The Driven Community Empowerment in Natural Disaster Management in Chao Phraya River Basin

Abstract

     The objective of this research is to study structure, system, mechanism, and process of the driven community empowerment including presentation of the model of the driven community empowerment in natural disaster management in Chao Phraya River basin. The qualitative research was carried out in this study. The data were collected from 45 key informants through the interview. The gathered data were analyzed by descriptive and narrative techniques.

     The research result found that:- Structure and system of the driven community empowerment in natural disaster management in Chao Phraya River basin consisted system of driven community empowerment in natural disaster management by participants and social network. There is operation by determining the tasks in each party, the leaders of community and social correlation are significant elements. The significant factors of driven community in a firs aspect is the leaders of community who play an important role to cooperate with all parties for helping the public before and during flood and healing after flood. The second factor is strengthening community that arise by learning, participation, work together with spiritual, local wisdom and self- management of the community. The third factor is social capital based on norms of self-reliance, kin relationship, reliance that raised from trustfulness in the other, there making the community has strong changing, sharing and coordinate with each other to solve the disaster.     Model of the driven community empowerment in natural disaster management in Chao Phraya River basin revealed that it initially started by creating a network of community leaders in each village and the public in their area to the government section. These networks were participated to adjust the operation plan to conform to the disasters that will occur in each year and to prevent the problems that will arise. It including supporting by policy of the government, cooperating, administration network and participation of the public is effective factors for achievement preventing. There has a concrete pattern for alert, evacuation plan, plan to establish a shelter center and administration of shelters also has solving model for manage the natural disaster clearly and by learning, learned the lesson and participation of the community  Knowledge about the driven community empowerment in natural disaster management in Chao Phraya River basin consisted of key principles such as (1) thinking together (2) participation by meeting (3) self-reliance is empower (4) supporting by the government section that is important  (5) network integration; all sections have office or section to support participation.