Volume 22 Issue 1, 2007

Relocalising disaster risk reduction in Boulder, Colorado

Ilan Kelman, Eric Karnes

Peer-reviewed Article


Archived Article


Abstract

Relocalisation aims to return communities to a more local basis from their current, relatively centralised and transport-dependent systems, in sectors such as food, energy, and manufacturing. Disaster risk reduction can also be relocalised, in line with practices which involve local residents in disaster-related activities, pre-disaster such as mitigation and prevention and post-disaster such as response and recovery, rather than relying on post-event external assistance. Boulder Valley, Colorado, USA is one example of a community forming a non-profit, non-governmental organisation to prepare a Master Plan for relocalisation. This paper details the process undertaken and the phase 1 results from the Crisis Preparedness Group contributing to the Boulder Valley Relocalisation Master Plan. Lessons for disaster risk reduction within the context of relocalisation are discussed.