At the global level, a noticeable rise has been observed in the adverse impact of an increasing number of hazards, in particular floods, on society. This condition has brought into greater focus the issues of vulnerability, environmental justice and resilience in the recovery of community groups. In Mauritius, economic development, growth in population and intensive land use have resulted in greater human use-environment interaction with accompanying increase in flood conditions and the vulnerability of inhabitants exposed to flood risk. Traditional top-down hazard risk reduction strategies have not been very effective in reducing vulnerability or in promoting resilience of affected communities as they are often left to fend for themselves immediately after the emergency and relief stage of the recovery process. Using three case studies, this thesis explored the perception of the affected communities in building resilience to recover in the aftermath of flood hazards. Mixed methods of collecting and analysing data using both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. They provided a comprehensive way of gathering information from households, agency stakeholders and secondary sources. The data were analysed and the results assessed through the lens of the overarching concept of community resilience that encompasses six types of resilience. This new approach provided a holistic perspective in exploring factors that influence the building of community resilience and the realisation of long-term recovery and rehabilitation. Findings from this study showed evidence of social inequity and environmental injustice mostly among the low income groups in all the three case studies. Evaluation of results revealed a number of factors that were gradually increasing their level of vulnerability and adversely impacting on their resilience. In order to achieve recovery and community resilience, the various types of resilience needed to be reinforced. It was found that social networking and a combination of local knowledge with that of experts, through community participation in decision making, were crucial in reinforcing community resilience. Based on the research findings, an integrated framework for disaster risk reduction management (IFDRRM) was developed. The framework could be applicable in defining policy options and implementation strategies in Mauritius and possibly in other Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) with similar challenges.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:659406 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Chacowry, Anoradha |
| Contributors | Lynch, Kenny ; Dooley, Pauline ; McEwen, Lindsey |
| Publisher | University of Gloucestershire |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/2491/ |
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