Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Education from Social Disciplinary Theoretical Perspectives

Disaster is a social phenomenon. The occurrence and impacts of disasters including the education sector can be studied through a social problem lens. This paper draws meaning and understanding of DRR education using the sociological disciplinary framework in a detailed qualitative case study of three schools as they responded to the devastating Gorakha earthquake in 2015 and other disasters in Nepal. This paper considers the three sub-disciplines of sociology: the sociology of disaster, the sociology of education and the sociology of education governance in a development context. These sub-disciplines are nested together to analyse social, political and historical factors and their relationships which are helpful to identify risks and vulnerabilities in the education sector in Nepal. These are the major areas to explore the disaster context and needs of context-specific education acts (hereafter DRR education) to minimise the potential risks of disasters. The article concludes that the social disciplinary framework is significantly useful to analyse DRR education provisions and implications of education governance to mobilise school in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Disaster risk reduction in mountain areas: an initial overview on seeking pathways to global sustainability

As disasters cripple the world’s prospects for sustainable development, protecting the most vulnerable groups exposed to hazards is one of the main challenges facing humanity. Owing to the systemic nature of risk and the interactions and interdependencies between upland and lowland systems, healthy and productive mountain households and livelihoods are essential to global sustainability. This paper argues that, building on existing international frameworks, and integrated knowledge and praxis, the development of a global policy agenda should be established to build sustainable peace, sustainable security, and development.

Disaster risk reduction in mountain areas: a research overview

This paper gives an account of the diverse dimensions of research on disaster risk reduction in mountain regions derived from an open call of the Journal of Mountain Science that brought 21 contributions.This special issue includes topics as diverse as landslide dynamics and mechanisms,landslide inventories and landslide susceptibility models,insights to landslide hazards and disasters and mitigation measures,disaster response and disaster risk reduction.The overall structure of the paper takes the form of three sections.The first part begins by laying out the significance of disaster risk reduction in mountain areas,whereas the second one looks at the research insights on disaster risk reduction in mountains provided by the contributions comprised in the special volume.The final section identifies areas for further research.

Effectiveness of Drought Risk Reduction Policies: Case Study of Hay Production in Kajiado County, Kenya

Kenya has integrated several international, continental, and regional strategies and policies into its national and county programs to address climate-related disasters in livestock systems in pastoralism. This study reviews how these policy instruments have been integrated into local laws and the viability of hay production, a drought risk reduction strategy. The methodology used was a desktop review of policies, a KAP survey using a quantitative and qualitative questionnaire on 354 pastoralists and key informants selected using stratified random sampling, and a cost-benefit analysis of 23 hay farms in Kajiado-Central sub-county. The findings established that Kenya had adopted adequate legal instruments to support disasters in general and droughts specifically. However, the strategies are not elaborated into practical guidance resulting in poor implementation. For instance, the flagship hay production project in Kajiado focuses on building infrastructure on the government farms, with little support going to the actual hay farmers. In addition, staffing levels of technical officers are too low to adequately translate the strategies into activities that address the hay farmer’s pain points, namely the lack of a stable hay market, expensive capital assets and machinery, lack of quality forage seeds, and extension education. This paper recommends reviewing the implementation of the ongoing hay flagship projects to address the hay enterprise’s profitability and elaborating the strategies down to guidance that can be easily rolled out cognizant of the low staffing levels. Public-private partnerships can also address some challenges by stabilizing the hay markets, providing storage, and maintaining good-quality hay. In addition, the strategic feed reserve should include hay for pastoral livestock systems under drought risk reduction programs. Thus, targeted, relevant projects are critical if private hay enterprises are a sustainable drought risk reduction strategy.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management: Recalling the Need for Paradigm Shift in Definition

The paper articulates the need for a paradigm shift in defining the basis of what constitutes a disaster. This new framework must be sensitive to the need for a more theoretical approach to inform disaster and hazard management. Central to this is that the resulting approach cannot be muddled in linear rational and procedural doctrines but appreciate the dynamics of complex nonlinearity of disaster events. By engaging in thought experiment and critical analysis of existing literature, the paper deconstructs the normative paradigm of defining disaster. The end is to inform disaster management and risk reduction intervention and mitigation programmes. The presented alternative approach is sensitive of the need to equally include;spatial, political, social, parameters. These are appreciated as being equally important as those dealing with ecological and economic. The resulting not only include other elements, but also expands the definition to the complex conditions inherent in the origin of phenomena to the interaction of the phenomena with multiple and complex socio-spatial and demographic dynamics, and then appreciating the complex results of this nonlinear interaction. The need for a more substantive definition of disaster underlines the pre-analysis that is necessary for implementation of mitigation and prevention strategies. That disasters are becoming more complex is synonymous with the complexities inherent in post-war development dynamics.

Pesticide Risk Reduction of Vegetable Farmers: A Case Study in Vietnam

A survey was carried out on farmers cultivating vegetables in Gia Lam district, Hanoi city, Vietnam to investigate their practice in reducing pesticide risks in their farming. Pesticides were an important input in the production there, but the risks of pesticides in recent years had been insignificant. Research results showed that the majority of farmers had relatively well implemented various solutions to reduce pesticides risks in their production, including actively using alternative pest management (IPM) solutions, using biological pesticides, using pesticides properly according to the 4-right pesticide use principle, using labour protection while spraying, and applying treatment measures after spraying. The study suggested solutions to reduce and avoid pesticide risks.

Improving risk reduction potential of weather index insurance by spatially downscaling gridded climate data-a machine learning approach

Open-access gridded climate products have been suggested as a potential source of data for index insurance design and operation in data-limited regions.However,index insurance requires climate data with long historical records,global geographical coverage and fine spatial resolution at the same time,which is nearly impossible to satisfy,especially with open-access data.In this paper,we spatially downscaled gridded climate data(precipitation,temperature,and soil moisture)in coarse spatial resolution with globally available longterm historical records to finer spatial resolution,using satellite-based data and machine learning algorithms.We then investigated the effect of index insurance contracts based on downscaled climate data for hedging spring wheat yield.This study employed countylevel spring wheat yield data between 1982 and 2018 from 56 counties overall in Kazakhstan and Mongolia.The results showed that in the majority of cases(70%),hedging effectiveness of index insurances increases when climate data is spatially downscaled with a machine learning approach.These improvements are statistically significant(p≤0.05).Among other climate data,more improvements in hedging effectiveness were observed when the insurance design was based on downscaled temperature and precipitation data.Overall,this study highlights the reasonability and benefits of downscaling climate data for insurance design and operation.

Disaster Risk Reduction,Climate Change Adaptation and Their Linkages with Sustainable Development over the Past 30 Years:AReview

The severe damage and impacts caused by extreme events in a changing climate will not only make the sustainable development goals difficult to achieve,but also erode the hard-won development gains of the past.This article reviews the major impacts and challenges of disaster and climate change risks on sustainable development,and summarizes the courses and linkages of disaster risk reduction(DRR),climate change adaptation(CCA),and sustainable development over the past 30 years.Our findings show that the conceptual development of DRR actions has gone through three general phases:disaster management in the 1990s,risk management in the 2000s,and resilient management and development in the 2010s.Gradually,CCA has been widely implemented to overcome the adverse effects of climate change.A framework is proposed for tackling climate change and disaster risks in the context of resilient,sustainable development,indicating that CCA is not a subset of DRR while they have similarities and differences in their scope and emphasis.It is crucial to transform governance mechanisms at different levels,so as to integrate CCA and DRR to reduce disaster and climate change risks,and achieve safe growth and a resilient future in the era of the Anthropocene.

Big Earth data for disaster risk reduction

In an ever-changing world,where the frequency and intensity of natural and humanmade disasters are on the rise,disaster risk reduction has emerged as a crucial focal point of interdisciplinary research,governance,and public discourse.Disaster risk reduction,which aims to safeguard humans and protect environments from hazards and threats,is of high societal relevance and closely related to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).The findings from research into disaster risk reduction contribute significantly to making cities and other settlements more inclusive,safe,resilient,and sustainable.

Digitalization in Disaster Risk Reduction:The Use of Smartphones to Enhance the Safety of Informal Settlements in Iringa,Tanzania

Housing in informal settlements often lacks construction techniques that adopt criteria of resilience to natural hazards.Smartphones are rapidly diffusing in economically developing countries.The aim of this study was to assess the current use of smartphones by the masons of the informal settlements of Iringa,Tanzania,and to identify pathways for improving their construction practices.Data were collected through a mixed method approach that includes in-depth interviews,surveys,and a focus group with masons.The results reveal that only a few masons received formal training,most of them have never interacted with a qualified engineer nor consulted trained professionals when needed.Most masons own a smartphone and they extensively use it to gather technical information from the web,transfer money through mobile payments,share images of construction details,and promote their work on social media.The broad use of smartphones shows potential for enhancing construction quality.This article presents a unique analysis of the use of smartphones in the construction of informal settlements in Tanzania,which could be extended to other countries.Based on the findings,new strategies are proposed to engage with local stakeholders and foster the exchange of technical knowledge for safer settlements via smartphones.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Wuxikou Integrated Flood Management Project Considering the Effects of Flood Risk Reduction and Resettlement

Evaluation of the economic costs and benefits of flood disaster risk management projects is crucial.However,current costbenefit analyses(CBA) often lack reliable estimates of the expected loss reduction from flood control measures and ignore quantitative assessments of resettlement.To address these limitations,this study incorporated a probabilistic risk analysis method and quantitative resettlement benefits assessment into the CBA framework,using the Wuxikou Integrated Flood Management Project(WIFMP) in Jiangxi Province,China,as a case study.The direct economic benefits of flood control were estimated by integrating hydrological statistics,numerical flood inundation simulation,and quantitative damage analysis with exposure and vulnerability data.Furthermore,the resettlement benefits were quantified by measuring the annual income growth of migrants based on assumptions about household employment.Our analysis shows that the total WIFMP investment is RMB 3546.1 million yuan(USD 1=RMB 6.976 yuan),including loan principal and interest of 244.4 million yuan,and operations and maintenance of 605.5 million yuan at 2020 prices.Annual project benefits are estimated at 351.3 million yuan in flood risk reduction,155.7-191.9 million yuan from increased resettlement income,and 42.7 million yuan in power and water revenues.Considering the costs and benefits across the entire project lifecycle,the internal rate of return ranges from 13.7 to 14.2%,and the net present value ranges from 31.8 to 352.6 billion yuan.Through improved benefit estimation methodology,this research enables a more reliable and holistic evaluation of costs and benefits for flood risk management projects.It provides insights for policymakers and practitioners involved in similar projects,contributing to more informed decision making and better allocation of resources in flood disaster risk management.

Financing Disaster Risk Reduction:Exploring the Opportunities,Challenges,and Threats Within the Southern African Development Community Region

The Southern African Development Community(SADC)region,a regional economic body comprised of 16 member states,is one of our planet's most vulnerable regions to natural hazards,and has a complex disaster risk profile.The region has sustained several disasters over the past decades.These events include annual floods in 2004-2019 and extreme droughts(1990-1993);other climate-induced disasters,such as cyclones,also have had devastating impacts,particularly on the Indian Ocean island states and east coast countries.To reduce the risk and impacts of dis asters,governments must invest in disaster risk reduction(DRR).However,interventions aimed at reducing social and economic vulnerability and investing in longterm mitigation activities are often few,poorly funded,and insignificant in comparison with money spent on humanitarian assistance,dis aster relief,and post-disaster reconstruction.This study investigated whether DRR is adequately funded within SADC member states in light of the high stakes in human life,infrastructure,and economic losses and the potential savings involved.The study applied a qualitative research design with data collected through semistructured interviews and focus group discussions.Respondents were selected purposefully and through snowball sampling with a total of 67 respondents from Botswana,Eswatini,Namibia,South Africa,and Zimbabwe participating in the study.The study findings reveal that DRR is inadequately funded in all the member states consulted in comparison to funding allocated to disaster response.In light of the underfunding experienced by DRR activities,this study provides a platform for lobbying and advocacy for adequate funding for DRR.

Thirty Years of Science,Technology,and Academia in Disaster Risk Reduction and Emerging Responsibilities

The 1990 initiation of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction marked its 30th year in 2019.The three decades since then have seen significant developments in science and technology and their incorporation into the decision making in the field of disaster risk reduction.The disasters that have occurred during that time have enhanced the importance of the field,and new research and innovations have evolved.This article summarizes this evolution through the review of specific milestones.While the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 provides opportunities for synergies with the sustainable development agenda,the science and technology communities have also changed their roles from advisory to co-designing and co-delivering solutions.Higher education plays an important role in developing new generations of professionals,and the role of thematic incubation in higher education institutions is highlighted along with the development of the professional society in disaster risk reduction.The evolution from Society 4.0(information age)to Society 5.0 will see an enhanced role of the technology-driven approach in disaster risk reduction,while traditional knowledge and indigenous technologies still remain valid for society.Scientists and science communities need to be more sensitive to changing the“last mile”concept to“first mile”thinking with respect to the users’needs and perspectives.

Science and Technology Networks: A Helping Hand to Boost Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030?

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 underlines the importance of Science and Technology(S&T) and S&T networks for effective disaster risk reduction(DRR). The knowledge of existing S&T networks and their exact role in DRR,however, is limited. This opinion piece initiates a discussion on the role of S&T networks in the implementation of the Sendai Framework. The article highlights that current practice is oriented towards a narrative that emphasizes the potential of S&T for DRR and stresses a collaborative approach delivered through networks. But a true understanding of whether and how S&T networks can mobilize and enable S&T for DRR is missing. We call for a review of existing S&T networks for DRR and the development of good practice guidelines on S&T networks for DRR. This review should include knowledge on how to overcome common challenges and maximize the benefits, along with a framework for successful evaluation of such networks.This knowledge would provide much needed guidance for existing and emerging networks.

Sendai Framework’s Global Targets A and B: Opinions from the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Ignite Stage 2019

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 set seven global targets of which the first two targets are to reduce disaster deaths(target A) and diminish the number of affected people globally(target B)by 2030.To realize these targets,the United Nations General Assembly’s Expert Working Group provided indicators to measure progress as well as terminologies for these targets in 2017.Research around these targets is nascent.This article contributes to the understanding of the targets by exploring:(1) what are the conditions that may hinder achieving targets,as well as those that may accelerate their achievement at the national and local levels;and(2) which types of organizations should lead a country’s effort to reduce disaster deaths?These questions were answered by opinion survey research carried out at the Sixth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.The participants identified disaster risk reduction efforts,early warning systems,awareness,finance and investment(among others) as the important facilitating factors to achieve targets A and B.Minimal investment in human security,lack of response and coordination,uncertainty of climate change,poor information,lack of campaigns and low budget allocation(among others) are considered as the important hindering factors for these targets by the participants.The findings also suggest that the facilitating and hindering variables of targets A and B are interconnected with global target E(disaster risk governance and capacity building).The majority of the participants thought that it is the national government who should lead in a country’s effort to reduce disaster deaths.Based on these findings,a few recommendations have been made to improve policy and practice related to the indicators as well as to reimagine theories so that targets A and B can be realized in alignment with target E at the national and local levels by 2030.

On the Meaning of Impact in Disaster Risk Reduction

This article offers a discussion of the meaning,assessment,and measurement of impact in disaster risk reduction.It begins with a historical perspective on the impact of learned work in times when orthodoxy posed severe limits on the impact of new thinking.Regarding the modern age,the article explains why impact is considered important and how it might be recognized when it occurs,including a tentative classification of types of impact.The question of whether impact can truly be measured remains pending,as the answer is diffuse and dependent on many different circumstances.Further sections consider the relationship between impact and mainstreaming and the question of whether a piece of work should be regarded as having impact if its effects are negative rather than positive.Next,impact is considered in terms of whom it benefits.Given the large number of possible reservations about the concept,the question is raised as to whether too much emphasis is given to the impact of research and scholarship.Finally,some suggestions are offered regarding how to obtain a better indication of what the impact of an academic study actually is.

Reflections on a Science and Technology Agenda for 21st Century Disaster Risk Reduction Based on the Scientific Content of the 2016 UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–203

The first international conference for the post-2015 United Nations landmark agreements(Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, Sustainable Development Goals, and Paris Agreement on Climate Change) was held in January 2016 to discuss the role of science and technology in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. The UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 aimed to discuss and endorse plans that maximize science's contribution to reducing disaster risks and losses in the coming 15 years and bring together the diversity of stakeholders producing and using disaster risk reduction(DRR) science and technology. This article describes the evolution of the role of science and technology in the policy process building up to the Sendai Framework adoption that resulted in an unprecedented emphasis on science in the text agreed on by 187 United Nations member states in March 2015 and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in June 2015. Contributions assembled by the Conference Organizing Committee and teams including the conference concept notes and the conference discussions that involved a broad range of scientists and decision makers are summarized in this article. The conference emphasized how partnerships and networks can advance multidisciplinary research and bring together science, policy, and practice; how disaster risk is understood, and how risks are assessed and early warning systems are designed; what data, standards, and innovative practices would be needed to measure and report on risk reduction; what research and capacity gaps exist and how difficulties in creating and using science for effective DRR can be overcome. The Science and Technology Conference achieved two main outcomes:(1) initiating the UNISDR Science and Technology Partnership for the implementation of the Sendai Framework; and(2) generating discussion and agreement regarding the content and endorsement process of the UNISDR Science and Technology Road Map to 2030.

A Likert Scale-Based Model for Benchmarking Operational Capacity,Organizational Resilience,and Disaster Risk Reduction

Likert scales are a common methodological tool for data collection used in quantitative or mixed-method approaches in multiple domains.They are often employed in surveys or questionnaires,for benchmarking answers in the fields of disaster risk reduction,business continuity management,and organizational resilience.However,both scholars and practitioners may lack a simple scale of reference to assure consistency across disciplinary fields.This article introduces a simple-to-use rating tool that can be used for benchmarking responses in questionnaires,for example,for assessing disaster risk reduction,gaps in operational capacity,and organizational resilience.We aim,in particular,to support applications in contexts in which the target groups,due to cultural,social,or political reasons,may be unsuitable for in-depth analyses that use,for example,scales from 1 to 7 or from 1 to 10.This methodology is derived from the needs emerged in our recent fieldwork on interdisciplinary projects and from dialogue with the stakeholders involved.The output is a replicable scale from 0 to 3 presented in a table that includes category labels with qualitative attributes and descriptive equivalents to be used in the formulation of model answers.These include examples of levels of resilience,capacity,and gaps.They are connected to other tools that could be used for in-depth analysis.The advantage of our Likert scale-based response model is that it can be applied in a wide variety of disciplines,from social science to engineering.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Its Indicators——Where Does Health Fit in?

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 recognizes the strong connection between health and disasters and promotes the concept of health resilience throughout.Several of the seven global targets stated in the Sendai Framework are directly related to health in terms of reducing disaster mortality,the number of affected people,disaster damage to critical infrastructure,and disruption of basic services such as health facilities.The Sendai Framework also maintains close coordination with other United Nations landmark agreements relevant to health such as the Sustainable Development Goals.However,the measurement of healthrelated indicators is challenging.Issues arise,for example,in linking deaths to disasters because of the complex interplay between exposure,risk,vulnerability,and hazards.The lack of a universal classification of disasters also means that recording of health data in disasters is not standardized.Developing the guidelines to enable data onthe indicators to be collected and reported to support the Sendai targets requires detailed thinking,time,and consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders.Strong collaboration and partnership will be vital to achieving success.