Local Communities, Indigenous Knowledge, and Social Capital for Disaster Risk Reduction

SOSAN SALAJEGHEH¹

1) Assistant Professor, Department of Planning – Management and HSE, College of Environment, University of Tehran, Iran

IOI Code : ACZE-ACZHHB
Publication : 10th.International Congress of Developing Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism of Iran(10icsda.ir)
Abstract :
    Disasters are not merely natural phenomena, rather they result from a complex interplay between environmental hazards, exposure levels, social vulnerability, and community capacities for adaptation and coping. Modern approaches to disaster risk reduction emphasize that effective risk management requires a shift from centralized, top-down methods toward community-based and participatory strategies. In this context, local communities play a pivotal role in enhancing preparedness, reducing vulnerability, and strengthening resilience, thanks to their lived experience with hazards, indigenous knowledge, and social networks. This article examines the role of local communities, indigenous knowledge, and social capital in disaster risk reduction, focusing on the socio-ecological resilience framework. Through a review and analysis of scholarly literature, the study explores concepts such as disaster risk, risk reduction, and both social and socio-ecological resilience, while also investigating the mechanisms by which indigenous knowledge and social capital influence risk management. The findings indicate that indigenous knowledge, derived from the historical interaction between communities and their environment, offers valuable insights for understanding hazards, adapting to environmental changes, and developing local risk reduction strategies. Furthermore, social capital enhances community capacity for response, learning, and post-disaster recovery by fostering trust, cooperation, communication networks, and collective participation. Despite the importance of these assets, local knowledge and community participation often receive insufficient attention in many formal risk management systems, and a persistent gap remains between scientific and indigenous knowledge. Accordingly, integrating indigenous knowledge, social capital, and institutional capacities within a socio-ecological resilience framework can pave the way for the development of participatory, context-specific, and sustainable approaches to disaster risk reduction.

Keywords : disaster risk reduction local communities indigenous knowledge social capital socio ecological resilience