Shabbou VAZIRPOUR1, Ali Akbar REZAEI2 1Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization, Science & Research Tehran Azad University, Iran, Islamic Republic of; 2Science & Research Tehran Azad University

1. Relationship between Community
Empowerment & Citizens’ Interest in
Participation in Natural Disaster
Management: Case Study on Earthquake at
Tehran Districts Level
IDRC Davos 2012 Conference
By: Shabbou Vazirpour
Dr. Aliakbar Rezaei
Aug 2012 27

2. Content
• 1st part: East Azarbaijan Province Earthquakes
(Ahar, Haris, Varzaghan) at a glance;
• 2nd part: Relationship between Community
Empowerment & Citizens’ Interest in
Participation in Natural Disaster Management:
Case Study on Earthquake at Tehran Districts
Level;
• Conclusion

3. Introduction
• According to Global Seismic Hazard Map, IRAN
has been located on an earthquake prone
area with many active faults
Source: Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program (GSHAP) by
(UN International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction (1999

4. Recent Devastating Earthquakes
• Twin earthquakes
with magnitude of
6.4 and 6.3 on the
Richter scale hit
northwestern part
of Iran, east
Ararbaijan
province, on Aug
11, 2012
Source: www.earthquake-report.com

5. East Azarbaijan Province Earthquakes
• The earthquakes impacted four cities of province, Ahar, Haris,
Varzaghan and Tabriz and heavily affected rural surrounding areas;
• Based on UNOCHA Situation Report No.3 dated Aug 18, 2012, as
many as 365 villages, out of a total of 537 in the affected area, are
heavily damaged (between 50% and 80%) and 46 villages are
completely devastated where buildings had less strength and
people had less preparedness against earthquake.

6. East Azarbaijan Province Earthquakes
• Based on National
Disaster Management
Organization (NDMO),
The disaster has left
318 dead & more than
5000 injured. An
estimated 155,000
persons have been
affected , out of
whom more than
87,000 have been
resettled in tents.

7. East Azarbaijan Province Earthquakes
• Also, in 23 October, 2011, a M 7.1 earthquake
struck the region of Van in eastern Turkey,
near the Iranian border 300 km to the west of
the twin August 11, 2012 earthquakes
location, resulting in over 500 fatalities.
Village affected by East Azarbaijan Village affected by Van earthquakes on
(earthquakes on Aug 11, 2012 (2 days later (Oct 23, 2011 ( 8 months later

8. East Azarbaijan Province Earthquakes
• Based on evidences, at very beginning of
rescue and relief operations, neighbors and
local people were the first respondents to this
catastrophic event.

9. Lesson Learned
• In order for the Earthquake Risks & impacts to
be reduced, community should be empowered;
• Effective & successful DRR and DM initiatives
needs voluntary participation of empowered
citizens;
• Empowerment of citizens and communities in
rural and urban areas and increasing their
interest for participation in Disaster
Management cycle in Earthquake prone areas is
a crucial task.

10. 2nd part: Relationship between
Community Empowerment &
Citizens’ Interest in Participation
in Natural Disaster Management:
Case Study on Earthquake at
Tehran Districts Level

11. DRR & DM are Challenges for UM in
Earthquake Prone areas

12. Earthquake Risk in Tehran
• Tehran is located at the foot
slope of the Alborz Mountains;
in an earthquake prone area
with many active faults;
• According to historical records,
the last severe earthquake
struck the city in 1830 A.C (182
years ago).

13. Earthquake Risk in Tehran
• Locating on an seismic active
zone;
• Rapid growth of the City,
which means more faults in
Tehran Area;
• High population density
• Vulnerable structures and
buildings;
• No major earthquake since
1830 which considered a high
risk by seismologist;
• Concentration of national
administrative, economical
and business centers;
• Potential scale of damages
• Tehran is exposed to the risk
of earthquake occurrence

14. Earthquake Risk in Tehran
• Among many defined related preventive measures,
community empowerment and increasing level of public
participation in DM cycle plays important role;
• Successful and effective DRR and DM require voluntary
participation of the empowered citizens;

15. Empowerment of Citizens against
! earthquakes, a difficult task

16. Empowerment independent variables in this
research
• In this research, independent variables of
Empowerment are as follows:
- information dissemination and awareness
raising,
raising
- training,
training
- sensitization,
sensitization
- fatalism and
- social trust

17. Methodology
• The survey was carried out in 2011
in 3 districts of 22 districts of
Tehran;
• These districts selected based on
selection criteria derived from
results of study conducted by
Tehran Urban Research and
Planning Center entitled “ problem
Finding in Urban Management”,
listed 40 problem that may affect
Tehran and JICA study entitled “
Tehran Seismic Microzonation
Study published (2003-2004)
• Five items entered in selection
criteria

18. Methodology
Following 5 items entered in selection Criteria:
1. Buildings & infrastructures seismic vulnerability, 2. location of faults’
line in districts, 3. population density, 4. construction density and 5.
residents’ heterogeneity (due to difference of cultural & social aspects
of districts residents) entered selection criteria;
Based on scoring , districts 2, 10 & 17 selected as research area.
Source: Research Findings

19. Selected Problems with great impact on
Tehran DM at 22 district level
Urban problems that affect Disaster Management at Tehran Districts level
D1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
Bldgs * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Seismic
Vulnerability
Location of * * * * * * *
Faults’ line
Population * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Density
Constructio * * * * *
n density
Residents’ * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hetrogenity
Scores 7 7 5 5 5 3 - 4 3 6 4 6 4 6 5 2 7 4 3 5 - 2

20. Methodology
• Throughout three districts, 390 citizens’ aged 15 & above
selected by stratified sampling method as respondent to the
questionnaire;
Districts 2 District 10 Districts 17
51% 26.9% 22.1%
• Demographic and KAP data gathered through questionnaire
• Sample population includes 52.1% men and 47.9% women
• Mean for age was 33.01%
• Majority of respondent belonged to 26-35 age group
• Maximum age was 61 & Minimum was 16

21. Some of the Findings of the Research
• According to respondents’ view points earthquake is
the second threat for Tehran following Air pollution

22. Some of the Findings of the Research
- 95.9% of respondents heard about possibility of
occurrence devastating EQ in Tehran;
-Regarding source of receiving information on EQ,
47.7% received through TV, 15% newspapers, 11.7% by
friends & colleagues and only 6.5% by internet (74.4%
respondents had access to internet);

23. Some of the Findings of the Research
of respondents strongly believed in information they 41.8%-
receive on occurrence of EQ in Tehran, 37.2% moderately and
.18% a little believed in that

24. Some of the Findings of the Research
 Regarding required information dissemination and
awareness raising measures for modification of
residents and community attitude toward
earthquake in Tehran, 50.5% of respondents
believed that very little measures (nearly nothing)
has been done by disaster management related
organization for modification of Tehran residents’
attitude toward earthquake, 38.5% a little bit and
11% think that required measures have been done
in this regard.

25. Some of the Findings of the Research
Status of required measures for increasing preparedness -
against Earthquakes in Tehran without or with a little
allocation of financial resources

26. Some of the Findings of the Research
Measures required for citizens' preparedness Not Done( %)
Meetings & receiving training material 60.4%
Talking with family on what to do in 55.4%
disasters
Developed family emergency plan 70.1%
Knowledge
Participation in DM training course 45% didn't
Membership in emergency Voluntary group 70.3% change
Preparation disaster supply kit 58.2% Action!
Practicing self protection against earthquake 47.3%
Buildings non structural reinforcement 58.6%
Recognition of homes' safe and unsafe 40.2%
locations

27. Findings of the Research
• Analysis of data shows relationship between
empowerment of citizens and their interest in
increasing participation in disaster management;
• There is strong correlation between training and
citizens interest in participation in Disaster
Management, high positive correlation between
information dissemination and public awareness,
Sensitization and social trust with citizens interest in
participation in DM cycle and negative reverse
correlation exist between fatalism and citizens interest
in participation in Disaster Management (fatalism
decrease citizens' interest in participation in natural
disaster management) .

28. Findings of the Research
• Data analysis demonstrates
• Regarding association
between various variables of that empowerment variables
people empowerment, data and citizens' interest in
analysis demonstrated that participation in natural
there is a positive meaningful disasters management in three
association between training
and education, information districts shows meaningful
dissemination and awareness difference. In district 17
raising, Sensitization and citizens' are more empowered
social trust. This means that and interested in participation
any modification in each of
the said variable can affect in natural disaster
other variables as well. But management and this is the
fatalism doesn't show least for district 2 citizens' ( in
meaningful association with Tehran Seismic Microzonation
others.
Study district 17 announced as
the most vulnerable district in
Tehran.

29. Added Value to integrative Risk
management
• As community based disaster management plays
a very crucial role in integrative risk management,
therefore empowerment of citizens' with the aim
to increase their interest in participation in
natural disaster management and preparedness
is of great importance.
• The results of this research can be helpful in
improving national capacities for community-
based disaster risk management in urban
earthquakes and flood management which is a
part of Natural Disaster Risk Management
Component of GOI and UNDP new 5-year plan , in
order for the UNDP slogan to be more tangible
"empowered lives, resilient nations".

30. Conclusion
• For an effective and successful disaster management,
people should be empowered and motivated for
participation in natural disaster management cycle;
• There are many cultural, social and economical
obstacles that affect on level of people participation in
risk reduction and disaster management;
• Based on statistical analysis of this research training
and public trust are the most important factors
increasing citizens' interest in participation in
earthquake disaster management;

31. Conclusion
• According to findings 74.4% of respondents had access to
internet but only 6% of them received information on
preparedness and disaster management through internet.
This means that annual programs should move toward
utilization of other potentials for acceleration of increasing
citizens' interest in participation in natural disaster
management and preparedness
• The study pointed out that citizens' received many
information on probable occurrence of devastative
earthquake in Tehran but took less action even regarding
measures that do not need any financial resource. Therefore,
DRR & DM annual plans should move toward recognition of
residents’ attitude, needs and their understanding of Risks in
order for the knowledge can be changed to Action to prevent
impact of future evitable natural disasters.

32. Thank you for your attention