Building resilience against biological hazards and pandemics: COVID-19 and its implications for the Sendai Frameworks

2020 has become the year of coping with COVID-19. This year was to be the “super year” for sustainability, a year of strengthening global actions to accelerate the transformations required for achieving the 2030 agenda. We argue that 2020 can and must be a year of both. Thus we call for more utilisation of the health-emergency disaster risk management (Health-EDRM) framework to complement current responses to COVID-19 and the patent risk of similar phenomena in the future. To make our case, we examine current responses to COVID-19 and their implications for the SFDRR. We argue that current mechanisms and strategies for disaster resilience, as outlined in the SFDRR, can enhance responses to epidemics or global pandemics such as COVID-19. In this regard, we make several general and DRR-specific recommendations. These recommendations concern knowledge and science provision in understanding disaster and health-related emergency risks, the extension of disaster risk governance to manage both disaster risks and potential health-emergencies, particularly for humanitarian coordination aspects; and the strengthening of community-level preparedness and response

Governing systemic and cascading disaster risk in Indonesia: where do we stand and future outlook

Purpose This paper aims to identify key factors for a contextualised Systemic Risk Governance (SRG) framework and subsequently explore how systemic risks can be managed and how local institutional mechanisms can be tweaked to deal with the complex Indonesian risk landscape. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study from Palu triple-disasters in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, the authors demonstrate how inland earthquakes in 2018 created cascading secondary hazards, namely tsunamis, liquefactions and landslides, caused unprecedented disasters for the communities and the nation. A qualitative analysis was conducted using the data collected through a long-term observation since 2002. Findings The authors argue that Indonesia has yet to incorporate an SRG approach in its responses to the Palu triple-disasters. Political will is required to adopt more appropriate risk governance modes that promote the systemic risk paradigm. Change needs to occur incrementally through hybrid governance arrangements ranging from formal/informal methods to self- and horizontal and vertical modes of governance deemed more realistic and feasible. The authors recommend that this be done by focusing on productive transition and local transformation. Originality/value There is growing awareness and recognition of the importance of systemic and cascading risks in disaster risk studies. However, there are still gaps between research, policy and practice. The current progress of disaster risk governance is not sufficient to achieve the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030) unless there is an effective governing system in place at the local level that allow actors and institutions to simultaneously manage the interplays of multi-hazards, multi-temporal, multi-dimensions of vulnerabilities and residual risks. This paper contributes to these knowledge gaps

From concept to action: a united, holistic and One Health approach to respond to the climate change crisis

It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the planet, which is seriously affecting the planetary health including human health. Adapting climate change should not only be a slogan, but requires a united, holistic action and a paradigm shift from crisis response to an ambitious and integrated approach immediately. Recognizing the urgent needs to tackle the risk connection between climate change and One Health, the four key messages and recommendations that with the intent to guide further research and to promote international cooperation to achieve a more climate-resilient world are provided

Special Report on Global warming of 1.5°C (SR15) - Chapter 5:Sustainable Development, Poverty Eradication and Reducing Inequalities

The Special Report on 1.5°C assesses three main themes: • What would be required to limit warming to 1.5°C (mitigation pathways) • The impacts of 1.5°C of warming, compared to 2ºC and higher • Strengthening the global response to climate change; mitigation and adaptation options The connections between climate change and sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty are discussed throughout the report. This chapter takes sustainable development as the starting point and focus for analysis. It considers the broad and multifaceted bi-directional interplay between sustainable development, including its focus on eradicating poverty and reducing inequality in their multidimensional aspects, and climate actions in a 1.5°C warmer world. These fundamental connections are embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The chapter also examines synergies and trade-offs of adaptation and mitigation options with sustainable development and the SDGs and offers insights into possible pathways, especially climate-resilient development pathways towards a 1.5°C warmer world

Drivers, barriers and opportunities for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) integration in Indonesia

Climate change is expected to increase frequency, severity and intensity of disasters. Indonesia is known to be one of the most vulnerable countries to natural hazards in the world. It is located in the geological row of volcanic mountain known as the ‘ring of fire’, while more than half disaster events in Indonesia is climate-related. There have been increasing and stronger propositions for integrated disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) in trying to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. This paper utilises the Earth System Governance (ESG) framework to analyse the integration. Journal articles and organisational reports are reviewed to identify actors and institutions involved in DRR and CCA activities in Indonesia. Field research through semi-structured interviews was conducted to key organisations. This paper tries to examine drivers, barriers and most importantly opportunities for institutional integration for DRR and CCA in Indonesia. It is argued that the Indonesian governments’ institutional capacity and arrangements can be both as the main barrier and driver for integration. It is found that the main barrier for the integration is at the national government level is the separation of government organisations and sectoral ministries, leading to uncoordinated planning for CCA and DRR. Strong relationship between key government organisations in DRR and non-government and international organisations, which are involved both in DRR and CCA, hold the key for integrated application both in policy and practice. Opportunity for integration is even greater at the local government and community level. However, more financial and technical supports from the national, international and non-government are needed in order to make use the opportunity.21 page(s

Book review : 'Transition management: new mode of governance for sustainable development'

Book review of "Transition management: new mode of governance for sustainable development", by Derk Loorbach. International Books, Utrecht, the Netherlands, 2007. ISBN: 9789057270574.3 page(s

Building resilience to disasters and climate change: pathways for adaptive and integrated disaster resilience in Indonesia

"This thesis is presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Environment and Geography, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, July 2013".Thesis by publication.Includes bibliographical references.Part 1. Overview. -- Ch. 1. Introduction -- 2. Research methodology, fieldwork and analysis. -- -- Part 2. Theoretical review. -- Ch. 3. Community resilience to natural hazards and climate change impacts: a review of definitions and operational frameworks -- Ch. 4. Review of the state of knowledge on tools, strategies and progress for DRR and CCA integration -- Ch. 5. Adaptive governance and resilience to natural hazards. -- -- Part 3. Case study of Indonesia. -- Ch. 6. Building resilience to natural hazards in Indonesia: progress and challenges in implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action -- Ch. 7. Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in Indonesia: institutional challenges and opportunities for integration -- Ch. 8. Identifying drivers, barriers and opportunities for integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation: an analysis based on the Earth system governance framework -- Ch. 9. Adaptive governance and resilience to disasters: roles of multi-stakeholder platforms for disaster risk reduction. -- -- Part IV. Synthesis and conclusion. -- Ch. 10. Pathways for adaptive and integrated disaster resilience -- Ch. 11. Conclusion.Disasters caused by natural hazards and climate change impacts are occurring more frequently, and are becoming more costly than ever before. The causes of vulnerability to disasters are socially, economically and environmentally intertwined and result in differentiated impacts across regions and social groups. Disasters are also becoming more complex and uncertain because of the interactions between increasing populations, poorly planned urbanisation and economic developments, and environmental degradation. The acceleration of climate change is expected to increase the frequency, magnitude and severity of hydro-meteorological disasters, and this in turn will lead to exacerbated impacts of such events. The increasing complexities of global environmental and socio-economic change and the interconnectivities between processes at global, regional and local scales requires greater nation and community resilience to disasters. While there has been a proliferation of research on socio-economic resilience to disasters and climate change, a better utilisation of the concept of governance within disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) as part of an integrated analysis is urgently required. The research presented in this thesis aims to identify and examine governance strategies that can better support the integration of DRR, CCA and adaptive governance (AG), in policy and practice, in order to build the resilience of nations and communities. Resilience is used as the overarching theoretical concept for linking the different areas of work on DRR, CCA, and AG. DRR is a systematic approach for risk reduction, while CCA needs to be integrated to DRR for more effective climate-risk reduction activities. Integrating the characteristics and processes of AG into DRR and CCA helps to address increasing complexities and uncertainties, through greater capacity, and more flexible and learning-based governance approach. The theoretical analysis examines the relationships between resilience and DRR, the conceptual development of DRR and CCA integration, the relationships between resilience and AG, and proposes framework and pathways for 'Adaptive and Integrated Disaster Resilience' (AIDR). The research is framed by a multi-disciplinary analysis that includes areas of research of disaster studies and humanitarian practice, social-ecological, and environmental management and governance studies, developed within the discipline of human geography. The research combines theoretical research with a case study of Indonesia to examine the progress in building resilience, progress and challenges in integrating DRR and CCA, the role of multi-stakeholder platform in DRR as an innovative approach for AG, and how a proposed framework and institutional strategies or pathways for AIDR can be implemented in practice. Indonesia is selected as a case study because it is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to a range of natural hazards and climate change impacts. In addition, the country has also undergone significant transformation in the way DRR is planned and implemented by a multiplicity of organisations at various governance levels. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 53 individuals from 27 key stakeholder organisations engaged in DRR and CCA in Indonesia, to examine the roles and responsibilities of a range of different stakeholders, including government organisations, non-governments (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and international organisations. This study finds that progress in building resilience in Indonesia is determined by the development of enhanced institutional and policy frameworks for DRR and CCA, the provision of support from international organisations, and the increasing roles of NGOs and CBOs at the sub-national and community levels. Challenges to the integration of DRR and CCA and community development are mainly caused by institutional segregation of sectoral agencies at the national level and the low capacity of local governments in planning and implementation. The outcome of the work presented in this thesis is an adaptive and integrated disaster resilience (AIDR) framework. AIDR is defined as the ability of communities or nations to build disaster resilience in an integrated, systematic and adaptive manner. It is an interdisciplinary, analytical and normative framework that integrates resilience, DRR, CCA, and AG to develop a more coherent understanding of the complexities of addressing disasters and climate change effects, and that provides mechanisms to ensure adaptiveness to future complexities and uncertainties. The research identifies seven institutional strategies or pathways for implementing AIDR in Indonesia: (1) Integrating the agendas of DRR, CCA and development; (2) Strengthening polycentric DRR governance by increasing the capacity of local governments and other stakeholders, and increasing community participation; (3) Increasing multi-stakeholder collaboration through incentives, showcasing benefits and developing umbrella organisations; (4) Improving knowledge and information exchange through comprehensive research plans and data platforms, and the incorporation of knowledge from different sources; (5) Enabling institutional learning through public awareness and education, training and by prioritising disaster preparedness; (6) Fostering selforganisation and networking amongst community groups through providing resources and connecting them with other local, regional, international, and Hyogo Framework for action (HFA) thematic networks; and (7) Comprehensively implementing disaster-risk insurance and finance across regional, sub-national and local levels, and accessing access to DRR funding from multiple sources. An imperative for all of these pathways is to place more attention and resources at the local level - to actively involve local governments, NGOs and CBOs, and to place communities-at-risk at the centre of integrated resilience-building activities. This thesis contributes to theory by examining the linkages between four key concepts, resilience, DRR, CCA and AG, and developing a new conceptual framework for AIDR. A contribution to practice is made by critically analysing knowledge, policy and practice in DRR and CCA in Indonesia, and by identifying progress and remaining challenges in building disaster resilience in Indonesia. By applying the pathways identified through the AIDR framework, this thesis provides a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the processes that enable more effective resilience-building, and identifies more targeted and efficient strategies for the integration of DRR, CCA and development in policy and practice." -- Abstract.Mode of access: World Wide Web.1 online resource (xxviii, 400 pages) illustrations (coloured), maps 30 c

Community resilience to natural hazards and climate change : a review of definitions and operational frameworks

Natural hazards and climate change is increasingly acknowledged as one of important global challenges. Thus vulnerable communities urgently need to build their resilience. This paper addresses two aims: first is to examine how resilience is defined and interpreted in the context of natural hazards, second is to document and analyse experiences in operationalising them, to advance resilience theory. We contend that a comprehensive framework needs to incorporate elements of sustainable development, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and community engagement. It also needs to go beyond specifying the outcomes, to describing process by which resilience can be improved. We call this ‘ a multi-tiered approach for resilience: important outcomes and processes’. There are five out of twelve frameworks that comprehensively meet these requirements. They are Climate Resilient Cities of the World Bank, Hyogo Framework for Action of UN/ISDR, Coastal Community Resilience of US/IOTWS, Community and Safety Resilience of IFRC and Characteristics of Disaster Resilient Community of Twigg/DFID. The frameworks are reported to positively promote learning, participation and enable comprehensive overviews of resilience status and DRR efforts. Some challenges remaining include how to create indicators and enabling environments that reflect local conditions, to ensure sustainability, and to reduce reliance on data and information.17 page(s

Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in Indonesia : institutional challenges and opportunities for integration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how past experiences in implementing disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities can be harnessed to conceptualise effective and appropriate climate change adaptation (CCA) programs in Indonesia. The authors propose a conceptual framework for integrating DRR and CCA in managing climate-related risks and explain the need for joint implementation. Design/methodology/approach – The study is conducted through review and analysis of academic, government and non-government literature to determine the Indonesian experience in integrating DRR and CCA. Interviews were conducted with 26 DRR and CCA stakeholders in Indonesia. Findings – The authors make three propositions in this paper. First, there needs to be a re-orientation of the institutional arrangements for DRR and CCA, to increase the effectiveness of planning and implementation. Second, DRR and CCA activities needed to be stronger supported at the local level, with a specific aim to reduce the underlying causes of vulnerability of communities at risk. Third, non-government organisations play a very important role in integrating DRR and CCA through community-based initiatives. Research limitations/implications – While this paper focuses specifically on Indonesia, the findings are relevant to other countries with similar geographical and socio-economic conditions, as they are likely to face similar challenges. Practical implications – The paper provides practical suggestions on what steps government actors, at all political levels, can do to support the integration of DRR and CCA planning and implementation activities in Indonesia. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first to document progress in integrating DRR and CCA in Indonesia.15 page(s