Pathways for Transformation: Disaster Risk Management to Enhance Resilience to Extreme Events

2016 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 1671002 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. D. Gibson ◽  
M. Pelling ◽  
A. Ghosh ◽  
D. Matyas ◽  
A. Siddiqi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Extreme Events ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Disaster Risk Management ◽  
System Level ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Level Change ◽  
Development Trajectories

Disaster risk from extreme events and development are intimately linked. Disaster risk management influences and is affected by local development strategies. Trade-offs made in policy and implementation determine winners and losers on the basis of unequal capacity, susceptibility and hazard exposure. Transformation has been introduced as a concept opening new policy space for fundamental shifts in development trajectories. Though policy neutral, when combined with normative frameworks such as the Sustainable development goals it can open up leverage points for determining development trajectories. There is limited empirical evidence on which to base understanding of transformative disaster risk management policy though some work has been done in sister domains such as climate change mitigation and adaptation. This study asks whether transformation pathways for disaster risk management can be observed, offering an initial qualitative analysis to inform policy development. It is based on five case studies drawn from diverse locations exposed to a range of extreme events, examined through a conceptual framework offering five indicators of transformation to aid analysis: intense interaction between actors; the intervention of external actors; system level change extending beyond efficiency to governance and goals; behavior beyond established coping strategies; and behavior extending beyond established institutions. Core characteristics of transformative pathways for disaster risk reduction are identified, including pathway competition, pathway experimentation, pathway scale effects and pathway lock-in. These characteristics are seen to determine the extent to which the disruption consequent on extreme events leads to either transformatory change or relative stasis. The study concludes that transformative disaster risk management, both intentional and incidental can be observed. It is seen that transformations occur primarily at local level. Where policy level change occurs this generally played out at local level too. The particular insight of the study is to suggest that most often the burden of transformation is carried at the local level through the behavior of individuals, populations and civil society. This observation raises an important question for further work: How can the burden of undertaking transformation be shared across scales?

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (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.

scholarly journals Prerequisites for Community-based Disaster Risk Management in Iran

2021 ◽  
pp. 187-192
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
National Level ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Disaster Risk Management ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Statistical Population ◽  
Management Organization ◽  
National Disaster

INTRODUCTION: Natural disasters disrupt people's lives, bringing about serious economic and social losses. Disaster risk management is a set of measures, including planning, decision-making, accountability, and operational activities at all levels. Moreover, it is of considerable significance to take advantage of social capacities and community participation before, during, and after disasters. The present study aimed to explain the prerequisites of community-based disaster risk management in Iran in 2020. METHODS: This data-driven qualitative study was conducted using Strauss and Corbin's systematic approach. The statistical population included all disaster management experts and non-governmental organizations in universities, the National Disaster Management Organization, the provincial disaster management departments, and senior managers of the Red Crescent Society. Out of this population, 22 subjects were purposefully selected via snowball sampling taking into account the geographical, climatic, cultural, social, and religious diversity of different regions of the country. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analysed using open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. FINDINGS: Based on the obtained results, the prerequisites of community-based disaster risk management include: "legal obligation", "public sensitization", "strategic planning", "public participation", "social capacity building", " building cohesion and empathy ", "action (prevention, preparedness, needs assessment, planning, and response", "formation and development of expert teams", "logistics forecasting and equipment", "preparation", and attention to geographical conditions"." CONCLUSION: As evidenced by the obtained results, the required measures for the successful implementation of community-based disaster risk management can be assigned to two categories: The first one encompasses the measures that require structural changes and law reform and are taken at the national level and National Disaster Management Organization of the country. The second type of measure must be implemented at the local and operational management levels

scholarly journals Strengthening Integrated Disaster Risk Management System in Serbia - DISARIMES

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Cvetković
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Disaster Risk Management ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Research Development ◽  
Risk Management System ◽  
Project Description ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
The Republic

In the Republic of Serbia, no comprehensive scientific multimethod research has been conducted to identify weaknesses and opportunities for improving the disaster risk management system. Regarding that, in the paper, author presents project description ,,Strengthening Integrated Disaster Risk Management System in Serbia - DISARIMES” which shall enable strengthening the disaster risk management system through research, development and innovative solutions implementation in the preparation, mitigation, response, remediation and post-disaster phases. The scientific importance of the projected research is reflected in the creation of assumptions for the advancement of theoretical and empirical knowledge in the scientific field of disaster risk management, bearing in mind that it is a relatively young scientific discipline in Serbia. The results of the project research will make it easier for decision makers in Serbia to understand the shortcomings of the system, but also provide innovative opportunities to improve their functioning in conditions of increasingly frequent and serious disasters. Establishing a scientific and professional society in the field of disaster risk management will create sustainable and necessary conditions for the transfer and improvement of knowledge and experience of importance for raising the level of operability of the system of protection and rescue of the Republic of Serbia in the event of disasters. A key contribution of the research findings will be to create a sustainable knowledge base that will be supported by the relevant amount of information regarding innovative capabilities and solutions identified as necessary to raise social resilience to a much higher level. In order to achieve the set goals, DISARIMES makes it possible, through a large number of SWOT analyses and other multimethod studies, to clearly identify and systematize the objective deficiencies and barriers encountered by the disaster risk management system in Serbia in all its stages before, during and after disasters, to identify and implement the appropriate solutions based on this. The objectives of the project are: to assess and identify strengths (advantages), weaknesses (disadvantages), opportunities (innovation potential) and threats for the disaster risk management system in Serbia; to develop and update RDI (research, development, innovation) Roadmap – knowledge databases with innovative solutions and other relevant information for improvement of the disaster risk management system; to fully deploy the DISARIMES scientific-professional network involving a broad range of the disaster risk management scientists and civil protection professions and organisations; to prepare the ground for the disaster risk management policy innovations.

scholarly journals Extreme Natural Events Mitigation: An Analysis of the National Disaster Funds in Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Fabian Szlafsztein
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Disaster Risk Management ◽  
History Of ◽  
Financing Strategy ◽  
National Disaster

This paper reviews, compares, and analyzes the legal and institutional framework of Latin American government insurance systems for disaster risk. Data and information are obtained through an intense examination of disasters database, the scientific literature and legal framework of administrative and operational procedures, and mainly sources of financial funds related to disaster risk management. The results demonstrate that all countries, with the exception of Ecuador and Chile, legally establish some form of fund by their own legislation and regulation, as a total or partial form of financing the management of natural disasters, particularly those classified as post-disaster recuperation and reconstruction practices. North and Central American countries have more complex and well-structured funds, presumably based on their history of natural disasters and high social vulnerability. The funds are composed of initial values defined by law, annual contributions of general budgets, donations, and the financial gains of resources deposited into bank accounts. The paper concludes that the unavailability of required resources in an emergency situation has led Latin American countries to choose disaster funds as a primary disaster risk management financing strategy. However, the uncertainty of natural disaster occurrence is one of the main obstacles to the use of public financial resources in prevention and preparedness strategies and actions, increasing even more with the inclusion of climate change uncertainties.

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