The Unexplored Nexus : Environmental Management and Emergency Management in Post-Disaster Reconstruction

Abstract

The disciplines of environmental management and emergency management share many of the same concepts, issues, processes, and concerns. Yet they interact more by accident than design. This paper explores the contributions that environmental management can make to the theory and practice of emergency management – from preparedness and response through recovery and reconstruction. It explores the concept of “disaster” in the contexts of both environmental management and emergency management, and it addresses the significance of environmental degradation as both a contributing factor in disaster effects and an important criterion in setting priorities for long-term reconstruction. Research and planning in many areas of the world are serving to embed emergency management solidly in the practice of environmental management, and vice-versa. The paper notes the growing consciousness of environmental justice/equity issues that figure significantly in the impact of disaster effects and in the decisions to be made throughout the process of long-term recovery and post-disaster reconstruction. It concludes by identifying areas where environmental management and emergency management can and should interact more positively to support long-term recovery and reconstruction.