Despite increasing philosophical knowledge of disaster planning and preparedness,
disasters still remain a challenge in many communities. As a result, communities,
environment and economies remain considerably vulnerable and at the risk of disaster
destruction hence, sustainable development is undermined.
The purpose of this study is to review and assess the state of community readiness in
order to prevent and mitigate common hazards in the City of Johannesburg, especially
in previously disadvantaged communities such as Protea-South. A survey and
interviews was conducted with the local community members.
Results show that, this community like many others, is at high risk, due to their living
circumstances. e.g. the presence of densely built shacks on a flood plain; poor
hygiene and sanitation, pollution, poverty etc. There is therefore a need for a
paradigm shift by institutions from emergency response and the provision of hard
infrastructure to disaster prevention, preparedness and soft infrastructure provision by
means of an approach encompassing collaborative planning.