Leaders on the front lines of crisis response efforts in Yemen, Mexico, Israel, the Philippines, and the United States reflect on what they hope the next decade will bring.
“I hope disaster relief and recovery will become more team-oriented in the next decade. Can you imagine a disaster relief and recovery team made up of members from all around the world, coming together for one cause—to be there when needed and help others who are struggling to achieve a better life? We are all humans, and that is a fact that cannot be denied. Race, color, ethnicity, country… These things do not matter when it comes to saving lives.”
“In the face of disasters, it is necessary to reduce vulnerability and work for the self-sustainability of communities. Their voice must be heard in international consensus, since, from the preservation of cultural identity and worldview, they provide viable alternatives to face the climate crisis. Among the challenges for the future is understanding globality starting from the local and recovering the traditional knowledge. An example is a return to the use of natural, local materials in building construction. The future requires us to understand nature as a living entity and not as a resource.”
“I hope organizations, governments, donors, and community leaders will invest more significant resources in not only relief but in long-term recovery and disaster risk reduction in the next decade. Specifically, building community resilience should be a priority so communities could cope better with future crises, which unfortunately continue to occur.”
“There will always be a need for disaster relief and recovery. However, I hope for this need to have less prominence in the next decade through investments in disaster preparedness and mitigation. Building resilience of local communities will save lives, livelihoods, and properties.”
“I believe that philanthropy around disaster resilience will grow in scale and significance, as the effects of climate change are seen across the globe in both poor and affluent communities. With that, I believe, there will be an increased recognition of the importance of social capital as a fundamental element of resilient communities. I believe and hope that this recognition will lead to the reviving of the notion of the public good in the culturally individualistic United States.”
Thank you for reading our community’s hopes for the future of disaster resilience. Learn more about the Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving, which is shifting decision-making power to disaster-affected communities.
Featured Photo: Rebuilding communities affected by 8.2 earthquake by Cooperacion Comunitaria A.C.
Find exactly what you're looking for in our Learn Library by searching for specific words or phrases related to the content you need.
