Relocalising disaster risk reduction for urban resilience

Abstract

‘Relocalisation’ is defined as aiming to return communities to a more local basis, including in disaster risk reduction. In 2005, Boulder Valley, Colorado, USA formed a non-profit, non-governmental organisation to implement relocalisation. In late 2006 and early 2007, the group’s leaders decided to pursue relocalisation as a for-profit venture and effectively eliminated disaster risk reduction from the relocalisation agenda. This paper analyses these actions and the consequences for relocalisation through the framework of good governance, which involves the principles of participation, transparency, accountability, rule of law, effectiveness and equity.