Integrating local and scientific knowledge in disaster risk reduction: A systematic review of motivations, processes, and outcomes

Abstract

The value of the inclusion and participation of local communities in efforts to assess and manage disaster risk is now widely acknowledged in the academic literature. In the field of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and the design and implementation of early warning systems (EWS) the integration of local knowledge with scientific knowledge has been viewed as a way of operationalising the active engagement of communities. This systematic review and evidence synthesis examined deliberate, researcher-initiated, efforts to integrate local and scientific knowledge within the context of DRR and EWS, exploring the motivations for knowledge integration, the processes of knowledge integration and the outcomes of these processes. Twenty empirical studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. The results indicate that the motivations for knowledge integration derived from real life challenges, that is, that top down DRR measures had not been adopted by local communities and that the knowledge of local or scientific communities in isolation was unable to manage disaster risk. Furthermore, knowledge integration was seen to empower communities and produce DRR interventions that were responsive to local needs and sensitivities. The processes of knowledge integration were participatory and interactive, and a range of outcomes were generated within the context of participatory projects. Nevertheless, neither the processes nor the outcomes of knowledge integration had been formally evaluated. Participatory processes of knowledge integration and evaluation of processes and outcomes need to be considered carefully during the design of the research, allowing for necessary time and the inclusion of appropriate expertise.