Community, Environment and Disaster Risk Management – serie

Lagoons are characterized by an essential quality of uncertainty for use in resource management: these are physically vulnerable to various influences from not only the environment but also the adjacent marine and terrestrial areas. In the areas which are shallower and where less water is exchanges, therefore, fishers are required to develop their capacity of knowledge and skills for how to live with change and uncertainty. The wider realization of complex and dynamic lagoon ecosystem and its fisheries management requires multifaceted aspects to be addressed. Fisheries serve as a basis for people's livelihood and food protein especially in Asian countries. Total amounts of fish landing have maintained an upward trend, but existing fisheries management poses various challenges for ensuring wise use of fishery resources which are becoming fully exploited or over-exploited in the world. Out of variant geographical types of fishery domain, lagoon fisheries need to pay more attention to achieve fisheries management. With these recognitions, the book presents a wide variety of lessons learned from case studies from Asian countries (India, Japan and Thailand). Greater emphasis is placed on understanding the status of lagoon fisheries and its management, and assessing people's adaptive capacities to respond to changes in the ecological-social-economic system. Throughout all case study experience, the book will provide policy makers and practitioners with guidance to build enabling conditions for integrated lagoon fisheries management and related sustainable livelihood which involve a concern with issues of power, institutions, worldviews and values among relevant stakeholders.

One of the emerging reasons for the current trend of increasing impacts of disasters is the unpredictability of natural hazard events coupled with the tendency of human settlements to move to vulnerable locations including coastal areas in search of economic gains. Urban areas are most affected due to concentration of habitat and resources. Whilst it is impossible to make resistant urban growth, resilience is becoming more widely accepted and urban systems must be resilient enough to cope with the climate related hazards. This book highlights the issues of resilience through regional, national, city and community-based studies. Contributions come from academia, city government networks, city managers, non-government organizations and international agencies like the World Bank and United Nations. Thus, the book reflects a unique aspect of multi-stakeholder perspective. It also highlights how to enhance actions at local levels, and how the plans can be implemented through multi-stakeholder collaboration. This is the first book to combine academic research and field practice on the urban risk reduction, especially focusing on the climate-related disasters in the Asian region.

Following on from Volume 4 in this series, which looked at issues and challenges with regard to Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Volume 5 has a specific focus on Asia. Arguably among the regions of the world most vulnerable to climate change, Asia has different mechanisms for CCA and DRR activities. Synergies between DRR and CCA in this region are necessary not only to avoid duplicities and derive optimal benefits from scarce resources but also to add value to projects through lessons learnt from a variety of perspectives. This volume provides 19 case studies from 13 countries and regions in Asia. The case studies highlight different aspects of CCA-DRR entry points, such as policy interventions, drought risk management, coastal management, agro-forestry, lagoon management, livelihood issues and risk communication. A valuable aid to students and researchers in the field of disaster risk reduction, climate change, environmental studies and related risks, it provides a greater awareness on the current trend of research in the field also for practitioners and policy makers applying the collective knowledge into policy and decision making.

The importance of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is increasing due, in part, to recent major disasters throughout the world. CCA and DRR are closely associated and there has been significant awareness at global and national levels to make collective focus on CCA and DRR. Although there are several books on CCA, this is the first systematic academic publication to highlight the linkages between CCA and DRR, CCA-DRR synergy and interactions. The book is divided into four parts: Part 1 focuses on the theory of CCA and DRR and its enabling environment; Part 2 focuses on governance, education and technology as the framework of CCA-DRR linkage; Part 3 focuses on different entry points with chapters on urban, coast, mountain, river and housing; and Part 4 focuses on regional perspective of CCA and DRR looking at developing nations, south Asia, ASEAN and Small Island Developing States. Key issues and challenges related to the CCA and DRR are highlighted throughout, mostly drawing lessons and experiences from the field practices. This book gives researchers and practitioners greater awareness on the current trend of research in the field.

Education is the key to risk reduction, be it environmental management or disaster risk reduction, and is a process which needs to be embedded at different levels of management and practices to collectively reduce the risk. While school education forms the foundations of the knowledge cycle, for effective knowledge use, it is necessary to link school and community education. Education is linked to enhanced awareness and a key reflection of education is seen in terms of actions. Divided into four sections this book begins with an informative introduction to the subject of disaster risk reduction education and proceeds to highlight key places of education such as family, community, school, and higher education. It then examines approaches, methods and tools before providing a future perspective and pointing to the way ahead. This is the first book of its kind on disaster risk reduction education. A ready reference for practitioners in the field, this book describes and demonstrates different aspects of education in an easy-to-understand form with current academic research and practical field experiences included throughout.

Drought is a slow-onset disaster. The impacts are invisible and are often reflected as a complex socio-economic phenomenon. Due to changes in the climatic conditions droughts are increasingly occurring in non-traditional drought prone areas. The Asian monsoon region is one of these areas where consecutive years of droughts are causing severe problems for the lives and livelihoods of the communities. The impacts are becoming increasingly more visible, and drawing the attention of policy makers and professionals from national and international levels. In this context, this book outlines the characteristics and challenges of the Asian monsoon drought and highlights innovative solutions and approaches undertaken in different parts of the region. A ready-reference for field practitioners it combines academic research and field practices, and builds on actual implementation experiences of drought risk reduction. Providing a thorough examination of the subject and region, chapters cover droughts in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. It concludes with an article on cross-cutting experiences and drought risk reduction in the Asian Monsoon Region.

Disaster management has historically focused on reactive approaches, but a shift to proactive approaches is crucial for addressing concerns raised by the changing environment. A prime reason for the absence of proactive approaches in disaster/hazard management is the uncertainty or ambiguity present in the links between the environment and the hazards. This is one of the first books to focus on explicit linkages between the changing environment and disasters and suggests better approaches towards disaster management. A ready-reference for field practitioners it combines academic research and field practices and covers areas such as: elements of environmental entry (water-related disasters, desertification and land degradation, typhoon risk management, catastrophic flood and forest management, and coastal issues); impacts of environment and disaster (livelihoods impacts, human health: post-disaster waste management); and strategies, planning and the way forward (climate change adaptation as a planning tool, urban planning and land use planning, mangrove management as a coastal planning tool, and environment disaster education and risk communication).

Communities are at the core of disaster risk reduction (DRR), and community based approaches are getting increasing focus in national DRR plans. In the case of past disasters, communities were always the first responders, and took leading roles in the post disaster recovery. The roles of communities in pre-disaster preparedness are also very important. This is the first comprehensive book available on CBDRR (community based disaster risk reduction) which outlines both research and practice, citing field examples and research results. It provides an overview of the subject and looks at the role of governments, NGOs, academics and corporate sectors in community based disaster risk reduction. It proceeds to examine experiences from Asian and African countries, and concludes by looking ahead to the future perspective of CBDRR.

This book presents a portrait of the social advantages and limitations of climate change related modeling in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. Physical systems modeling - such as of climate, weather, water, and soil - can be useful planning tools, and are essential to the forecasts and projections used operationally for decisions on climate and development. However, these models and their limitations are rarely discussed in terms of how they are interpreted, misinterpreted, used, not used, needed and not needed by society at the local level for climate change adaptation. This publication addresses the implied but largely uncritiqued relationships between scientific modeling knowledge and local adaptation responses. It also presents theoretical perspectives on modeling and adaptation, supported by case studies of model use, non-use, interpretation and misinterpretation in the HKH region for application at the local level. It provides a critical angle into the value of modeling at multiple decision making scales in society, but focused on local needs. Case studies are presented from a variety of HKH countries, as defined by ICIMOD (which includes Bangladesh and Myanmar).

Ecosystems are often examined from a ecological perspective because of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ecosystems of different types and scales are under increasing pressure due to natural and human induced changes. Climate change and the disasters it causes, are a major driver affecting ecosystems and services. Several studies have provided evidence that a healthy ecosystem helps in reducing the impacts of climate change and disasters. This book makes a case for ecosystem-based adaptation by arguing that ecosystems and its services are critical in the climate change and disaster risk reduction fields. Consequently, the monitoring and regulation of ecosystems need to be linked to a regular governance and institutional mechanism and be reflected in a more action-oriented agenda.

As cities all over the world have urbanized rapidly after the industrial revolution, most cities have confronted environmental problems such as poor air and water quality, high levels of traffic congestion and ambient noise, poor-quality built environment, derelict land, greenhouse gas emissions, urban sprawl, generation of waste and waste-water. In particular, cities in the developing world face problems related to the living conditions in which the urban population lives. In the context of urban cities in the developing world, it can be narrowed to the quality of life of living population in the cities. Needless to say that Asia has the largest population, as well as urban population at risk. This book brings the lessons from innovative urban risk management approaches in Asian cities, drawing the lessons from seven Asian countries. The authors of the chapters consists of wider spectrum of stakeholders: from academicians to policy makers to NGO practitioners.

Communities affected by natural disasters are often stigmatized as being passive with regard to disaster prevention, mitigation and adaptation, waiting only for government assistance in the aftermath of such events. However, many innovative community initiatives have been developed to address natural disasters, which are often characterized as "local responses". While scrutinizing the potential strength and comparative advantage of community-based disaster response, this book analyzes and illustrates how individuals, families and social groups in rural and urban communities perceive natural disasters, their underlying reasons and their effects on their livelihoods, and documents and analyzes the role of local responses to natural disasters and conflict. Key factors determining the degree of vulnerability and resilience of affected communities are also elicited. Several pivotal issues related to community-based disaster responses are addressed, such as the relationship between local and external knowledge in addressing disasters, the relevance of institutional and policy frameworks for community-based disaster response and the role of social capital and collective action.

It has been estimated that globally, 1.2 billion people live with acute shortage of water. Water scarcity, particularly in south and south-east Asian countries, is well known. However, the social dilemmas and insecurities related to water issues are often less discussed. In the case of south and south-east Asia, the distribution of available water amongst various casts and creeds has been determined through several social hierarchies. Hence, water forms a critical socio-political issue, with a multi-faced dimension. This book critically analyses the associated social issues of increasing water scarcity in countries such as India. It documents the social impacts and predicament of water scarcity. The book will be of prime interest to researchers, policy makers and practitioners in the fields of development and environment, as well as water planners, and it will be a useful reference guide for future research in the field of water scarcity and risk management. Topics analysed include arsenic contamination, the impact of salinity on livelihood and mitigation, and drought resilience, adaptation and policy. The book concludes by providing lessons, challenges and future perspectives of water insecurity.

"How do urban communities in Asian cities experience the impacts of urbanisation and climate change? This book throws light on the ongoing processes of rapid urban transformation in many cities in developing countries, with particular reference to cities such as Chennai in India. Due to increasing demands on infrastructures and urban services, cities in developing countries are often pushed to the edge of collapse even when not in times of disaster. While such cities try to implement measures to safeguard the well-being of their citizens, looming impacts of climate change such as increasingly frequent and intense natural hazards pose new and additional challenges to their urban communities. This book connects critical issues relating to the general functioning of cities with climate-related disasters with the concept of resilience. Furthermore, this research takes a pro-solution stance, and demonstrates that individuals can form collective power to deliver added value before, during and after a disaster. The concept of resilience is applied to determine whether an urban community would be affected or damaged during a climate-related disaster, and to what extent."

We live in a world which continues to experience dramatic suffering and loss of life due to natural hazard. The disaster paradigm has accelerated efforts towards resilience building, particularly since the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), a ten year plan to build the resilience of nations and communities to disasters Urban areas present complexity and interconnectivity of various elements, and this needs to be considered when building the resilience of such areas to disasters. To address urban risks, local level disaster risk reduction (DRR) is of fundamental importance, not only because it is closer to the citizens, but because it is the repository of regulatory governance functions and local knowledge The need to scale up the capacity of DRR at the local government level to build urban resilience is a key incentive for this study. With particular reference to the example of Makati City in the Philippines, this book analyses a local DRR approach with reference to the HFA, applies a micro-level resilience assessment and discusses an effective model for enhancing local DRR capacity in the future.

"Disasters cause economic as well as human losses. Indeed, economic losses associated directly with disasters have continued at increasing proportions worldwide since the 1970s, as the 2011 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction conducted by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) illustrates. Disaster losses due to single geological events sometimes appear much greater in magnitude than those attributed to climate-related disasters. Nonetheless, the overall trend for increasing loss can largely be attributed to the increase in climate-related disasters, which in turn is triggered in part by global climate change. Furthermore, as such disasters increase in frequency, it intensifies vulnerability in the poorest regions of developing countries. In this book, the authors discuss effective approaches to enhancing the local disaster risk management (DRM) capacity of developing countries to combat increasing climate-related disaster impacts. Also provided are ideas and lessons on local disaster risk management, in terms of planning and practice in developing countries, with particular focus on a case study in Costa Rica."

Volume 18 of the Community, Environment and Disaster Risk Management series looks at how cities and countries recover from catastrophic disasters with a specific focus on Asia. Asia has experienced devastating disasters over the centuries. Proximity to the seismically active “Ring of Fire” and other plate boundaries, long Pacific and Indian Ocean coastlines, major river and tributary courses, desert and semi-desert areas, and other geographic features create a diversity of hazards and potential hazards. Chapters cover topics including International Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Recovery, Disaster exceptionalism in India, Immigrant and refugee experiences in Canterbury and Tohoku, Citizen Participation in the Disaster Reconstruction Process after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and Social Capital and Changes in Post-Disaster Recovery Process in China after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake.

This volume sheds light on the complex linkages between tourism, disaster and conflict. In many countries, tourism crises have been precipitated by natural disasters. At the same time, the tourism industry has often been assigned a pivotal role in the reconstruction and recovery efforts. Prospective tourists have been lured into supporting post-disaster rehabilitation simply through visiting disaster-affected areas. Yet, prioritising the tourism sector in the recovery process may have unintended consequences: less touristic areas that have been severely affected by the disaster may receive less humanitarian relief support. Disaster recovery processes in the tourism industry can also be highly uneven, as multinational hotel chains tend to recover more swiftly and increase both their market share and their control over important resources. Politically well-connected tourist operators and wealthy local elites tend to exploit distorted recovery governance mechanisms and take advantage of the legal and institutional uncertainties triggered by disasters. Insecure, customary land rights of ethnic minority groups and indigenous people may be particularly prone to exploitation by opportunistic tourist operators in the aftermath of a disaster. When disasters strike settings of pre-existing conflict, they may exacerbate the situation by increasing competition over scarce resources and relief funds, or they may catalyse conflict resolution following an intolerable excess of additional suffering among fighting parties. Tourism ventures may offer post-conflict livelihood opportunities, but potentially trigger new conflicts. Disasters may instigate a morbid “dark tourism” industry that invites visitors to enter spaces of death and suffering at memorials, graves, museums, and sites of atrocity.

Flood risk management requires a multi-disciplinary approach with experts from the fields of health, town planning, civil engineering, computer science and mathematical statistics.  This volume presents chapters highlighting the methodologies and tools developed to improve flood management and flood risk reduction. Chapters in this important volume consider research on Emerging economies and developing countries and the case studies are focused in Malaysia, China and South-East Asia. The book presents key research from areas of the globe where flood management has not traditionally been studied but where the effects of climate change and natural disasters present huge challenges for societies in the region.This volume, edited by leaders in the field of disaster management, would of be particular interest to students, researchers and policy specialists involved with examining flood related risk reduction methods and systems for key decision makers.

The Community, Environment and Disaster Risk Management series deals with a wide range of issues relating to global environmental hazards, natural and man-made disasters, and approaches to disaster risk reduction. As people and communities are the first and the most important responders to disasters and environment-related problems, this series aims to analyse critical field-based mechanisms which link community, policy and governance systems.This book examines the role and involvement of law enforcement agencies across the spectrum of homeland security and emergency management. The chapters, developed by expert practitioners and academics in the field, focus on the mission areas of mitigation and protection, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. The introductory chapter sets the stage and the following content targets structures and activities specific to each mission area of homeland security and emergency management.

Water is life. Managing water quantity and quality is a big part of human responsibility. Water Management and Sustainability in Asia covers topics related to water resources management, including multi- and interdisciplinary research on flood, soil infiltration, contaminants, sediment, water quality, hydrological modelling, and water resources systems.Presenting case-studies on soil infiltration and contaminants, the impacts of flood with risk assessment, as well as water modelling and management systems. The lessons shared in this volume focus on rapidly developing countries in the South-east Asia who have a complex climate system which presents challenges. This research provides models and projections that can support water management in the region.

There has been increasing concern over the impacts of 21st century challenges, be it on environmental, social, and economic aspect. Rapid development, a global health pandemic and climate change are just some of the monumental challenges affecting us. While the foundation of knowledge surrounding these impacts is continuously expanding, the adaption of sustainability concepts is not yet established especially in developing countries. Sustainability Management Strategies and Impact in Developing Countries emphasizes on the research of sustainability management and strategies in developing countries.Covering topics on sustainability management in construction, education and in social behaviour, this 26th volume of the Community, Environment and Disaster Risk Management presents the importance of sustainability concepts as a vital element in development. Reviewing sustainable construction management including green schemes, industrial safety, adaptable frameworks, and policies from countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Nigeria, Sustainability Management Strategies and Impact in Developing Countries provides information to the public, researchers, planners, and stakeholders dealing with sustainability management and strategies, particularly for developing and emerging economic countries.

In the intricate web of socio-environmental crises across diverse geographical landscapes, grasping the intricacies of geographies and socio-spatial ecologies in disaster risk reduction practices is indispensable for global socio-ecological sustainability. In response to this imperative, this volume pioneers the development of disaster risk reduction understanding within the disaster research domain. This authored volume is structured into two parts. The initial part extensively explores the fundamentals of geographies in disaster risk reduction practices, encompassing concepts, methodologies, and challenges in disaster management, disaster preparedness, response, relief operations, resource allocation, disaster medicine, information dissemination, recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. It also delves into various applications and emerging trends, management techniques, applied practices through contemporary case studies, socio-ecological challenges in disaster risk reduction, and sustainability considerations in management practices. The latter part focuses on real-world case studies within geographies and socio-spatial ecologies to examine scenarios of disaster risks, management practices, and community challenges specific to coastal regions. These case studies encompass topics such as mangrove vegetation health risks and stress, climate change adaptation strategies at the local level, shoreline change and vulnerability assessments, geographies of coastal hazards, societal vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as analyses of natural hazards and disaster risks, among others. This work enriches the scientific and practical understanding of mitigating disaster risks, and advocating for stakeholder integration in disaster policy planning among planners, scientists, researchers, professionals, government officials, students, and anyone else engaged in disaster research globally.

The book fills a void by bringing together literature in an under-represented but disaster-prone region – Southeast Asia. It discusses the cultural considerations of those providing mental health and psychosocial support in the region. It highlights the role of education in reducing disaster vulnerability. It presents ways in which workplace organization have sought to enhance employee and organizational resilience in the face of disasters. It discusses how the disaster planning process, including prevention, mitigation, and preparedness efforts, can be integrated with mental health efforts. It features how mental health interventions including psychological first aid, resilience interventions, mindfulness, and art therapy have been carried out. It also discusses the issues of those caring for survivors and describes MHPSS interventions for disaster responders themselves. The book also addresses post-traumatic growth as an outcomes of disaster exposure, concluding by summarizing the challenges and prospects for promoting resistance, resilience, and recovery in SEA.

Climate-induced disasters constitute a major risk to peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on case studies from Cambodia, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Samoa, the contributions in this volume examine local response, recovery and adaptation strategies, incorporating the perspectives and knowledge of affected individuals and communities. Asia-Pacific is the world's most disaster-prone region, accounting for about half of the climate-related displacements of 19 million people globally in 2017. Climate-related, fast-onset hazards, such as floods, cyclones and typhoons, have claimed many lives, displaced a high number of people and caused widespread damage over the past twenty years. The cost of short-term response to and medium- to long-term recovery from climate-induced disasters falls disproportionately on the poorest and most marginalised communities within Asia-Pacific countries. This book presents richly-detailed qualitative research from diverse contexts across the Asia-Pacific region, and adds to scholarship on the trajectory of community resilience and adaptation to climate-related hazards.

The Community, Environment and Disaster Risk Management series deals with a wide range of issues relating to global environmental hazards, natural and man-made disasters, and approaches to disaster risk reduction. As people and communities are the first and the most important responders to disasters and environment-related problems, this series aims to analyse critical field-based mechanisms which link community, policy, and governance systems.Justice, Equity and Emergency Management takes the principles proposed in Disaster Recovery Through the Lens of Justice and applies a justice and equity lens across all phases of emergency management, focusing on key topics such as hazard mitigation, emerging technologies, long-term recovery, and others. The authors in this volume interrogate the applicability of the principles to technological innovation, indigenous peoples, persons with access and functional needs, agricultural disasters, and several other contexts. It is our hope that this effort will lead us closer to truly operationalizing and applying these principles in a way that leads to systemic change and better outcomes.

As cities all over the world have urbanized rapidly after the industrial revolution, most cities have confronted environmental problems such as poor air and water quality, high levels of traffic congestion and ambient noise, poor-quality built environment, derelict land, greenhouse gas emissions, urban sprawl, generation of waste and waste-water. In particular, cities in the developing world face problems related to the living conditions in which the urban population lives. In the context of urban cities in the developing world, it can be narrowed to the quality of life of living population in the cities. Needless to say that Asia has the largest population, as well as urban population at risk. This book brings the lessons from innovative urban risk management approaches in Asian cities, drawing the lessons from seven Asian countries. The authors of the chapters consists of wider spectrum of stakeholders: from academicians to policy makers to NGO practitioners.