Abstract
Abstract. Current management of disaster risks is often fragmented due to a lack of coordination between involved actors, i.e. civil protection and spatial planning – a phenomenon which is known as the "problem of interplay". This paper presents an output-oriented risk management approach ("parametric governance"). Here, the modality of the achievement of objectives remains in the hands of the given addressees. This implies a shift from a top-down to a more collaborative, process-oriented form of decision-making. The approach has been successfully applied in two hazard cases and three administrative contexts: (a) the City of Dortmund (Germany) facing flash floods, (b) East Attica region (Greece) facing forest fires, and (c) Lazio Region (Italy) also facing forest fires. As proved by the applications of the concept, a dialogue among experts, stakeholders, and decision-makers is indispensable in order to guarantee inclusion of all diverse and competing values, opinions, and claims. Moreover, a structured communication path is needed to meet the requirements of a risk governance process. Finally, a win-win-situation among the involved actors has to be created to reach an agreement on common goals and actions to achieve them in due time.
Highlights
The reduction of disaster risk from multiple hazard sources is an explicitly pronounced aim in several international agendas, for example in the Agenda 21 (UN, 1992), the Johannesburg Plan or the Hyogo Framework for Action (UN-ISDR, 2005)
Within the communication strategies in all approaches, trust, transparency, clarity, and confidentiality can be seen as central terms in this respect (Lofstedt, 2005; IRGC, 2009; Greiving, 2009a). Another deficit in current risk management relates to the lack of coordination between actors involved in the disaster risk cycle as outlined by the EC Communication on “A Community approach on the prevention of natural and manmade disasters” (European Communities, 2009)
The Guide Note on Indicators for Assessing Progress on Disaster Risk Reduction (UN-ISDR, 2007) defines indicators as “An explicit measure used to determine progress; a signal that reveals progress towards objectives; a means of measuring what happens against what has been planned in terms of quality, quantity and timeliness.” (International Development Research Centre quoted in UN-ISDR, 2007)
Summary
The reduction of disaster risk from multiple hazard sources is an explicitly pronounced aim in several international agendas, for example in the Agenda 21 (UN, 1992), the Johannesburg Plan (adopted at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development) or the Hyogo Framework for Action (UN-ISDR, 2005). Current prevention of risk caused by natural hazards is fragmented, among others, between civil protection and spatial planning (see e.g. Greiving et al, 2006; Sapountzaki et al, 2011) and funding is fragmented This is a problematic situation because the Response-Preparedness-Prevention-Remediation (RPPR-) chain presupposes coordination between the involved actors, or one co-ordinating actor. Within the communication strategies in all approaches, trust, transparency, clarity, and confidentiality can be seen as central terms in this respect (Lofstedt, 2005; IRGC, 2009; Greiving, 2009a) Another deficit in current risk management relates to the lack of coordination between actors involved in the disaster risk cycle as outlined by the EC Communication on “A Community approach on the prevention of natural and manmade disasters” (European Communities, 2009). These problems related to organisational capacities for responding to or monitoring risk have been pointed out as major deficits of current risk governance (IRGC, 2009)
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