This book explores the intersection of community development and local capacity building as a basis for effective disaster mitigation and the alleviation of suffering in times of crisis. Beginning with the Community Development section, the process, context, and methods for community, engagement, and development can be viewed from different structural and logical approaches. This section explores some of the more relevant historical arguments, as well as more contemporary examinations. The second section looks at Critical Human and Community Considerations and sheds light on some of the key concepts that are often overlooked (poverty, race, inequality, social justice, mental health, social division) when framing community responses to disaster. The third section focuses on Fundamental Elements of Caring Communities. This section explores the importance, practical, and measurable impacts of social support, empathy, inclusion, and conflict resolution in creating effective and caring community responses. Finally, the last section focuses on practice and brings together research and theory into applied programming, examples, and evidence from on-the-ground efforts to establish caring communities that respond to local needs in times of crisis and beyond.

By addressing these objectives, this book provides a more complete understanding of the essential role that community can play in disaster mitigation. Doing this will provide a better focus for ongoing research endeavors, and program and policy initiatives at the community level that seek to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural and other disasters. As a result, this book contributes to wider and more sustainable development of our communities beyond disasters, while furthering dialog among community scholars and practitioners.