Advancing the Disaster and Development Paradigm

Abstract

Consolidation of disaster and development studies as an integrated field of action research that influences policy has proved to be fundamental to global disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, climate change, and humanitarian agreements. However, challenges in achieving targets, such as those of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, requires further advances of the disaster and development paradigm underpinning these aspirations. This article presents perspectives that grew primarily from local action research, particularly research carried out with marginalized and highly at-risk groups of people in Southern Africa and South Asia. Analytical fronts from these findings emphasize disaster and development risk assessment opportunities that consolidate earlier ideas and extend understanding of disaster and development-related risk intervention options. These acknowledge severe shortcomings in disaster risk reduction progress while including greater use of hope as an active ingredient. This process of paradigm exploration remains fundamental to achieving disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and associated policy objectives. The analysis presented here reiterates earlier groundings in people-centric perspectives, emphasizing social relations and systems of meaning as essential active ingredients for challenging power structures, technology, education, and human behavior. The analysis proposes some consequent thematic fronts for increased investment. These include investing in early buildup of well-being before a disaster, better living with uncertainty, and overcoming the barriers to desired disaster and development outcomes. The article is intended to contribute to an ever-evolving paradigm of disaster and development risk that requires impetus from personal and collective values beyond calculations of disaster and development.

Ex Post Analysis of Disaster Recovery (Earthquake — 2005) in the Red Zones Region of Balakot, Pakistan

“…In the RZR of Balakot, this phase of recovery is least supported by line agencies and donors due to RZR of Balakot. The last component of recovery process is disaster preparedness which focused on effective and efficient emergency management system as well as to mitigate the risk of future disasters (Ali, 2013;Collins, 2018;Mayner & Arbon, 2015;Tierney, 1993;United Nations, 2009). In present study, all these components of the recovery process are studies through comparing the pre and post disaster scenario in the RZR of Balakot ( Figure 02).…”

“…Consequently, the physical damages, human loss and causalities are much higher than other disaster. However, on other side, it provides opportunity for development particularly of physical infrastructure (Collins, 2009(Collins, , 2018Moatty et al, 2017). The process of recovery would be a base for long-term earthquake mitigation and ultimately sustainable development.…”

Challenges of Testing COVID-19 Cases in Bangladesh

“…As global cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) exceed 10 million with a confirmed global death toll of more than 509,779 (Until 30 June, 2020) people [ 1 ], scientists emphasize the critical need to escalate testing, isolation, contact tracking efforts, and build awareness among communities in order to respond to the pandemic [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Governments around the world are responding immediately to this novel virus pandemic with unprecedented policies in order to slow the growth rate of infections [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

Risk of a disaster: Risk knowledge, interpretation and resilience

“…to vulnerability and risk (Oliver-Smith et al 2016), the exposure and sensitivity of at-risk elements are equally important in disaster causation (Adger 2006). Whilst disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience could be enhanced through social equity in development planning (Collins 2018; United Nations Development Programme, Bureau for Crisis Prevention & Recovery 2004), the importance of community risk awareness and acknowledgement of its predisposition to local hazards cannot be underestimated in DRR. The essence of awareness is for a community to have a different orientation towards hazards and it begins to reflect on resilience.…”