Original Research

Grasping the hydra: the need for a holistic and systematic approach to disaster risk reduction

Per Becker
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies | Vol 2, No 1 | a12 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v2i1.12 | © 2009 Per Becker | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 25 April 2009 | Published: 25 April 2009

About the author(s)

Per Becker, Visiting Professor at the Department of Fire Safety Engineering and Systems Safety Lund University, Sweden

Full Text:

PDF (204KB)

Abstract

This article stresses the significance of recognising interdependencies between factors determining disaster risk in any attempts to integrate disaster risk reduction in international development cooperation. It bases its arguments on the case studies of four past projects in Sri Lanka and Tajikistan, which are scrutinised using a theoretical framework based on systems approaches. It appears that the results of ignoring interdependencies may (1)cause sub-optimisation problems where the desired outcome is not reached as the factor focused on and/or the desired outcome are dependent on other factors, and (2) make it difficult or impossible to monitor and evaluate the actual effects of international development cooperation projects in disaster risk reduction.

Keywords

No related keywords in the metadata.

Metrics

Total abstract views: 5589
Total article views: 3764

 

Crossref Citations

1. Systemic problems of capacity development for disaster risk reduction in a complex, uncertain, dynamic, and ambiguous world
Magnus Hagelsteen, Per Becker
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction  vol: 36  first page: 101102  year: 2019  
doi: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101102

2. Practical aspects of capacity development in the context of disaster risk reduction
Magnus Hagelsteen, Joanne Burke
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction  vol: 16  first page: 43  year: 2016  
doi: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2016.01.010

3. Disaster resilience and complex adaptive systems theory
Christo Coetzee, Dewald Van Niekerk, Emmanuel Raju
Disaster Prevention and Management  vol: 25  issue: 2  first page: 196  year: 2016  
doi: 10.1108/DPM-07-2015-0153

4. Challenging disparities in capacity development for disaster risk reduction
Magnus Hagelsteen, Per Becker
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction  vol: 3  first page: 4  year: 2013  
doi: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2012.11.001

5. Capacity Development of Local Self-Governments for Disaster Risk Management
Vladimir M. Cvetković, Jasmina Tanasić, Adem Ocal, Želimir Kešetović, Neda Nikolić, Aleksandar Dragašević
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health  vol: 18  issue: 19  first page: 10406  year: 2021  
doi: 10.3390/ijerph181910406

6. The importance of integrating multiple administrative levels in capacity assessment for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation
Per Becker
Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal  vol: 21  issue: 2  first page: 226  year: 2012  
doi: 10.1108/09653561211220016

7. The Nature–Culture Distinction in Disaster Studies: The Recent Petition for Reform as an Opportunity for New Thinking?
Gideon van Riet
International Journal of Disaster Risk Science  vol: 12  issue: 2  first page: 240  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1007/s13753-021-00329-7

8. Should all disaster risks be reduced? A perspective from the systems concept of the edge of chaos
Christo Coetzee, Dewald Van Niekerk
Environmental Hazards  vol: 17  issue: 5  first page: 470  year: 2018  
doi: 10.1080/17477891.2018.1463912

9. Examining resilience of disaster response system in response to COVID-19
Xuesong Guo, Naim Kapucu, Jixin Huang
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction  vol: 59  first page: 102239  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102239

10. Timescape of disaster risk governance in contemporary Japan: Neither state of normalcy nor constancy in regulation
Urbano Fra.Paleo, Tim A. Mousseau
PLOS ONE  vol: 14  issue: 4  first page: e0215164  year: 2019  
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215164