Enhancing systemic risk management to strengthen community resilience: Key recommendations from state-of-the-art practices of past complex incidents

Abstract

Traditional hazard risk analysis methods have historically encouraged single-hazard resilience, yet complex events often precipitate systemic risks, surpassing established resilience measures and presenting novel policy dilemmas in disaster risk management. Recent studies, including the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFMTR) from 2015 to 2030, reveal significant gaps and uncertainties in the compartmentalised aspects of resilience strategies, particularly in recognizing systemic risk perspectives. This highlights the necessity for an all-encompassing approach to building resilience, with a focus on vulnerable communities and a comprehensive understanding of the integration among state-of-the-art practices from previous complex incidents. This research aims to investigate disaster management practices related to complex disasters, with a specific focus on systemic risk management within community resilience approaches. To examine the state-of-the-art applications and challenges of various disaster management practices, a research team conducted a comprehensive analysis of seven disaster incidents in Europe and Asia, encompassing tsunamis, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, flash floods, industrial accidents, wildfires, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Through comparative analysis of these disaster management practices, and synthesizing literature findings and counterfactual thinking from the identified cases, innovative key recommendations were extracted. These recommendations are centred on recognizing the drivers of systemic risk on vulnerable communities for leveraging systemic risk management. They underscore the imperative need for understanding integrated risk diagnosis and risk governance strategies essential for addressing systemic risks. Collectively, these recommendations provide a comprehensive way forward for enhancing community resilience in the face of multifaceted hazards and challenges.