Disaster governance and prospects of inter-regional partnership in the Asia-Pacific

Abstract

The Southwest Pacific is considered one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to natural hazards. Five of the Pacific Island States (PIS) rank among the top 20 most-at risk countries in the World Risk Index, with Vanuatu and Tonga ranking first and second respectively. The Southwest Pacific neighbours Southeast Asia and both regions are exposed to a variety of natural hazards, resulting in significant damage and loss of lives annually. Similar exposure to climate-induced hazards raises the potential to create a coalition of affected states from the Asia-Pacific to share knowledge of disaster governance in areas where niche capabilities have been developed and shape the global debate on the effects of natural hazards and climateinduced disasters. This article argues that inter-regional partnership on disaster governance is the next step in the Asia-Pacific to respond to a collective action problem affecting two subregions -Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. Through the conduct of desk research and interviews, this article first presents findings and observations on the disaster governance landscape and future developments in the Pacific. It then discusses disaster management frameworks and initiatives that ASEAN has institutionalised, and how work in the two subregions can complement one another and provide a platform to help shape the global agenda on disaster governance and climate change.

Military humanitarian and disaster governance networks in Southeast Asia: framework and analysis

“…Although we considered the HADR links between ASEAN militaries and foreign counterparts, it is not the primary objective of our research to scrutinise the extent and character of such ties outside of Southeast Asian affairs. Future research, however, can use our HADR network visualisations as a reference for investigating prospects for inter‐regional partnerships, such as the recent push for stronger disaster governance cooperation between Southeast Asian and Southwest Pacific countries (Cook and Chen, 2019, 2022).…”

“…It also appears that the changing climate is contributing to the tightening of linkages between different hazards, amplifying risks and generating new ones, and facilitating cascading or compounding disasters (Hallegatte, 2014; Cradock‐Henry et al, 2020). Regional organisations, such as ASEAN, that play an intermediary role between global cooperation and national sovereignty are well positioned to respond constructively and creatively to evolving risks at different governance levels (Hollis, 2015; O'Donnell, 2017; Cook and Chen, 2022). ASEAN will have to invest continuously in enhancing mechanisms and strengthening regional cooperation vital to preparing for potentially more extreme hazards and simultaneous disaster impacts in the region (Fetzek, Fleishman, and Rezzonico, 2021).…”