The Effect of Community Involvement on Disaster Relief

Abstract

The response to the March 22, 2014 landslide in Oso, Washington offers an opportunity to examine a new approach to disaster relief. This community based participatory research analyzes responses obtained from a focus group composed of Oso residents. While there is much in the literature on responding to the physical community, little has been discussed on responding to the less tangible but equally important social aspect of community. Successfully addressing issues of relief and rebuilding requires both elements of community to be considered. Following the Community-Driven Development model, successfully implemented in the developing world by The World Bank, this paper looks at the benefits that could have resulted from the inclusion of a community-driven approach to disaster planning and policy. This is a Bamford Fellowship in Global Engagement (BFGE) undergraduate research thesis. The BFGE is intended to provide a guided research experience for Global Honors students; enhance undergraduate research in global issues; promote global engagement, citizenship, and leadership; and enhance relevance between academic research and community service. Find out more on the Bamford Fellowship webpage.