Disaster Risk Reduction Policies Research Articles

Climate-related Disaster and Human Capital Investment in the Global South — Household Heterogeneity and Growth

AbstractThis study develops a dynamic model of climate-related disaster impacts, considering multidimensional household heterogeneity, for analyzing changes in growth and inequality in low-income countries. Focusing on human capital development, the study demonstrates the multiple impacts of disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies on human capital investment, including the effect of schooling opportunities for households constrained by the subsistence consumption constraint. Through numerical simulations performed for two economies that differ in terms of human capital, modeled after Madagascar and Fiji, it is illustrated that the possibilities of involuntary unemployment and the work-learning choice drive the diversity in macroeconomic impacts of a disaster. In an economy characterized by low levels of human capital, a disaster could cause an increase in labor supply in the immediate aftermath but interrupt human capital formation, impeding long-term growth and human capital formation. Such a result contradicts prevailing intuition by demonstrating that a disaster occurring in an economy under recession may not result in a large adverse GDP impact in the short run but may negatively impact growth in the long run. On such a path, a policy of development in DRR infrastructure with appropriate taxation could reduce human-capital gaps in the long run by supporting continued post-disaster human-capital-investment opportunities for the poor.

Pathways of multi-hazard post-disaster housing reconstruction among Ivatan Indigenous households

Most disaster-affected populations face the complex task of reconstructing their dwellings with minimal or no external support. However, not much is known about the self-initiated reconstruction pathways of households, especially among Indigenous groups needing to address the competing impacts of multiple hazards. We conducted a case study analysis based in Itbayat, Batanes in the Philippines to understand the housing reconstruction trajectories of the Ivatan Indigenous households after the 2019 earthquakes that redefined their typhoon-resilient construction practices. Using interviews and focus group discussions, factors affecting the reconstruction process were elicited. Then, using concept maps, we explored the linkages of these factors leading to the adoption of the emergent housing outputs. We found that the emergence of new housing typologies that displaced the vernacular architecture was influenced by the compounded urgency to reconstruct houses, perceptions of housing safety influenced by the seismic events, the nature of aid provided alongside households’ financial capacity, and the regulatory barriers affecting traditional resource extraction. To achieve structural housing safety, this study demonstrates the need for policies that enable and guide reconstruction in emergency contexts, as well as systems to channel aid to provide equitable opportunities to build back safer. Additionally, the role of local governance is shown to leverage the use of existing indigenous construction practices salient for rebuilding. This study builds upon the heightened imperatives in the disaster risk reduction practice and policy environments to focus on the multi-hazard realities affecting communities and the use of local and indigenous knowledge to reduce disaster impacts.

Examining the Content of Disaster-Related Information Disseminated to a Migrant Population

Many local governments, especially in Japan, disseminate multilingual disaster-related information to migrants as part of their disaster education programs to make their disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies more inclusive. However, little is known about the specific content of the information disseminated through such programs and how or why that content is selected. Using an example case of Okayama Prefecture in Japan and its principal city, Okayama City, the current study identifies the content of multilingual disaster-related information, as well as the assumptions behind its selection. To this end, the content of multilingual disaster-related information disseminated by these local governments was inductively analyzed, focusing on (1) what is and is not communicated, (2) how the government views the migrant population, and (3) their goals of information dissemination targeting migrants. As a result of conducting a qualitative content analysis on information disseminated by the Okayama local governments via information booklets and a YouTube video, it was found that the content was largely concerned with calling migrants to be proactive in taking preventive and harm reduction measures, as well as acquiring prerequisite knowledge (e.g., about disasters and their management). The underlying assumptions and expectations behind this content (e.g., how a behavioral change occurs and self-sufficiency as an expectation in disaster preparedness) are discussed, as well as issues associated with these assumptions.

Mapping the exposure of tourism to weather extremes: the need for a spatially-explicit gridded dataset for disaster risk reduction

Abstract Tourism is a highly important economic sector worldwide, yet it is often less than optimally represented in terms of detailed spatial information. An accurate spatial representation of tourism can provide valuable insights into the spatial distribution of tourism vulnerabilities and exposure, allowing policymakers to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation policies. Here, we stress the need for and propose a first prototype of an open-access spatially-explicit gridded database based on social media data for over 150 different tourism-related classes that depicts tourism density (supply and demand) and perceived satisfaction in Europe. We showcase the potential benefits of such database by mapping the exposure of specific tourism sectors to a range of weather extremes, including floods, windstorms, and heat stress. Based on these results, we argue that a homogeneous spatially-explicit database of tourism is essential to support efficient investments in preparedness and disaster resilience.

Health Disparities in the Aftermath of Flood Events: A Review of Physical and Mental Health Outcomes with Methodological Considerations in the USA.

This review applies an environmental justice perspective to synthesize knowledge of flood-related health disparities across demographic groups in the USA. The primary aim is to examine differential impacts on physical and mental health outcomes while also assessing methodological considerations such as flood exposure metrics, baseline health metrics, and community engagement. In our review (n = 27), 65% and 72% of studies identified racial, ethnic, or socio-economic disparities in physical and mental health outcomes post-flooding, respectively. The majority of racial/ethnic disparities were based on Black race, while most socio-economic disparities were based on lower household income. Forty-two percent of studies lacked flood exposure metrics, but often identified disparities. Common flood exposure metrics included self-reported flooding, flood risk models, and satellite-based observations. Seventy percent of studies lacked baseline health measurements or suitable alternatives, and only 19% incorporated community engagement into their research design. The literature consistently finds that both physical and mental health burdens following flooding are unequally shared across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. These findings emphasize the need for disaster risk reduction policies that address underlying vulnerabilities to flooding, unequal exposure to flooding, and progressive funding for recovery efforts. Findings also underscore the importance of methodological enhancements to facilitate precise assessments of flood exposure and health outcomes.

Bridging gaps between disaster risk reduction and drowning prevention

Drowning is a form of silent and neglected disaster. Hundreds of thousands die every year from drowning, with cumulated fatalities surpassing that of large-scale disasters. However, research on drowning is largely absent from disaster studies and global and national disaster risk reduction policy frameworks rarely mention drowning risk and the related strategies for strengthening water safety. Drowning is mainly framed as a public health issue being studied predominantly by scholars from injury prevention, public health, and medicine. This paper argues that both disaster studies and disaster risk reduction policies have a critical role to play in progressing drowning prevention. It reviews the existing drowning literature and highlights trends, challenges, and opportunities to bridge gaps in knowledge, policy, and practice for reducing drowning risk. The article highlights the strong conceptual underpinnings that characterize both the disaster risk and drowning fields, the need for data sharing, the potential for community-approaches to drowning risk reduction, and ultimately recommends a more systematic integration of drowning in disaster risk reduction initiatives. The paper ends by underlining some of the barriers and requirements to foster collaboration between the disaster risk domains and drowning prevention.

Women in Disaster Policy: A Bibliometric Mapping of the Research Literature 2015-2023

The research regarding women in disaster policy discourse received attention from scholars and policymakers as the current leading international disaster policy had a shortfall in mentioning women’s rights. Although many studies have deliberated how women engage with disaster, research that systematically maps how the literature regarding women in disaster policy develops has not yet been conducted. Per the result through the bibliometric mapping, the 58 pieces of literature included by the PRISMA (Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework are clustered into health, environment, economic, and socio-political contexts. The discourse discussion revolves around women’s vulnerability, capacity and capability, and strategy and policy initiatives. The study contributes to the literature by mapping the research trajectory regarding women in the disaster risk reduction policy framework following the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 establishment. A recommendation model of the disaster policy framework and prospective research agenda is developed through the study.

Prioritizing Strategies for Building the Resilience of Public Health Systems to Disasters Across Multiple Communities and Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need to strengthen public health systems. In response, the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Public Health System Resilience Scorecard (Scorecard) was applied in workshops across multiple countries. The aim of our research was to explore the workshop findings to develop priority strategies for strengthening public health system resilience. We conducted a workshop from 14 to 16 March 2023, at the UNDRR Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea. A sequential modified Delphi method was utilized to develop a set of prioritized resilience strategies. These were drawn from 70 strategies identified from 13 distinct workshops in eight countries. After two surveys, 23 strategies were finalized. Ten received ratings of “High” or “Very High” from 89% of participants. These related to the inclusion of public health risks in emergency plans, integrating multidisciplinary teams into public health, enabling local transport mechanisms, and improving the ability to manage an influx of patients. The Scorecard provides an adaptable framework to identify and prioritize strategies for strengthening public health system resilience. By leveraging this methodology, our study demonstrated how resilience strategies could inform disaster risk reduction funding, policies, and actions.

Disaster-risk, climate change challenges and strategies in small islands in Bird’s Head Papua

A Disaster Risk Index analysis has never been conducted on small islands in Indonesia, particularly in the Bird's Head region of Papua, which includes 4,110 small islands that are now vulnerable and have become hotspots for climate change and hydrometeorological disasters. This study explores disaster risk indices, future climate change challenges, and Disaster Risk Reduction plans and policies at the site level on the small island of Bird's Head in Papua. Disaster risk index analysis includes threat, vulnerability, and capacity indexes. Climate change scenarios are derived from CMIP, using scenarios SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. Strategy and policy are based on the National Disaster Management Agency's seven priorities. Field measurements demonstrate that the Disaster Risk Index ranges from 0.73 to 0.82, including the high index class category, which is also directly related to the Hazard Index and Vulnerability Index and inversely proportional to the Capacity Index. Extreme rainfall estimates in the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios result in a 10% and 20% increase in rainfall in the Papua Birds Head region, respectively. The assessment of the seven priorities for tiny islands ranges from 0.2 to 0.37 in the low category. As a result, it is critical for stakeholders, particularly local communities and traditional and village officials, to actively participate in developing DRR strategies and policy ideas for small islands.

Disaster Resilient Village Program: Manifestation of Community-Based Disaster Risk Management and Reduction Policy

The potential and risk of disasters in Indonesia over the last two decades have become a major challenge for this country. Dynamic natural activities, global climate change, and rapid urbanization have increased vulnerability to various types of natural and man-made disasters. Although this risk cannot be completely avoided, mitigation efforts, risk management and community empowerment have been carried out to reduce its impact. The Disaster Resilient Village Program is one of the Indonesian government's important efforts to reduce disaster risk and increase community resilience. Although there are still challenges and obstacles that must be overcome, this program has provided significant benefits in preparing communities to face the threat of disaster.

11.Q. Round table: Supporting migrants and ethnic minorities in crises through inclusive emergency policies and actions

Abstract Background During Covid-19, it was evident that crisis preparedness and response measures did not sufficiently consider the needs and living context of refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities. While not all persons belonging to these groups had greater challenges during Covid-19 compared with majority populations, they were more likely to experience social and health disadvantage and barriers to accessible and reliable risk communications. Many European countries are currently documenting the lessons learnt during Covid-19 and developing national strategies for better consideration of persons in vulnerable situations in future crises. This workshop brings together academics, experts working with crisis preparedness and response, and other relevant stakeholders, to avoid national silo-learning and to promote knowledge and capacity building across countries. The workshop links to Pillar 2 of the outcome statement from the WHO high-level meeting on migration and health held in March 2022, which calls for implementing inclusive emergency and disaster risk reduction policies and actions. Objectives The main objective is to promote capacity building and knowledge exchange among academics, crisis preparedness and response experts, and other relevant stakeholders on strategies for reducing shared vulnerabilities of refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities in future crises. The workshop will also stimulate a discussion on the need and feasibility of developing joint European guidelines. Format The format is roundtable. The workshop will start with brief presentations by the panelists from Finland, Sweden, and Türkiye on the key latest scientific research, policies and programmes developed at the country level aiming at reducing vulnerabilities of refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities in future crises situations based on the lessons learnt during Covid-19. These will be followed by a brief overview by a WHO representative on WHO's outcome statement's Regional Plan Pillar 2. These short presentations will stimulate an interactive moderated discussion among the panelists. Discussion will focus on the best way forward for building synergies in cross-country capacity building. The necessity and feasibility of compiling European level guidelines for reducing vulnerabilities of refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities in future crises situations will also be discussed. Added value The workshop will allow for knowledge exchange on country-level initiatives, which will facilitate capacity building across countries. The workshop will allow countries to exchange information on relevant planned, ongoing, and completed activities at the national level, which will bringing the countries out of their national silos. The interactive discussion will also focus on identifying strategies for continuing capacity building and cross-country collaboration in crisis preparedness and response. Key messages • Inclusive emergency and disaster risk reduction policies and actions that consider refugees and other migrants, and ethnic minorities are imperative for ensuring societal security as a whole. • Knowledge and capacity building across European countries is needed to build synergies and to avoid national silos in developing crisis preparedness and response measures. Speakers/Panelists Natalia Skogberg National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland Soorej Jose Puthoopparambil Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Ilker Kayi Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey Jozef Bartovic WHO/Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark

Differential ethnic approach in disaster risk reduction and management: The case of Colombia

Colombia is a multicultural country, with ethnic minorities comprising 13% of its population. These ethnic groups have high vulnerability to disasters, not only due to their geographic location, but also because of inequities that exacerbate the vicious cycle of poverty. However, they have developed knowledge and tools to face these disasters that are responsive to their specific needs and should be incorporated into national and sub-national disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) policies and strategies to ensure inclusion and institutionalization. This article aims to understand the current incorporation of the differential ethnic approach in the DRRM system of Colombia. A literature review of journal articles and grey literature directly relevant to the differential ethnic approach in DRRM in Colombia was conducted on December 2022 and January 2023. Out of 1067 records, only 20 were eligible: 15 (75.0%) grey literature and 5 (15.0%) journal articles. Majority of the records (19, 95.5%) were on disaster prevention or mitigation. Results showed that official national DRRM policies and plans recognize the cultural diversity of Colombia, mandating several activities that require the inclusion of ethnic minorities. Narratives of DRRM activities where ethnic minorities were involved were found. However, challenges in adopting the guidelines at the national and local levels were found, highlighting the need to increase efforts to strengthen the integration of the differential ethnic approach in the DRRM system. The low number of scoped records also highlights the lack of documentation, monitoring, evaluation, or research that can provide insights that can contribute to this topic.

A Modified Mercalli Intensity map of Bangladesh: a proposal for zoning of earthquake hazard

Bangladesh is vulnerable to a variety of natural hazards including frequent tropical cyclones, floods and, less commonly, earthquakes and tsunamis. The country has developed an effective response mechanism for frequently experiencing hazards. However, at the same time, the nation has not developed an effective response mechanism for earthquake as a result of limited experiences with this type of hazard in the recent past. This research constructs a new catalogue consisting of 144 earthquakes (between 810BC and 2015) occurring within Bangladesh and the adjacent region. From this new catalogue, the effects of earthquakes are available for 80 events which are used in order to construct the geography of hazard in Bangladesh. The construction of a detailed Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) map using the new earthquake data suggests that this will be useful for supporting future risk reduction efforts in Bangladesh. Specifically, the findings support the revision of the current seismic zoning map of Bangladesh to include Chittagong and Dhaka in the high-risk zone for effective earthquake risk reduction. Finally, this research concludes that analyses of long-term data helps to identify new hazard exposure and develop knowledge that is useful to formulate new disaster risk reduction policies and rectify existing know zones in Bangladesh.

Spatiotemporal evolutionary patterns and driving factors of vulnerability to natural disasters in China from 2000 to 2020

Vulnerability is one of the most important drivers of risk, and efforts in reducing vulnerability have been shown to be an essential strategy for disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, for those developing countries experiencing rapid urbanization, like China, poor understanding of the dynamics of vulnerability has hindered the achievement of DRR goals as set out in the Sendai Framework. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of human and economic vulnerability for China from 2000 to 2020, and further explore the impacts of socio-economic development and disaster risk management on vulnerability. The results show an overall declining trend for disaster-related fatalities, but an increasing trend for direct economic losses. Significant regional and provincial disparities of vulnerability are observed: both human and economic vulnerability are highest in western China, modest in central China, and lowest in eastern China. Both human and economic vulnerability to natural disasters is steadily declining for the period 2000 to 2020. Social development and hazard risk management level are found to have significantly negative effects on human and economic vulnerability, while significant effect of economic growth is not detected in our analysis. Urbanization rate and education level are the most important factors in shaping both human and economic vulnerability. Expenditures of DRR, an indicators of risk management, is also found to be a significant determinator of vulnerability. Our findings are useful in informing effective national and regional DRR policy, and can also be generalized to other developing counties with situations similar to those of China.With respect to economic vulnerability—represented by direct economic losses per trillion GDP—the average value for China in last 21 years is 7.17 billion RMB. In terms of overall trends, the 5-year moving average of economic vulnerability decreased from 12.2 billion RMB to 4.2 billion RMB in the period 2000 to 2020, a decrease of 65.6%. Although significant declining trends are also observed for Western, Central and Eastern China, the levels of economic vulnerability in the three regions are quite different. Average economic vulnerabilities for Western, Central and Eastern China over the past two decades are 17.2, 9.1 and 3.4 billion RMB, respectively, which demonstrates that Western China is the most prone to economic damages, while Eastern China is least likely to be economically disrupted. This regional disparity is also consistent with the regional distributions of annual reported direct economic losses from 2000 to 2020. Regarding the overall trends of economic vulnerability for the three regions, the 5-year moving average of economic vulnerability for Western China decreased from 16.0 to 6.3 billion RMB, a decrease of 60.6%; that of Central China, from 22.8 to 7.2 billion RMB, a decline of 68.4%; and that of the Eastern China, from 6.1 to 2.1 billion RMB, a decline of 65.6%.

A policy coherence framework for food security, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in South Africa

Food security (FS), climate change adaptation (CCA), and disaster risk reduction (DRR) have all evolved in isolation at the global, national, and subnational levels, employing various response strategies, plans, and conceptual and institutional frameworks. As a result, attempts to ensure food security through DRR and CCA efforts are unevenly dispersed. The purpose of this research is to propose a novel framework for bringing FS, CCA, and DRR policies in South Africa into alignment. Data was gathered through content analysis of three FS, CCA and DRR policy documents, as well as 24 face-to-face and virtual/online key informant interviews (KIIs) from eight institutions purposefully selected. The findings revealed misalignments in the way objectives are set and prioritised, lack of coordination during implementation, and inadequate monitoring mechanisms that are needed to enhance policy coherence between CCA, DRR, and FS policies. To address these misalignments, the study proposed a policy coherence framework that aligns policy objectives, implementation plans, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms between FS, CCA and DRR. When policies are aligned, they work together in a coordinated manner, reinforcing each other's objectives and actions and enhance the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes.

Homelessness and COVID-19 in New Zealand: Challenges, emergency responses, and implications for disaster risk reduction

People experiencing homelessness have traditionally received limited attention in disaster research and disaster risk reduction policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the vulnerable conditions of urban homelessness during emergency with unprecedented response efforts. Focusing on Aotearoa New Zealand, this research analyses homeless people's experiences of the COVID-19 and examines the policies and actions developed by government agencies and local organisations. The study highlights that while the homeless did not perceive the virus as a threat the COVID-19 framework with border closures and lockdowns had direct impacts on their livelihoods. The emergency policies focused mainly on homeless who are rough sleepers with a strong emphasis on emergency shelters. The study finds that while effective in temporally housing the homeless, the emergency shelters were often inappropriate to cater for homeless needs and lacked long-term views to transit towards sustainable solutions to homelessness. We also point out issues linked to coordination across agencies, leadership and resources needed for both effective emergency management and disaster risk reduction.

A Case Study of Disaster Risk Reduction in Schools for the Blind in Thailand

In Thailand, 9% of people with disabilities are visually impaired (VI). VI children are vulnerable when disasters occur. This study investigates risk situations and disaster risk reduction (DRR) methods in VI schools to identify present and potential ways that students can be provided skills. An interview was administered in two schools to schoolteachers and administrators. Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data based on core keywords. DRR for daily risk exposure and fires is the priority. Concerns over VI students are based on the difficulty in orientation. Support is considered crucial for student safety. Supervisory means to limit risk among the VI is uncertain in times of disaster. Students are capable of learning about DRR and, combined with assistive techniques, can limit their risk. DRR policies in VI schools are primarily reactive. Uncomplicated risk awareness information and training could foster an appropriate approach to bringing self-efficacy to deal with risk.

A policy review: are disaster safe schools in Pekalongan Regency necessary?

Floods, tidal floods, droughts, and landslides have caused huge material and immaterial losses in Pekalongan Regency. The disaster also had an impact on the education sector. This study aims to determine the need for disaster-safe schools in Pekalongan Regency. This research is a literature study involving book literature, journal articles, news, ministry data reports, government policies, laws, and regulations regarding disaster risk reduction in schools. The results found that around 80% of primary and secondary schools in Pekalongan Regency are located in disaster risk areas. There have been several disaster events that have had a direct impact on schools. The Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policy in schools on a global, national and regional scale has been ratified as a guideline for creating a sense of safety in schools. One of the policies of the Indonesian government is the SPAB (Disaster Safe Education Unit) program. The SPAB program offers guidelines for protecting education units against disasters. However, the program implementation needs financial support from the local government. Schools should be involved in DRR actions. The urgency of the SPAB program is very clear to be implemented in Pekalongan Regency.

საშიში მოვლენების კლასიფიცირება საერთაშორისო სტანდარტების მიხედვით

One of the most important areas of disaster risk reduction policy is the creation of a unified management system that must comply with international standards. To this end, the Sendai Framework for Action for 2015-2030 was discussed, including the development of risk management mechanisms for natural and man-made, small and large, frequent and rare, immediate and slowly developing disasters at all levels (global, regional, national and local) and in all areas. A list of hazards approved by the WMO Technical Group was reviewed, the names and definitions of which were agreed by its participating countries. In the existing list, 302 threats are classified by types of threats, conditions of occurrence, type of events and main consequences, grouped into eight classes and presented in the table. The names of the threats in the list are standardized, which makes it possible to compare regional and global threats. While the list of hazard classifications is important for identifying and responding to disaster riscs, it is not definitive and needs to be rewievedand updated regulary

Social vulnerability in Chile: challenges for multi-scale analysis and disaster risk reduction

Socio-natural disasters can have profound consequences for countries exposed to natural hazards. Consequently, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) management and the development of techniques to measure social vulnerability, such as the Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI), are critical to comprehending and mitigating risk factors. However, the impact of considering different spatial scales to understand and analyze social vulnerability remains largely unknown. The objective of this research is to identify the factors that determine social vulnerability in Chile, the implications of using four different territorial scales, differentiating for urban/rural territory, and the implications in DRR. The research considers the SoVI method, using the national census and the socioeconomic household survey to construct 25 variables at the zone/locality levels, and the use of a GIS platform. On average, eight vulnerability components are defined per model, with an average explanatory variance of 71%. Our analysis shows that social vulnerability in Chile is highly conditioned by access to basic services, low educational level, quality of housing, and income levels. Furthermore, the use of SoVI has made it possible to determine that the use of different territorial scales is an opportunity and a tool for decision-makers that should be investigated for planning purposes and the design of DRR policies.