Value of mutual assistance for disaster risk reduction in Japan, Indonesia, and Nepal: A preliminary study

抄録

Aim: To strengthen disaster risk-reduction capacities of a community, a combination of self-help, mutual assistance and government aid is crucial. Government aid is limited for the large-scale disaster due to many reasons, and not all people can protect their own lives themselves. Thus, mutual assistance could enhance their capacities in response to a disaster. This paper aimed to explore mutual assistance activities during disasters at communities in Japan, Indonesia and Nepal, in order to understand its value in nursing for disaster risk reduction. This study was needed to get the database for further research focusing on nursing contribution to disaster risk reduction.

Methods: Case analysis was conducted based on authors’ experiences, government documents, news articles, and personal communications with affected community peoples who experienced disasters in Soma, Japan; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Results: Mutual assistance was performed in the community in each of the three countries despite differences in regional, socio-cultural, economic, and types of disaster. Until the arrival of government aid, community people helped each other to evacuate, provide first aid, distribute food, maintain sanitation in shelters, and so on. Nurses provided routine care before the disaster and during the response activities following the disaster.

Conclusion: Mutual assistance helps the community people to minimize the disaster effects before the disaster, and to recover better in the post-disaster period. Nurses should expand their roles in improving mutual assistance in the community for disaster risk reduction. This study suggests the needs of study in identifying nursing activities for strengthening mutual assistance.