Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
Issue link: http://dysoncollege.uberflip.com/i/128987
hand. Considering how last year's billion dollars of damages impacted the public sector who has no choice but to rebuild the infrastructures and, considering the devastating effects of the loss of roads, buildings, train lines, harbors, airports, and electrical power plants on the private sector, who are the major users of such infrastructures, the public sector should look at the private sector as the most important contributor to make development sustainable, given that it is incontestably the major generator of national revenues, salaries, products, and services. We know that all these are related to the drivers of risks and make the potential loss scenario more likely, particularly in middle-income countries. The opportunity for the public and the private sectors to explicitly develop a common ground for risk and resilience management—of managing the planetary boundaries, our common resource base—is evident. I have attempted to briefly touch on the prejudices and perceptions surrounding the potential private-public sector partnership so that we can see more clearly and highlight the mutually necessary and beneficial nature of the relationship between the two entities. Private-public partnerships give governments, both national and local, a more sustainable financial base, while helping governments, companies and ordinary citizens to fulfill their moral and business interest, protect employees, consumers, communities, and the environment. Private-public partnerships reinforce the social bond among community members and reduce real and perceived inequalities among the local government, the business community and the general public. Private-public partnerships facilitate the government's job by making compliance with regulatory and safety requirements everybody's concern. The public private partnership can also bring an oversight capability to prevent corruption, a major risk to trigger disasters. Private-public partnerships enhance both the government's and companies' ability to recover from financial losses, loss of market share, damage to infrastructure, equipment, products or business interruption, by putting resources and forces together, making preparedness a win-win option. Repetitive loss does not lend itself as a good business example; neither does it contribute to business continuity, enhance corporate images or translate into socio-economic development. Partnerships work best when based on shared responsibilities and clearly delineated roles and tasks that engage the private sector not merely as a source of funding but as contributing competence, experience, and motivation. The private sector is also well placed to advocate for resilient thinking because of its direct relationship with customers, suppliers, and everyone in between. A private sector committed to disaster risk reduction can steer public demand towards materials, systems, and technological solutions to build and run resilient communities. The most dynamic environment for public-private cooperation is most likely at the local government and community level. Local leaders in both private and public sectors have proven the benefits and the value of such cooperation. It yields practical and tangible results in a reasonable time frame. Local governments are on the frontlines of disasters and no process can be made without them. Civil society organizations are also important partners in the alliance to reduce risk and reinforce resilience. I believe that public-private partnerships for resilience building should be understood as a learning experience where innovation takes place and provides future guidance. Public-private partnerships are opportunities for innovation, simplification, and action. 19