Resource

Reflective questions on the resilience of people, place and systems

A tool to understand community context and risks

This checklist of questions can be used during stage three of the risk-informed development planning process. It can be used together with the relationship mapping exercise.

  • Can people access information about specific hazards that habitats are vulnerable to?
  • Are they aware of personal safety measures to be taken for each type of hazard event?
  • Are they aware about housing and necessary structural safety to the hazard? 
  • Do they know if their homes fall in hazard zones?

Consider the financial security of: 

  • Families via employment or livelihood security
  • Families via social security schemes
  • Micro and small-scale industries via schemes and support mechanisms 
  • Are the special needs of vulnerable groups addressed by community organisations, local governments or other decision makers (e.g. persons with disabilities, economically marginalised, socially marginalised, elderly, women and children – especially orphans)?  
  • Are there special directives to improve the resilience of these special groups?
  • Are formal development plans sensitive to the special needs of marginalised and vulnerable groups?
  • Are natural environments in and around the community polluted, fragmented or degrading? Are they near pristine?
  • Does urbanisation, agriculture and real estate cause conversion of natural landscapes?
  • Are communities benefiting from the natural resources in the area? Are livelihoods dependent on these natural resources secure?
  • Do local government units support communities with response-rehabilitate-recover-rebuild mechanisms?

Do the local area development plans and local government institutions:

  • Identify local vulnerable and hazard prone areas in the locality?
  • Take up mitigative measures to address these physical risks? 
  • Invest and support in establishing mechanisms to strengthen local responses to emergencies?
  • Review the vulnerability of place, people and systems and propose measures to mitigate and re-adapt to new risks?
  • Have contingency plans which are reviewed and revised regularly with evolving risks?
  • Transparency and accessibility to information about government spending and use of public funds
  • Are financial or livelihood support schemes by the local government units and national governments available for the marginalised groups and communities?
  • Are basic infrastructure facilities available and provided by the government (e.g. coverage of water supply, sewage and drainage infrastructure – especially if in cities; access to community amenities)?

This resource is taken from our Risk-Informed Development Guide, which provides a comprehensive stage-by-stage approach to working with communities most at risk.

View guide

Project partners

Our Risk-Informed Development Guide was produced as part of our Local Leadership for Global Impact project. The project and all related content was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). All content is the sole responsibility of GNDR and does not necessarily reflect the views of the BMZ.

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Our Local Leadership for Global Impact project is implemented in partnership with Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe.

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