Community recovery is the process of resolving the impacts of a crisis for the individuals and communities affected.
What is community recovery?
Recovery is complex, multi-faceted and can vary greatly according to the type of crisis and the subsequent needs of affected communities. Emergency management in Victoria often refer to two key types of crises within the context of community resilience and recovery:
- Shocks are sudden events that can threaten a community
- Stresses are chronic issues that weaken the fabric of communities on a daily or cyclical basis
These can impact all aspects of everyday life, including:
Health & wellbeing
Environment & biodiversity
Business & economy
Buildings & infrastructure
Community engagement & cohesion
STRESSES
Mental health
Poverty
Unemployment
Climate change
SHOCKS
Natural disasters
Extreme heat
Disease
Extremist acts
While the initial onset of a crisis typically receives the most attention, community recovery is a long-term process. Help is actually most needed in the weeks, months or even years following a disaster, well beyond the immediate impacts.
By focusing on a volunteer-centred and community-directed approach to recovery, weVolunteer supports local communities in coping with both chronic issues (stresses) and sudden emergencies or disasters (shocks).
