Challenges to disaster risk management in The Gambia: A preliminary investigation of the disaster management system's structure

Section 151(2) of the Constitution empowers municipalities in South Africa to pass disaster management-related by-laws. Such by-laws should be specific on the role of traditional leaders, owing to their authority and proximity to the people coupled with their constitutional mandate to preserve customs and traditions. However, their role is often not maximised because of vague and inadequate policies. There has been little or no scholarly attention to the role of traditional leadership and the policy and legal framework that guide their participation in disaster risk management. Employing a comprehensive content analysis of Ugu District Municipality Disaster Management By-law, this article assesses the adequacy of these by-laws on disaster risk governance in the context of collaboration disaster risk reduction. While the Ugu District Municipality Disaster Management By-law provides for the participation of traditional leadership, this study reveals that it is fraught with ambiguities and seemingly vague clauses. For instance, although in Article 5.1.1 the word ‘authorities’ is used, it is not clear whether this refers to traditional leadership or other entities at the local level. In addition, the composition of the Disaster Management Advisory Forum in Ugu does not explicitly include AmaKhosi. While these results add to the rapidly expanding field of disaster risk management, they also suggest several courses of action for policymakers at local government. Such actions might include, but not limited to, a review of the by-laws to address the lack of collaborative essence relative to traditional leaders for optimal disaster risk reduction initiatives targeting traditional communities.

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DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FROM THE PERSEPCTIVE OF AGENCIES

PLANNING MALAYSIA JOURNAL ◽

10.21837/pm.v16i5.415 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

Author(s):

Noraini Omar Chong ◽

Khairul Hisyam Kamarudin

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Well Being ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Management Planning ◽

Loss Of Life ◽

Physical Elements ◽

Disaster Management Planning

Disaster is a major threat that could jeopardise the development of economic, social and physical elements of a nation as well as the well-being of its people. The damage and loss of property and life caused by disasters are overwhelming and least desired by any country. Review of literature as presented in this research indicated that by having a good disaster risk management (DRM) plan and well-coordinated efforts and commitment among related disaster management agencies at all levels and local stakeholders, would potentially lead to disaster risk reductions, increase preparedness and response, and reduction of damage to assets and loss of life. With a long list of agencies and aid bodies that are currently involved in various stages of DRM, putting the idea into reality has proven to be highly challenging particularly on establishing good coordination between agencies and with other stakeholders for a more effective DRM process. This paper identified three major issues and challenges in DRM in Malaysia, particularly from the perspective of agencies. These issues and challenges include (1) disaster management planning imbalanced between top-down and bottom-up approaches, (2) lack of coordination in disaster management cycle, with greater focus only on the disaster emergency response stage and, (3) lack of planning of long-term recovery (post-disaster) process, which resulted in low level community and stakeholders’ resilience to disasters.

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DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FROM THE PERSEPCTIVE OF AGENCIES

PLANNING MALAYSIA JOURNAL ◽

10.21837/pmjournal.v16.i5.415 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Noraini Omar Chong ◽

Khairul Hisyam Kamarudin

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Well Being ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Management Planning ◽

Loss Of Life ◽

Physical Elements ◽

Disaster Management Planning

Disaster is a major threat that could jeopardise the development of economic, social and physical elements of a nation as well as the well-being of its people. The damage and loss of property and life caused by disasters are overwhelming and least desired by any country. Review of literature as presented in this research indicated that by having a good disaster risk management (DRM) plan and well-coordinated efforts and commitment among related disaster management agencies at all levels and local stakeholders, would potentially lead to disaster risk reductions, increase preparedness and response, and reduction of damage to assets and loss of life. With a long list of agencies and aid bodies that are currently involved in various stages of DRM, putting the idea into reality has proven to be highly challenging particularly on establishing good coordination between agencies and with other stakeholders for a more effective DRM process. This paper identified three major issues and challenges in DRM in Malaysia, particularly from the perspective of agencies. These issues and challenges include (1) disaster management planning imbalanced between top-down and bottom-up approaches, (2) lack of coordination in disaster management cycle, with greater focus only on the disaster emergency response stage and, (3) lack of planning of long-term recovery (post-disaster) process, which resulted in low level community and stakeholders’ resilience to disasters.

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Natural Hazards Governance in Indonesia

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Natural Hazard Science ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780199389407.013.234 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Bevaola Kusumasari

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Natural Hazards ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Forest Fires ◽

Natural Hazard ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

The Pacific ◽

Active Tectonic

Geographically, Indonesia is located in southeast Asia between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. It is recognized as an active tectonic region because it consists of three major active tectonic plates: the Eurasian plate in the north, the Indo-Australian plate in the south, and the Pacific plate in the east. The southern and eastern parts of the country feature a volcanic arc stretching from the islands of Sumatra, Java, Nusa Tenggara, and Sulawesi, while the remainder of the region comprises old volcanic mountains and lowlands partly dominated by marshes. Territorially, it is located in a tropical climate area, with its two seasons—wet and dry—exhibiting characteristic weather changes, such as with regard to temperature and wind direction, that can be quite extreme. These climatic conditions combine with the region’s relatively diverse surface and rock topographies to provide fertile soil conditions. Conversely, the same conditions can lead to negative outcomes for this densely populated country, in particular, the occurrence of hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, landslides, forest fires, and drought. The 2017 World Risk Report’s ranking of countries’ relative vulnerability and exposure to natural hazards such as earthquakes, storms, floods, droughts, and sea-level rise calculated Indonesia to be the 33rd most at-risk country. Between 1815 and 2018, 23,250 natural hazards occurred here; 302,849 people died or were otherwise lost, 371,059 were injured, and there were 39,514,636 displaced persons, as well as billions of rupiah in losses. The most frequent type of natural hazard has been floods (8,919 instances), followed by cyclones (5,984), and then landslides (4,947). Following these latest disasters and acknowledging that Indonesia is becoming increasingly vulnerable to such natural hazards, the country’s government established a comprehensive disaster management system. Specifically, it instituted an organization capable of and responsible for handling such a wide-reaching and complex situation as a natural hazard. A coordinated national body had first been developed in 1966, but the current discourse concerning proactive disaster risk management at national and local levels has encouraged the central government to adapt this organization toward becoming more accountable to and involving the participation of local communities. Law No. 24/2007 of the Republic of Indonesia Concerning Disaster Management, issued on April 26, 2007, established a new National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), but it also focusses on community-based disaster risk management pre- and post-disaster. Through the BNPB and by executing legislative reform to implement recommendations from the international disaster response laws, Indonesia has become a global leader in legal preparedness for natural hazards and the reduction of human vulnerability.

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Building Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia: A Way Forward

Open House International ◽

10.1108/ohi-01-2006-b0017 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 142-147

Author(s):

Earl Kessler

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Disaster Preparedness ◽

Regional Cooperation ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Disaster Mitigation ◽

Urban Disaster ◽

Domestic Capital

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) was established in 1986. It was restructured in July 2003 to focus on specific technical areas: climate variability and change management, urban disaster risk management, public health in emergencies, building national and provincial disaster management systems, and community based disaster risk management (CBDRM), promoting regional cooperation, identifying disaster risk management (DRM) needs in the region and developing strategic solutions. The consolidation enables ADPC's teams to work more effectively with stakeholders and build cross-team inputs into their work. Multiple hazards under this new thematic approach are a key concept along with new areas of importance to DRM that include chemical, biological and radio-nuclear risks, heritage and disaster mitigation, and the role of domestic capital markets in financing improvements in the built environment to create a safer, more disaster-resilient world. The terms “risk management”, “risk reduction”, “vulnerability reduction”, “capacity building” and “mitigation” began replacing the reactive term “disaster management”, thus making pro-active DRM in Asia part of the development agenda that must deal with the growing variety and intensity of hazards. It was a shift from short-term, reactive, charity-driven responses to long-term, proactive, development initiatives. Making the right development choices requires coordinated efforts by committed leaders who have the political will and determination to include risk reduction measures in their policies and plans; a corporate sector that will prioritise risk issues and include them into their business plans; scientists who will provide the knowledge and understanding of current and new areas of risk reduction; committed non-government agencies that advocate for risk reduction; educators who are responsible for shaping the awareness of future generations; a mass media that has the power to influence and change behaviour; and informed citizens who make choices about the risks in their lives.

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The capacity of personnel in disaster risk management in South African municipalities

The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa ◽

10.4102/td.v13i1.427 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gideon J. Wentink ◽

Dewald Van Niekerk

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Risk Management ◽

South African ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Transformation Process ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Management Framework ◽

New Era ◽

National Disaster

Since 1994, fundamental transformation in South Africa in terms of disaster risk reduction taken place. The transformation process led to the promulgation of the Disaster Management Act (57/2002) (DMA) that introduced a new era of disaster risk management (DRM) in South Africa. The National Disaster Management Framework (NDMF) that followed in 2005 put clear guidelines in place for implementing the DMA and emphasised the importance of the integration and coordination of DRM activities in all spheres of government. To adhere to the requirements of the DMA regarding personnel, certain DRM structures like interdepartmental committees, disaster management centres, disaster management frameworks and disaster management advisory forums must be in place. Since the promulgation of the DMA in 2003, South African municipalities have had ample time to get the structures in place. This article tries to evaluate the degree to which South African municipalities adhere to the requirements of the DMA in terms of personnel. Municipalities were selected per province, and the research is based on a 20% representative sample of all 279 municipalities in South Africa. A mixed method of research was followed. The result of this research showed a clear lack of implementation in terms of the DMA. A number of disaster management personnel work in other municipal departments, meaning that their attention cannot fully be focused on activities relating to DRM.

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Socio-Cultural Approach on Disaster Risk Management of Sirnaresmi Customary Village, West Java

Research Horizon ◽

10.54518/rh.1.4.2021.136-142 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 136-142

Author(s):

Iwan Permana ◽

Rosliana Dewi ◽

Johan Budhiana ◽

Iyam Mariam ◽

Lia Novianty ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Community Organizing ◽

Disaster Risk Reduction ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Landslide Risk ◽

West Java ◽

Local Leadership

The Sirnaresmi indigenous people are one of the communities that still maintain their traditional culture to this day. In carrying out the rules and customs in the community, Sirnaresmi Village has its own institutional structure. There are several stakeholder institutions that support landslide risk reduction in Sirnaresmi Village. This study aims to determine the socio-cultural life and disaster risk management of the customary community in Sirnaresmi Village, West Java. The result showed that efforts to reduce the risk of landslides in Sirnaresmi Village have been carried out. However, the capacity in Sirnaresmi Village is still insufficient to reduce the risk of landslides. Some possible solutions are disaster risk reduction efforts by community organizing in disaster management through the formation of Disaster Management Community Groups (KMPB) and increasing public knowledge in reducing disaster risk together with experts from the Regional Disaster Management Agency of Sukabumi Regency. The other practical implications were also suggested such as by nurturing local traditions to help reduce disaster risk and involving local leadership roles in disaster risk reduction efforts.

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Current and Emerging Disaster Risks Perceptions in Oceania: Key Stakeholders Recommendations for Disaster Management and Resilience Building

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16030460 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 460 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Joseph Cuthbertson ◽

Jose Rodriguez-Llanes ◽

Andrew Robertson ◽

Frank Archer

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Good Governance ◽

Management Practice ◽

Well Being ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Community Action ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Disaster Impact ◽

Key Informant

Identification and profiling of current and emerging disaster risks is essential to inform effective disaster risk management practice. Without clear evidence, readiness to accept future threats is low, resulting in decreased ability to detect and anticipate these new threats. A consequential decreased strategic planning for mitigation, adaptation or response results in a lowered resilience capacity. This study aimed to investigate threats to the health and well-being of societies associated with disaster impact in Oceania. The study used a mixed methods approach to profile current and emerging disaster risks in selected countries of Oceania, including small and larger islands. Quantitative analysis of the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT) provided historical background on disaster impact in Oceania from 2000 to 2018. The profile of recorded events was analyzed to describe the current burden of disasters in the Oceania region. A total of 30 key informant interviews with practitioners, policy managers or academics in disaster management in the Oceania region provided first-hand insights into their perceptions of current and emerging threats, and identified opportunities to enhance disaster risk management practice and resilience in Oceania. Qualitative methods were used to analyze these key informant interviews. Using thematic analysis, we identified emerging disaster risk evidence from the data and explored new pathways to support decision-making on resilience building and disaster management. We characterized perceptions of the nature and type of contemporary and emerging disaster risk with potential impacts in Oceania. The study findings captured not only traditional and contemporary risks, such as climate change, but also less obvious ones, such as plastic pollution, rising inequality, uncontrolled urbanization, and food and water insecurity, which were perceived as contributors to current and/or future crises, or as crises themselves. The findings provided insights into how to improve disaster management more effectively, mainly through bottom-up approaches and education to increase risk-ownership and community action, enhanced political will, good governance practices and support of a people-centric approach.

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Towards a customized foresight model on “disaster risk management” in developing countries

foresight ◽

10.1108/fs-01-2018-0002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 467-487 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ardeshir Sayah Mofazali ◽

Katayoun Jahangiri

Keyword(s):

Risk Management ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Natural Disasters ◽

Disaster Management ◽

Delphi Method ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Disaster Risk Management ◽

Suitable Model ◽

Content Type ◽

Management Context

PurposeThe human efforts to be prepared better for the future challenges of natural disasters go back ages. Natural disasters occur when a natural event, such as an earthquake, triggers the social vulnerability. These natural disasters kill thousands of people worldwide annually and cause economic losses in millions of dollars. Moreover, the global cost of natural disasters has increased substantially, and mega-disasters occur when the need for recovery truly becomes national or international. There are several trends in nature and society, which suggest that this pattern may continue, with mega-disasters occurring more frequently in the future. In the past 100 years, the number of disasters and the number of people affected by these disasters have exponentially up surged. Thus, there is no other way to improve preparedness in a meaningful or diverse future-oriented manner.Design/methodology/approachThis paper focuses on how to design and customize a conceptual foresight model in “disaster risk management” in Iran, and offers an executive model to help decision-makers in disaster management, through which an appropriate practical framework for the implementation of foresight has been developed.FindingThe model has presented a possible framework for implementing a foresight practice within the context of disaster management. This paper particularly addresses different elements of a customized model, developed through a substantial literature review and comparative study for defining the suitable model in the disaster management context. The final model is validated using two rounds of the Delphi method, with the participation of national disaster management experts, practitioners and scientists.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the whole model could be used all around the world, the main source of data validating the proposed model is limited to the expert’s opinions in a developing country (I. R. Iran.) and the geographical conditions of Iran are considered as a core of attention in response to natural disasters. Based on the indicators for choosing Delphi participants and experts, only 43 qualified experts are selected to validate the model. The main focus of this research is on natural disasters issues.Practical implicationsThis study showed that while there has been a scattered global effort to recognize the increasing uncertainties in diverse disciplines, very little work in academic foresight has been undertaken to identify how it could be implemented. In particular, a series of factors in foresight processes is identified based on the comparative study and some additional elements are added to precisely identify the disaster management context and the most suitable model for national foresight implementation in disaster management.Originality/valueThe main value of this research paper is to clarify the exact relationship between the two interdisciplinary fields; the relationship between the key concepts of “futures studies” and “disaster management” has been thoroughly established. Also, a specific conceptual model for enriching the “pre-foresight” stage and selecting a proper “foresight approach” in “disaster management” is provided. This model has been validated through two rounds of the Delphi method. Finally, a cumulative framework of foresight patterns that includes the new model is presented to be applied in areas especially related to “natural disaster management”.

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