scholarly journals Understanding and Reducing Landslide Disaster Risk: Challenges and Opportunities for Italian Civil Protection

Author(s):  
Pagliara Paola ◽  
Onori Roberta ◽  
Ambra Sorrenti
2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Jonas Imperiale ◽  
Frank Vanclay

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on what can be learned about disaster risk reduction (DRR) from the L’Aquila trial of scientists. The court case was initiated because of a controversial meeting on 31 March 2009 of the Major Risks Committee (MRC), held under the auspices of the Italian Department of Civil Protection. The purpose of the meeting was to consider (prior to the fatal earthquake of 6 April 2009) disaster risk in the L’Aquila area, which was being affected by an earthquake swarm since October 2008. Design/methodology/approach The authors undertook a document analysis of trial materials, and a review of academic and media commentary about the trial. Findings The legal process revealed that disaster governance was inadequate and not informed by the DRR paradigm or international guidelines. Risk assessment was carried out only in a techno-scientific manner, with little acknowledgement of the social issues influencing risks at the local community level. There was no inclusion of local knowledge or engagement of local people in transformative DRR strategies. Originality/value Most previous commentary is inadequate in terms of not considering the institutional, scientific and social responsibilities for DRR as exposed by the trial. This paper is unique in that it considers the contents of the MRC meeting as well as all trial documents. It provides a comprehensive reflection on the implications of this case for DRR and the resilience of peoples and places at risk. It highlights that a switch from civil protection to community empowerment is needed to achieve sustainable outcomes at the local level.


Author(s):  
Pathias P. Bongo ◽  
Paul Chipangura ◽  
Mkhokheli Sithole ◽  
Funa Moyo

This paper examines closely the institutional arrangements for disaster risk reduction from a rights-based perspective. In Zimbabwe, the disaster risk reduction framework and the ensuing practice have not yet accommodated some of the most vulnerable and excluded groups, especially the terminally ill, people with disabilities and the very poor. Top-down approaches to disaster management have largely been blamed for lack of resilience and poor preparedness on the part of sections of society that are hard hit by disasters. Often, disaster risk reduction has also been modeled along the needs and priorities of able-bodied people, whilst largely excluding those with various forms of impairments. Against this background, this paper is based on field research on people’s disaster risk experiences in four districts of Zimbabwe, with a special emphasis on the disaster risk reduction framework. It provides a critical analysis of the disaster risk reduction framework in Zimbabwe, focusing on the various forms of disadvantages to different categories of people that the current framework has tended to generate. The paper thus examines the current disaster risk reduction framework as largely informed by the Civil Protection Act and the Disaster Risk Management Policy Draft as revised in 2011. Crucial at this stage is the need to interrogate the disaster risk reduction framework, right from formulation processes with regard to participation and stakeholders, particularly the grassroots people who bear the greatest brunt of vulnerability, shocks, stresses and trends. In conclusion, the paper stresses the potential benefits of adopting an inclusive, rights-based thrust to disaster risk reduction in Zimbabwe.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 686-691
Author(s):  
Irasema Alcántara-Ayala ◽  
Daniel Rodríguez-Velázquez ◽  
Ricardo J. Garnica-Peña ◽  
Alejandra Maldonado-Martínez

Abstract Notwithstanding the high societal impact of disasters in Mexico, there is a lack of integrated efforts to establish a sound policy for reducing disaster risk to counterbalance the existing concentrated endeavors in disaster management. In the face of such segmentation, the science and technology community has advocated for a change of perspective, from civil protection to integrated disaster risk management. The first Multi-Sectoral Conference towards Integrated Disaster Risk Management in Mexico: Building a National Public Policy (MuSe-IDRiM Conference) was held in Mexico City at National Autonomous University of Mexico, 21–24 October 2019. In support of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the conference aimed at enhancing the dialogue between the science and technology community, citizens, civil society organizations, private and public sectors, and the federal, state, and municipal governments to foster the process of transforming the current National Civil Protection System into a national public policy oriented towards integrated disaster risk management (DRM). Barriers and challenges to the implementation of integrated DRM were identified. Implementation of integrated DRM challenges current socioeconomic structures and encourages all relevant stakeholders to think, decide, and act from a different perspective and within and across spatial, temporal, jurisdictional, and institutional scales. Understanding disaster risk from an integrated approach, learning skills that authorities have not learned or used, and hence, strengthening disaster risk governance are prerequisites to effectively manage disaster risk.


2020 ◽  

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. Disasters are complex environmental, social and cultural events and processes yet disaster management approaches tend to simplify responses and homogenise affected populations. Participatory research with more than 550 children across Europe, detailed in this book argues for a radical transformation in children’s roles in disasters. It shows how more child-centred working in civil protection and emergency planning, that recognises children’s capacities in building resilience, benefits at-risk communities as a whole.


Pondasi ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Fakhryza Nabila Hamida ◽  
Hasti Widyasamratri

ABSTRACTIndonesia is an area prone to landslides. The occurrence of this landslide disaster can cause a large impact such as damage and loss both material and non-material. The availability of complete and accurate information in controlling land use in landslide prone areas in the development of an area becomes very important in minimizing the loss of life and losses, both physical, social and economic. This information must be disseminated to the community as an early warning system in disaster mitigation efforts. Identification of the characteristics of landslide prone areas requires a risk mapping of landslide prone areas in efforts to mitigate disasters can be done using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The results in this study indicate the need to identify disaster risk in detail because basically, an area threatened by disaster does not necessarily mean that each community has the same level of disaster risk. Mapping can be done by clustering or by identifying each building in a vulnerable area based on the level of risk of landslides. Keywords: risk analysis, landslides, disaster mitigation, GIS ABSTRAKIndonesia merupakan wilayah yang rawan terhadap bencana longsor. Terjadinya bencana longsor ini dapat menyebabkan dampak yang besar seperti kerusakan dan kerugian baik materiil maupun non materiil. Tersedianya informasi yang lengkap dan akurat dalam pengendalian pemanfaatan lahan di kawasan rawan bencana longsor dalam pengembangan suatu wilayah menjadi hal yang sangat penting dalam meminimalisir adanya korban jiwa dan kerugian-kerugian baik fisik, sosial maupun ekonomi. Informasi tersebut harus disebarkan kepada masyarakat sebagai sistem peringatan dini dalam upaya mitigasi bencana. Identifikasi karakteristik daerah rawan longsor diperlukan sebuah pemetaan risiko kawasan rawan longsor dalam upaya mitigasi bencana dapat dilakukan menggunakan Sistem Informasi Geografis (SIG). Hasil dalam penelitian ini menunjukkan perlunya identifikasi risiko bencana secara detail karena pada dasarnya, suatu kawasan yang terancam bencana belum tentu tiap masyarakatnya mempunyai tingkat risiko bencana yang sama. Pemetaan dapat dilakukan dengan pengklusteran maupun dengan identifikasi setiap bangunan dalam kawasan rawan berdasarkan tingkat risiko terhadap bencana tanah longsor.Kata Kunci: analisis risiko, tanah longsor, mitigasi bencana, GIS


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