Disaster Response and Potentials of Social Capital

The paper examines the hidden potentials of social capital in disaster response especially with reference to societal construct of Pakistan. Reference had been made in the paper to tribal culture of FATA (Federal Administrative Tribal Agency) in managing local emergencies and recovery seen in Swat owing to spirit latent in their society. Social capital allows people and societies to manage action to achieve desired goals. It has proved to be an important product in shaping regional development models and since managing disasters is a function of development, this form of capital has a definite impact on managing disasters. In Pakistan, the social structure of families is interwoven with trust, traditional values, religious motivation and cultural bindings. This allows them to retain capacity to withstand odds in severe conditions at their own without outside support. They strive to generate their own volunteers in case of any calamity. Recent examples are the resilience of people of Swat in 2009 military operations and by urban residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) in 2010 Floods. Finally, the dissertation offers some pliable recommendations and a road map to strengthen social capital in effective disaster response.

کلیدواژه ها:

Social systems ، social capital ، human capital ، inter-personal trust ، resource potential