Policy Informs Academia: A 6-Element Framework in Disaster Studies

Abstract

This paper proposes a new conceptual framework to inform disaster preparedness research and to add a meaningful addition to established frameworks in DRR. The proposed framework is based on six elements: resources, procedures, context, risk, formation and information. This paper will discuss the characteristics of the framework, illustrating its origins in Italian Civil Protection and linkages to current international frameworks and UN definitions of DRR and vulnerability. The logic underlying this framework can help to better understand current challenges in disaster preparedness around the world and identify potential improvements to policy makers in terms of formation of the operators, information of the public, resources and procedures in my research on disaster preparedness. This paper argues that the framework could provide helpful insights into disaster preparedness in different cultural contexts, beyond its Italian origins. It is the hope of the authors that this framework will be tested in different cultural contexts to identify its weaknesses and strengths. Further research should also explore how to overcome or compensate the policy focus of the framework, to allow civil society to fully engage in disaster preparedness strategies.