Disasters: contributions of hazardscape and gaps in response practices

Abstract

Abstract. Disasters are frequent, ongoing and very likely to increase in the future with global climate change. Significant investments in hazard mitigation, policies and emergency management have so far failed to stop disasters. Their recurrences suggest that either there are some gaps in the current response or a different perspective is needed on the way hazards have been dealt with to date. This paper views disasters through the lens of hazardscape, which shows the context of both hazard occurrence and response. It finds that one major cause of response failure is inadequate consideration of the local hazardscape in planning. It notes that although globalization of hazard response practices is progressive, it has been less successful in dealing with local variations in vulnerability. This paper presents the conceptual framework of hazardscape, and illustrates various shortcomings of the current responses in relation to the local hazardscapes where they are adopted. It recommends a holistic approach that considers various aspect of the hazardscape in order to plan a response strategy.

Urban Watershed Services for Improved Ecosystem Management and Risk Reduction, Assessment Methods and Policy Instruments: State of the Art

“…The separation between the human and ecological dimension that predominated in the past and still exists in development and hazard theories (Khan and Crozier, 2009;Khan, 2012), led scientists to find solutions to environmental problems, including natural hazards, through the modification, substitution and suppression of environmental processes. The application of an ecosystem approach stresses the connection between urban areas and local as well as more distant ecosystems, as are the watersheds in which cities are located and from which they derive important benefits.…”

Critical gaps and implications of risk communication in the global agreements—SFDRR, SDGs, and UNFCCC: 3 select case studies from urban areas of tropics in South Asia

“…The three global agreements talk about communication of risks predominantly from a technical point of view, where the information given to the society is informed by science and data available on a particular hazard or its likely impacts (see UNISDR 2015 ; United Nations 2015a , b ). A little emphasis is placed on its local socio-cultural relevance and association that significantly affect the disaster response and produce variations over space and time (Canon 2015 ; Khan 2012a , b ). The review of the 2030 agenda for SDGs emphasizes the inclusion of culture as an integral component of the future (Yildirin et al 2019 ).…”

Transit Systems and Ridership under Extreme Weather and Climate Change Stress: An Urban Transportation Agenda for Hazards Geography

“…Their critical analysis, however, is beyond the scope of this review. Nevertheless, contemporary thinking in hazards geography has been influenced by vulnerability frameworks and approaches (Cannon ; Cutter et al ; Wisner et al ), human ecology perspectives (Hewitt ), scientific insights on sustainability (Turner et al ), resilience assessment guides (Paton ), behavioral or cognitive models (Smith ), contextual models (Mitchell et al ), integrative frameworks of hazard risk (Palm ), materialist perspectives on environment and society (Watts ), understandings on the range of societal adjustments to hazards (White ; White ), and hazardscape notions (Corson ; Cutter et al ; Kahn ; Mustafa ). These and other hazards geography viewpoints reflect a richness of thought on the human condition that may be built upon and used to address many aspects of the matters at hand, which this review now turns to.…”