Animals as Assets: Building Community Resilience During Disasters?

The 2023 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasizes that the detrimental effects of human-induced climate change are set to worsen. This will result in profound consequences such as reduced food production and water resources, compromised health and welfare of both humans and animals, heightened risks of flooding, cyclones, and other coastal hazards, as well as the depletion of biodiversity and ecosystems. In the past 10 years, India has faced over 170 disasters killing over 24,000 humans and countless animals. Every year, we see record-breaking rainfalls, heatwaves, and cyclones moving across lands and staying longer than ever. Thus, we see the impact of climate change more than ever. It is inspiring to see how India is working towards reducing the impact of climate change and working towards achieving global goals such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) which essentially will help build the resilience of the community against the increased number of disasters.???

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However, are we giving enough importance to build the disaster resilience of animals? To build resilience in a community, we need to understand the underlying vulnerabilities and start working on mitigating them to build their resilience. According to Ilan Kelman, vulnerabilities rather than hazards are the root cause of disasters. Animals play a significant role in the community in reducing such vulnerabilities and thereby increasing disaster resilience. Studies have shown that the presence of animals can be a significant factor in people's decisions to evacuate during disasters. People often risk their lives returning to their animals or stay back risking themselves and others in their family and rescue professional (s). During the devastating floods that struck Kerala in 2018, many residents refused to leave their homes without their pets and livestock. In Chennai, during the massive floods in 2015, similar instances were reported where residents were unwilling to evacuate without their pets. Cyclone Fani, one of the most severe tropical cyclones to hit India in recent years, prompted many residents in Odisha to insist on evacuating with their animals. Some individuals even set up makeshift shelters to protect street animals from the storm's fury. Farmers also experience psychological distress due to the loss of their livestock and substantial financial loss. There are countless other instances where people were forced to leave their animals behind and live with the trauma and economic loss. 70% of India’s livestock is owned by poor pastoral farmers who look up to their animals as their major source of income. When these pastoralists lose their livestock, it has far-reaching consequences where each loss results in a huge economic crisis that cascades year after year with frequently occurring disasters. ??

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Therefore, animals are a crucial part of the recovery and rebuilding phases of a disaster as well due to the psychological impact of loss. The attachment of people to their animals helps us turn the risk factor into a protective factor thereby converting the vulnerabilities to resilience. To build and maximize community resilience through disaster preparedness, it is imperative to integrate animals into disaster management planning at all levels of governance. This indirectly helps the community to build their capacities to cope with the devastating impact of a disaster.

At Humane Society International/India, we are working with the community and the local administration on ways to safeguard their animals by conducting awareness programs, distribution of information, education and communication materials, competitions, and games with school children, exhibitions, conferences, and so on. This approach can motivate vulnerable individuals who might otherwise hesitate to act, ultimately contribute to the safety and well-being of both humans and their animal companions in times of crisis. Animals are not merely casualties of disaster; they are integral to the fabric of resilience within communities.????

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