Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T09:01:49.185Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Older people as assets in disaster preparedness, response and recovery: lessons from regional Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2015

AMANDA HOWARD*
Affiliation:
School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
TAMARA BLAKEMORE
Affiliation:
School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
MIRIAM BEVIS
Affiliation:
School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
*
Address for correspondence: Amanda Howard, School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

This article reports on findings from a qualitative research study on natural disaster preparedness in ‘at risk’ population groups in regional Australia, and in particular on findings highlighting the key, and often unrecognised, role played by many older people in developing and maintaining local informal networks, activated repeatedly before, during and after natural disasters. The article outlines major themes in recent literature on community resilience and social capital in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, the design and implementation of the current study in which, 17 focus groups were held with ‘at risk’ groups across three communities and findings in relation to the role of older people. The implications from these findings are discussed in the context of community-based disaster preparedness strategies. Findings point to older people as critical, community assets in local neighbourhoods, contributing both their experience and relationship-building capacity to prepare themselves for natural disasters. In addition, there was clear evidence of older people sharing resources and experience in support of others of all ages in responding to and recovering from natural disasters. Older people in the research were found both to generate and mobilise social capital at a local level in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Akama, Y. and Chaplin, S. 2013. Understanding social networks for bushfire prevention. International Journal of Disaster Resilience and the Built Environment, 5, 3, 277–91.Google Scholar
Aldrich, D. P. 2010. Fixing Recovery: Social Capital in Post-crisis Resilience. Purdue Department of Political Science Publications Paper 3. Available online at http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/pspubs/3 [Accessed 23 May 2015].Google Scholar
Alston, M. 2013. Environmental social work: accounting for gender in climate disasters. Australian Social Work, 66, 2, 218–33.Google Scholar
Andonian, L. and MacRae, A. 2011. Well older adults within an urban context: strategies to create and maintain social participation. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74, 1, 211.Google Scholar
Anh Tuan, B., Dungey, M., Cuong Viet, N. and Thu Phuong, P. 2014. The impact of natural disasters on household income, expenditure, poverty and inequality: evidence from Vietnam. Applied Economics, 46, 15, 1751–63.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012. Population Change in Greater Sydney. Available online at http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Products/3218.0~2012-13~Main+Features~New+South+Wales?OpenDocument [Accessed 15 June 2015].Google Scholar
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government 2003. The Report of the Bushfire Recovery Taskforce. ACT Government, Canberra.Google Scholar
Australian Red Cross 2009. Emergency REDiPlan: Four Steps to Prepare Your Household. Available online at http://www.redcross.org.au/files/REDiPlan_booklet.pdf.Google Scholar
Australian Red Cross 2013. Relationships matter: the application of social capital to disaster resilience. National Disaster Resilience Roundtable Report, 20 September, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Bennett, C., Capon, A. G. and McMichael, A. J. 2011. Climate change and health. Public Health Bulletin SA: Health and the Environment, 8, 2, 168.Google Scholar
Bojorquez-Chapela, I., Manrique-Espinoza, B. S., Mejía-Arango, S., Solís, M. T. and Salinas-Rodríguez, A. 2012. Effect of social capital and personal autonomy on the incidence of depressive symptoms in the elderly: evidence from a longitudinal study in Mexico. Aging & Mental Health, 16, 4, 462–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collom, E. 2008. Engagement of the elderly in time banking: the potential for social capital generation in an aging society. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 20, 4, 414–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cramm, J. and Nieboer, A. 2013. Relationships between frailty, neighborhood security, social cohesion and sense of belonging among community-dwelling older people. Geriatric Gerontology International, 13, 3, 759–63.Google Scholar
Cramm, J., van Dijk, H. and Nieboer, A. 2012. The importance of neighborhood social cohesion and social capital for the well-being of older adults in the community. The Gerontologist, 53, 1, 142–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Commonwealth of Australia 2011. National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. Available online at http://www.em.gov.au/Documents/1National%20Strategy%20for%20Disaster%20Resilience%20-%20pdf.PDF.Google Scholar
Davis, S., Crothers, D., Grant, J., Young, S. and Smith, K. 2012. Being involved in the country: Productive ageing indifferent types of rural communities. Journal of Rural Studies, 28, 4, 338–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deloitte Access Economics 2013. Building Our Nation's Resilience to Natural Disasters. Available online at http://australianbusinessroundtable.com.au/assets/documents/White%20Paper%20Sections/DAE%20Roundtable%20Paper%20June%202013.pdf.Google Scholar
Department of Planning NSW 2008. Central Coast Regional Strategy. The State Government of NSW through the Department of Planning. Available online at www.planning.nsw.gov.au [Accessed 16 June 2015].Google Scholar
Drolet, J., Ginsberg, L., Samuel, M. and Larson, G. 2012. The impacts of natural disasters in diverse communities: lessons from Tamil Nadu, South India. International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities & Nations, 11, 6, 95107.Google Scholar
Elliott, J. R. and Pais, J. 2010. When nature pushes back: environmental impact and the spatial redistribution of socially vulnerable populations. Social Science Quarterly, 91, 5, 1187–202.Google Scholar
Fekete, A. and Sakdapolrak, P. 2014. Loss and damage as an alternative to resilience and vulnerability? Preliminary reflections on an emerging climate change adaptation discourse. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 5, 1, 8893.Google Scholar
Firman, J. 2012. Nine strategies to transform community service organizations that assist older adults. Generations – Journal of the American Society on Aging, 38, 2, 60–6.Google Scholar
Forsman, A. K., Herberts, C., Nyqvist, F., Wahlbeck, K. and Schierenbecks, I. 2013. Understanding the role of social capital for mental wellbeing among older adults. Ageing & Society, 33, 5, 805–25.Google Scholar
Forsman, A. K., Nyqvist, F., Schierenbecks, I., Gustafson, Y. and Wahlbeck, K. 2012. Structural and cognitive social capital and depression among older adults in two Nordic regions. Aging & Mental Health, 16, 6, 771–9.Google Scholar
Gallagher, C. 2012. Connectedness in the lives of older people in Ireland: a study of the communal participation of older people in two geographic localities. Irish Journal of Sociology, 20, 1, 84102.Google Scholar
Gardoni, P. and Murphy, C. 2010. Gauging the societal impacts of natural disasters using a capability approach. Disasters, 34, 3, 619–36.Google Scholar
Gibbs, L., Waters, E., Bryant, R. A., Pattison, P., Lusher, D., Harms, L., Richardson, J., MacDougall, C., Block, K., Snowdon, E., Gallagher, H.C., Sinnott, V., Ireton, G. and Forbes, D. 2013. Beyond bushfires: community, resilience and recovery – a longitudinal mixed method study of the medium to long term impacts of bushfires on mental health and social connectedness. BMC Public Health, 13, 1, 121.Google Scholar
Gray, A. 2009. The social capital of older people. Ageing & Society, 29, 1, 531.Google Scholar
Hawkins, R. and Maurer, K. 2010. Bonding, bridging and linking: how social capital operated in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. British Journal of Social Work, 40, 6, 1777–93.Google Scholar
Heenan, D. 2010. Social capital and older people in farming communities. Journal of Aging Studies, 24, 1, 40–6.Google Scholar
Hodgkin, S. 2011. ‘I'm older and more interested in my community’: older people's contributions to social capital. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 31, 1, 34–9.Google Scholar
Howard, A., Blakemore, T. and Bevis, M. 2014. Identifying Risk Perceptions, Level of Preparedness and Communication Channels for ‘At Risk’ Communities in Respect to Natural Disasters Report. Hunter Councils NSW, Hunter and Central Coast Regional Environmental Management Strategy. Available online at http://www.hccrems.com.au/hccrems/media/images-news/Disaster-Preparedness-in-At-Risk-Groups---FINAL.PDF.Google Scholar
Hughes, M. and Heycox, K. 2010. Older People, Ageing and Social Work: Knowledge for Practice. Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, Australia.Google Scholar
Hunter and Central Coast Regional Environmental Management Strategy 2014. Climate Profile. Available online at http://www.hccrems.com.au/hccrems/media/RESOURCES/Climate%20Change/LakeMacquarie_climatesummary_FINAL.pdf [Accessed 16 June 2015].Google Scholar
Leonard, R. and Johanson, S. 2008 Policy and practices relating to the active engagement of older people in the community: a comparison of Sweden and Australia. International Journal of Social Welfare, 17, 1, 3745.Google Scholar
Martin, J. 2010. Disaster planning and gender mainstreaming: Black Saturday bushfires. New Community Quarterly, 8, 1, 39.Google Scholar
Mathbor, G. M. 2007. Enhancement of community preparedness for natural disasters: the role of social work in building social capital for sustainable disaster relief and management. International Social Work, 50, 3, 357–69.Google Scholar
Mora, K., Thomas, J., Nankivell, K. and Flude, S. 2014. Using existing social networks to improve emergency preparedness of supported community members. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 29, 2, 1824.Google Scholar
Neumayer, E. and Plümper, T. 2007. The gendered nature of natural disasters: the impact of catastrophic events on the gender gap in life expectancy, 1981–2002. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 97, 3, 551–66.Google Scholar
Newman, S. and Hutton-Yeo, A. 2008. Intergenerational learning and the contributions of older people. Ageing Horizons, 1, 8, 31–9.Google Scholar
Norstrand, J. and Xu, Q. 2011. Social capital and health outcomes among older adults in China: the urban–rural dimension. The Gerontologist, 52, 3, 325–34.Google Scholar
Nyqvist, F. and Nygård, M. 2013. Is the association between social capital and health robust across Nordic regions? Evidence from a cross-sectional study of older adults. International Journal of Social Welfare, 22, 2, 119–29.Google Scholar
Putnam, R. 2000. Bowling Alone. The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Touchstone, New York.Google Scholar
Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry 2012. Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry Final Report. Available online at http://www.floodcommission.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/11698/QFCI-Final-Report-March-2012.pdf.Google Scholar
Tuohy, R. and Stephens, C. 2015. Older adults’ meanings of preparedness: a New Zealand perspective. Ageing & Society, doi:10.1017/S0144686X14001408. (published online 7 January 2015).Google Scholar
United Nations 2005. Report of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction: HYOGO Framework for Action 2005–15: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. Resolution 2. Available online at http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/publications/42809.Google Scholar
Victorian Royal Commission 2010. 2009 Victorian Royal Commission Final Report. Available online at http://www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/Commission-Reports/Final-Report.Google Scholar
Watt, R. G., Heilmann, A., Sabah, W., Newton, T., Chandola, T., Aida, J., Sheiham, A., Marmot, M., Kawachi, I. and Tsakos, G. 2014 Social relationships and health related behaviors among older US adults. BMC Public Health, 14, 5, 533.Google Scholar
Wellington Region Emergency Management 2014. It's Easy, Get Prepared for an Emergency: Prepared Neighbors Edition. Available online at http://www.getprepared.org.nz/sites/default/files/u75/Its%20Easy%20Prepared%20Neighbours.pdf.Google Scholar
Winkworth, G., Healy, C., Woodward, M. and Camilleri, P. 2009. Community capacity building: learning from the 2003 Canberra bushfires. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 24, 2, 512.Google Scholar
Winterton, R. and Warburton, J. 2011. Does place matter? Reviewing the experience of disadvantage for older people in rural Australia. Rural Society, 20, 2, 187–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woolcock, M. and Narayan, D. 2000. Social capital: implications for development theory, research, and policy. World Bank Research Observer, 15, 2, 225–49.Google Scholar
Yotsui, M., Campbell, C. and Honma, T. 2015. Collective action by older people in natural disasters: the Great East Japan Earthquake. Ageing & Society, doi:10.1017/S0144686X15000136 (published online 11 May 2015).Google Scholar
Yuasa, M., Ukawa, S., Ikeno, T. and Kawabata, T. 2014. Multilevel, cross-sectional study on social capital with psychogeriatric health among older Japanese people dwelling in rural areas. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 33, 3, 1319.Google Scholar
Zakour, M. J. and Harrell, E. B. 2003. Access to disaster services: social work interventions for vulnerable populations. Journal of Social Service Research, 30, 2, 2754.Google Scholar
Zhou, Y., Li, N., Wu, W., Wu, J., Gu, X. and Ji, Z. 2013. Exploring the characteristics of major natural disasters in China and their impacts during the past decades. Natural Hazards, 69, 1, 829–43.Google Scholar