Assessing Local Knowledge Of The Disasters Risk Reduction Concept

In recent decades we have seen a steady increase in the number of natural disasters. Many factors have contributed in this including population growth, increasing of people living in prone areas, environmental degradation, unsustainable development and unplanned urbanization that often lead to higher levels of ecosystem sensitivity. 

Internationally more work is done in the field of disaster management, especially in  DRR. DRR is defined as a methodology to analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters, including the reduction of risk exposure, mitigate the lack of awareness, weak infrastructure and poor land and environment management and unplanned preparedness.

Local, national and international organizations have shifted their approach to DRR away from technology-focused activities (such as  advanced   surveillance   systems,   technical   warning   systems,   and   stronger   infrastructure) toward an emphasis on reducing vulnerability which involves affected communities.

These shifts have recently led DRR experts to consider  indigenous   knowledge   in   DRR policy and practice to achieve environmental sustainability, strengthen the linkages between sustainable development  and DRR.

In these contexts the purpose of this study was to explore  Syrian community based risk management approaches to  reduce social vulnerability through 1) planning and communication  to  raise  public awareness, 2) and evaluating  the social vulnerability  that  affects  community  capacity  to  cope with  flood risk  in Al Kabeer Al Shemaly River.

This research  recommends  to start working locally through regular community involvement in  water  resource  conservation  initiatives  and  sustainable  planning  opportunities  that strengthen  social networks and enhance rural representation in  regional  floodplain management.