The importance and challenges of participation in disaster management

Abstract

The construction of this article is based on the Extension Project developed at the Center for Research and Socioenvironmental Studies of the Universidade Federal Fluminense (NESA/UFF), entitled "The Community Centers for Civil Defense and Protection as a Collective Construction", which presents as one of its objectives the promotion of the creation of Community Centers for Civil Defense and Protection in regions affected by disasters in Campos dos Goytacazes. From the experiences acquired with its execution, it was observed the need to problematize the concept of participation, understanding the difficulties for its exercise in the management of disasters. However, the finding of fragility with regard to encouraging popular participation by public bodies is not an isolated fact. The socio-historical formation of Brazil demonstrates that popular participation in all spheres of society moves slowly and that the spaces of power remain occupied by a small portion of the population, which decides and formulates policies for the vast majority. Based on authors and studies focused on participation, Popular Education and participatory democracy are pointed out as a way to face such difficulties.