Projects for queering disaster: reciprocal knowledge exchange and practice

The frequency of natural disasters has been increasing for the last 30 years in the world, having caused great damages and losses. Among those damages and losses, about 90 % are concentrated in the Asian region where natural disasters bring about the loss of lives, property, employment and damage to the physical infrastructure and the environment. Disaster management (DM) including disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts aim to minimize or avoid the potential losses from hazards, assure prompt and appropriate assistance to victims of disaster, and achieve rapid and effective recovery. While data, information, knowledge and resources sharing can enhance the process of DM, there is a perceived gap in government collaboration and coordination within the context of natural DM. The objective of this paper is to present the literature findings on success factors that ensure the quality of government information sharing (GIS) in supporting effectively DM. Accordingly the identified factors were classified into major categories, namely political leadership support, inter-agency collaboration, individual agency capacity including ICT, and agency benefits.

Mobilization of financial resources for disaster risk reduction represent value for money because for every dollar invested in disaster risk reduction, between four and seven dollars are saved in the long run. The reactive emergency aid business model commonly applied is not helping much in disaster risk reduction because it suffers from irregular flow of funds making it unpredictable and complex in its arrangement for acquisition as well as eventual disbursement. Disaster risk financing instruments are increasingly at the centre of this nuxes since there exists an inseparable relationship between disaster risk financing instruments on one hand and disaster risk reduction activities on the other hand. Post-disaster risk financing instruments are budgetary reallocations, domestic credit, external credit, donor assistance and tax increase. Disasters pose daunting barriers to development in developing countries because they are inadequately prepared due to weaknesses of their economies, high level of indebtedness and rigid budgetary processes which do not allow them to reallocate budget post-disaster. This article analyzes the cause effect relationship between post-disaster risk financing instruments and risk reduction in the Kenya national platform. The primary data used in the analysis is based principally on a survey of 60 respondents interviewed in 2016 in the public and private organizations. Secondary data attained from archival records, UNDP and Development Initiatives documentation centres were used to cross-validate primary data. Correlational research design was adopted while statistical analysis employed was Pearson’s co-efficient of correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between post-disaster risk financing instruments and disaster risk reduction in Kenyan national disaster platform (r=0.286, p=0.000<0.01). The findings point to the need for the establishment of a disaster risk revolving fund in Kenya which is structured along the post-disaster risk financing sources. Keywords: Post-disaster risk financing instruments, Strategic financing option, Risk reduction and Kenyan national disaster platform.

A Conceptual Frame Using ‘Knowledge’ As a Lens for Deconstructing the Sendai Framework Priority 1: Understanding Disaster Risks

ABSTRACTMyanmar is a least developed country transitioning to democracy but has many holdovers from its recent military-controlled past. At the same time, extreme climate-related weather events are undermining the health ministry’s capacity to support people to live long and full lives. This paper describes existing climate change-related challenges confronting Myanmar’s health sector and explores opportunities for the health ministry to influence other health determining sectors, including disaster risk reduction. It was a qualitative study, drawing on semi-structured interviews with government officials from health, social welfare, environment and rural development, as well as with personnel from international and national NGOs and organizations. Interview data was triangulated with policy documents and on-the-ground research. The research found that Myanmar’s governance structures are changing rapidly and that responding to disasters is an urgent priority that has over-shadowed planned long-term adaptation to climate change. Furthermore, poor coordination across scales and sectors inhibits effective adaptation and disaster risk reduction. In this context, the health ministry, already involved in disaster response, is well placed to draw on its vertical and horizontal penetration to seize an existing window of opportunity and improve climate change responses and disaster risk reduction by taking on a coordinating role.

International agencies and scientific research have been calling for the inclusion of children in disaster preparedness and risk reduction, to hear their voices in order to address their specific needs and vulnerabilities and harness their capabilities in terms of building community resilience. This article assesses the roles ascribed to children in policy and education for disaster risk reduction in Portugal. The approach is based on a scoping methodology that encompasses document analysis and interviews with national and local stakeholders and policymakers in the disaster risk reduction field. The research is carried out within the scope of a European funded project, CUIDAR Cultures of Disaster Resilience among Children and Young People. More specifically, the article provides an overview of the discourses on the roles ascribed to children in urban disaster risk reduction (DRR). The authors maintain that although children are often taken as a target group in urban disaster prevention and management, they are seldom considered in terms of active participation in disaster risk reduction programs in the Portuguese context. Nevertheless, our analysis shows that there is a growing awareness of the relevance of active participation by children in order to create successful DRR.

PurposeChildren can play an active and valuable role to minimise disaster risks and vulnerabilities. Yet, peer-reviewed literature on child participation in Disaster Resilience Education (DRE) is lacking. This knowledge gap is larger in low- and middle-income countries, especially related to vulnerable communities. The current study explores how child participation in developing and delivering a DRE intervention is associated with their mental well-being and resilience.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study is part of a larger project where a DRE intervention was co-developed and delivered by children in the informal settlements in Chennai, India, using a participatory approach. This project used qualitative methods including interviews and focus group discussions with children who co-developed the intervention, their parents and staff members of the collaborating Non-Government Organisation (NGO) to understand their experiences and inform its processes.FindingsThe children involved in the development and delivery of the intervention reported that not only did they learn the skills necessary to prepare for hazards in the future, it also increased their confidence, self-worth and self-efficacy. This was also observed by parents and staff members of the collaborating NGO. They expressed pride towards the children and applauded their ability to communicate key Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) messages with assertiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThere is a dearth of empirical papers on child participation in DRR activities, and this study fills some of that gap by reporting the perceived impact of children's participation on their mental well-being and resilience. Furthermore, this study can act as a roadmap for researchers aiming to do action research with children.Practical implicationsDRR is more effective when all stakeholders, especially the affected and at-risk children, and communities are closely involved in structuring, planning, developing and delivering key disaster preparedness messages. This study serves to show that children's participation in DRR activities not only impacts their preparedness but that it helps children in disaster recovery as well, in addition to building their resilience and overall improvement in their mental well-being.Social implicationsGiven the participatory nature of this study, it involves children closely in the development and delivery of DRE intervention. The communities involved in this study had complex vulnerabilities including poverty, marginalisation and based in a low-and-middle income country, India. Oftentimes, these communities are not represented in scientific literature, and this study attempts to bridge that gap.Originality/valueThis study presents a multi-stakeholder perspective on child participation in its potential impact on children's mental well-being and resilience. The DRE intervention was co-developed and delivered by children in the community making it unique in its development process as well as the context it was developed in – informal settlements in Chennai, India.

Policies and strategies for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Indonesia have been transformed politically and institutionally. Studies have shown that current progress for DRR in Indonesia has been largely focused at the national level. More efforts are needed to strengthen local institutions, increase focus on the community, and adopt a more integrated approach with development. This chapter highlights the need to assess regulatory and institutional frameworks from the standpoint of collaborative governance theories, which emphasize the inter-organizational arrangements to pursue the common goals of strengthening community resilience. The aim of this chapter is to examine current progress, identify challenges and propose strategies for more integrated, locally-based and community-focused DRR strategies. The objectives are threefold. First, to examine, review and identify legal gaps within current DRR regulations, using the Regulatory Mapping (RegMAP) method. Second, to investigate the institutional arrangements through Discourse Network Analysis (DNA). Third, to conduct a need-gap analysis as prelude to recommendations for a more comprehensive DRR policy.

Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, and hailstorms have become more frequent and dangerous in recent years, especially in developing countries like Nepal. School students of Bheemdatt municipality are at high risk of natural disasters, especially when they are in school and at home. This study focuses on Bheemdatt Municipality of Kanchanpur District. The main objective of the study was to assess disaster awareness and risk reduction knowledge among school students in Bheemdatt Municipality, Nepal. The research was conducted using both primary and secondary sources of data. A Simple random sampling method was used to select respondents. Data were collected through surveys and interviews conducted in 14 schools of which six were government and eight were private. The sampled schools represent different levels of disaster risk. A total of 110 students participated in the study, along with teachers and school principals. The findings indicate that the majority of students had acquired knowledge about disasters mainly through school textbooks, while other sources such as television, radio, and the internet were reported to be less frequently utilized. Among the types of disasters experienced, earthquakes, floods, and hailstorms were the most common in the study area. Many students understood disaster preparedness and mitigation, some remained unclear about the specific actions required before, during, and after a disaster. The study finds that strengthening disaster education in schools helps students gain a clearer understanding of disaster risk reduction (DRR). It emphasizes the crucial role of youth education in safeguarding lives and communities. Additionally, the study examines the current status of disaster education in Nepal and offers recommendations to improve community resilience through educational initiatives.

The recently concluded World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in Sendai, Japan and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (SFDRR) have set renewed priorities for disaster risk reduction (DRR) for the next 15 years. This framework is the main guiding instrument for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) within the scope of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. Disaster management policies and practices should be based on an understanding of risks, not just on an ideological level. Gap and key challenges identified include Still weak coordination, cooperation and linkages among the sectors related to DRR, Lacks of skills in loss assessment and post disaster needs, lack of strategic research agenda, absence of consensus regarding terminology, and limited coordination between stakeholders. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of why disaster risk reduction efforts undertaken by regional policy often fail to improve future disaster responses. These findings can be used to help guide to improve regional policy in disaster risk reduction processes. This research is a systematic review study by collecting articles that are relevant to International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. From the analysis, we found that all four priorities for action in the Sendai Framework are relevant to Disaster Risk Management (DRM) field as follows: 1). Understanding disaster risk; 2). Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk; 3). Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience and 4). Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Conflict aggravates disaster risk and impact through increased vulnerability and weakened response capacities. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster governance are needed – but often deemed unfeasible – in conflict-affected areas. In Afghanistan, despite the high-intensity conflict (HIC), there is a growing body of practice on DRR. To provide insight on DRR in HIC contexts, this study used document analysis, stakeholder interviews, and participant observation to analyse the promotion, implementation, and challenges of DRR in Afghanistan. The findings show that DRR was promoted after international recognition of Afghanistan’s high disaster risk, which coincided with expanding opportunities for development. Early Afghan DRR projects were hazard-oriented and focused on mitigation infrastructure, but some have shifted towards an integrated approach. DRR is challenging in HIC contexts because of complex logistical and funding needs required to overcome access and security issues. The Afghan experience shows that DRR is possible in HIC countries, provided that different levels of conflict are acknowledged, sufficient time and funding are available, and disaster governance arrangements are in place. Expectations regarding the possibilities for DRR in HIC areas should be tempered by the realities of limitations in terms of geographical coverage, real impact, and capacities to reduce vulnerability in an integrated way.

"The frequency and intensity of hazards and disasters is increasing worldwide. The ways in which risks and disasters are prevented and managed can differ significantly, however, global solutions are required. This book provides a comprehensive overview of cutting edge trends in governance research, exploring how risks, hazards, and disasters can be mainstreamed into a governance framework. It explores the concept of governance as a valuable key word for describing the multiple approaches of actors behaving and operating in threatened or disaster-prone social systems. This book showcases the latest theoretical and empirical applications of governance in research and practice, from community engagement to social media, from policies to armed forces. Contributions draw on international examples from a range of hazards and provide multi-disciplinary perspectives from the disaster sciences and socio cultural contexts."--Provided by publisher

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.

Disaster risk reduction in rural Africa can contribute to reducing poverty and food insecurity if included in local development plans (LDPs). Five years after the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), we do not know how much risk reduction is practiced in rural Africa. The aim of this assessment is to ascertain the state of mainstreaming DRR in development planning in the rural jurisdictions of tropical Africa. One hundred and ninety-four plans of 21 countries are considered. Ten characteristics of the plans are examined: Climate trends, hydro-climatic hazards, vulnerability and risk assessments, alignment with Sendai Framework, vision, strategies and objectives, DRR actions, internal consistency, DRR relevance and funding sources, local and technical knowledge integration, public participation. It is found that local climatic characterization is almost always absent and risk reduction is an objective of the plans in one case out of three. Prevention actions prevail over those of preparedness. There is poor participation in the plan preparation process and this limits the implementation of the actions. A modification of the national guidelines on the preparation of LDPs, the orientation of official development assistance towards supporting climate services and the training of local planners, together with the increase of financial resources in local jurisdictions are essential for improving DRR at local scale.

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Priority 3 of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) (2005-2015) explicitly outlined the role of education to improve Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). By 2013 the deadline to integrate DRR into school curricula had disappeared and when the Sendai Framework for Action (SFA) (2015-2030) was published it merely sought to &amp;amp;#8216;reduce losses from disaster risk&amp;amp;#8217;. This reduction in educational emphasis may be a consequence of difficulty to establish DRR effectively into school curricula. Despite this, UNESCO outlined a guide for effective approaches to DRR education (Kagawa and Selby, 2012). &amp;amp;#160;This study presents results from a longitudinal study of secondary school students in Dominica, Caribbean, assessing the impact of three UNESCO educational approaches; interactive, surrogate and field-based learning. &amp;amp;#160;These educational sessions occurred between 2016-2018 during a time where the population were subject to natural hazards, most notably Hurricane Maria in 2017.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;This study uses the Pictorial Representation of Individual Self Measure (PRISM) to assess change in student perception of multiple hazards before and after educational sessions, as a measure of effectiveness.&amp;amp;#160; The educational sessions were designed based on recommendations from past studies and through collaboration with local DRR professionals (aid agencies, government and local experts) and schoolteachers, to increase relevance to the local community.&amp;amp;#160; Relevant pedagogic theories were integrated to encourage student engagement.&amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;All educational approaches were shown to have impact, though the greatest change in perception was caused by field-based learning. These sessions caused a greater change in student perception towards lower frequency, higher magnitude geophysical hazards. Some educational approaches, while considered &amp;amp;#8216;engaging&amp;amp;#8217; did not have a clear DRR message which should act as a warning to the DRR community. This study highlighted the need for educational approaches to incorporate variety, participation, and adopt local relevance.&amp;amp;#160; We highlight the need for improved integration between geoscience and educational professionals to improve DRR education. Further work also needs to be undertaken to understand the relationship between effective educational approaches for DRR and resourcing.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

COVID-19 has reinforced the need to revisit the integration of health within disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies for biological hazards in a system-wide approach. In November 2020, DRR experts attended the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Disaster Risk Reduction (APP-DRR) Forum to share progress and learnings in the areas of health system resilience, data management, residual risk management, risk communication, digital literacy, and knowledge product marketing. Advancements for health in DRR included the importance of multi-sectoral, multi-hazard action plans; adaptation to technological advancements in data collection, dissemination and protection; promoting the health and wellbeing of essential and nonprofessional workers; and improving inclusivity in digital literacy. COVID-19 has affected progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and created a unique opportunity within DRR to re-evaluate the adequacy of response mechanisms against concurrent, cascading or interacting risks of future biological hazards. Health emergency disaster risk management (Health-EDRM) is a new World Health Organization paradigm that includes DRR at intra-, inter- and multidisciplinary levels. Scientific advancement under Health-EDRM is necessary for health and non-health actors in DRR education and research. Continuous education on the multifaceted risk governance is a key to building awareness, capacity and accelerating towards achieving the international DRR and the SDG targets.