Pengurusan risiko bencana: Membentuk kesedaran komuniti terhadap peredaan dan persiapan (Disaster risk management: Developing community awareness on mitigation and preparedness)

Abstract

Kejadian bencana merupakan suatu insiden yang sukar untuk ditetapkan waktu, lokasi, dan impaknya. Kesannya hanya dapat dilihat selepas insiden daripada statistik jumlah korban dan kemusnahan fizikal. Insiden ini kadangkala turut menyebabkan bencana teknologi atau natural-hazard triggered technological accidents (NATECH). Kesannya berkemungkinan mencetuskan letupan, kebakaran, kemusnahan tempat-tempat simpanan kimia, loji pemprosesan dan jajaran paip gas/petroleum, reaktor nuklear, pelepasan toksid dan sebagainya. Hal ini menjadikan komuniti amat terdedah sekiranya tidak ditekankan kepentingan tindakan pencegahan melalui peredaan (mitigation) dan persiapan (preparedness) bagi menghadapi bencana. Keupayaan ini akan memudahkan fasa seterusnya dalam pengurusan bencana, iaitu fasa tindakbalas (response) dan pemulihan (recovery). Oleh itu, objektif kajian ini bertujuan: (i) mengenal pasti elemen-elemen utama dalam fasa peredaan dan persiapan menghadapi bencana; dan (ii) mencadangkan kerangka bagi pengukuran fasa pencegahan dan persiapan menghadapi bencana. Pembentukan kerangka ini merupakan gabungan penganalisisan dokumen, serta temu bual, pemerhatian dan perbincangan kumpulan fokus terhadap 129 responden di Penampang, Sabah; Miri dan Bintulu, Sarawak; Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan; Daerah Barat Daya dan Timur Laut, Pulau Pinang; Petaling Jaya dan Shah Alam, Selangor; dan Daerah Hulu Perak, Perak.  Dapatan kajian ini menemukan beberapa elemen utama iaitu pengetahuan, pengalaman, sikap, pendedahan serta kesedaran bertindakbalas yang mempengaruhi persepsi individu terhadap bencana dan memberi kesan terhadap aktiviti peredaan dan persiapan dalam menghadapi bencana. Kajian ini dijangkakan dapat membantu pihak-pihak yang berkaitan dalam pengurusan bencana bagi merangka dan merekabentuk modul-modul aktiviti dan kurikulum latihan/pendidikan berkaitan peredaan dan persiapan dalam pengurusan bencana khususnya NATECH.

A catastrophic event is one that is difficult to predict in terms of timing, place, and impact. The impact is only visible after the catastrophe, as evidenced by statistics on the number of casualties and property damage.These incidents can potentially result in technology disasters, also termed as "natural-hazard triggered technological accidents (NATECH)". Explosions, fires, destruction of chemical storage sites, processing plants, gas/petroleum pipelines, nuclear reactors, toxic emissions, and other impacts are all possible.This makes the community very vulnerable if the importance of preventive action through mitigation and preparedness for disasters is not emphasized. This capability will facilitate the next phase in disaster management, namely the response and recovery phase. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: (i) identify the key elements in the mitigation and disaster preparedness phase; and (ii) propose a framework for the measurement of the disaster prevention and preparedness phase. This framework was created using a combination of document analysis, interviews, observations, and focus group discussions with 129 respondents in Penampang, Sabah; Miri and Bintulu, Sarawak; Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan; Southwest and Northeast Districts, Penang; Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam, Selangor; and Hulu Perak District in Perak. This study discovered numerous essential elements, including knowledge, experience, attitude, exposure, and awareness of the reaction, that influence people's perceptions of disasters, as well as mitigation efforts and disaster preparation. This research is expected to assist disaster management practitioners in developing activity modules and training/education curricula linked to disaster mitigation and preparedness in NATECH.

Keywords: disaster, community, NATECH, disaster management, mitigation, preparedness