning process constituting a working group. This paper focuses on two study cases where the specific contribution of the participatory approach, also known as Community Based Approach to disaster mitigation (CBDM), has improved the emergency planning, even in terms of flood resilience.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-11-2731-1_250-cd

Year: 2018