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The Human Dimensionof Disasters
The Human Dimensionof Disasters
David AlexanderUniversity College London
HumanmiseryHumanmisery
●poverty●disease●malnutrition●conflict●displacement●disasters
●poverty●disease●malnutrition●conflict●displacement●disasters
... and climate change...?... and climate change...?
Disaster Risk ReductionDisaster Risk Reduction
or disaster risk creation?or disaster risk creation?
Alan Kurdi 2015
To see our world as it is.
Xenophobiadistrust ofunfamiliar
people
Xenophobiadistrust ofunfamiliar
people
Compassiondesireto helprefugees
Compassiondesireto helprefugees
Rejectionismit is not
our problem
Rejectionismit is not
our problemDistancingnot in myback yard
Distancingnot in myback yard
The age of mass cognitive dissonanceThe age of mass cognitive dissonance
Charitywillingnessto donate
Charitywillingnessto donate
Disturbing trends
RecklesslendingRecklesslending
RecklessborrowingRecklessborrowing
DEBTDEBT DEMOCRACYDEMOCRACY
Austerity
Inequality
Marginalisation
DisaffectionDisaffection
Disasterimpacts
Growingvulnerability
Growingvulnerability
Capital is winning against labour:when will the tide turn?
Capital is winning against labour:when will the tide turn?
US$7.6 trillion hidden in 87 tax havens,43 people are as rich as half the world.US$7.6 trillion hidden in 87 tax havens,43 people are as rich as half the world.
• consolidate power structures• consolidate power structures
• augment profits, redistribute wealth• augment profits, redistribute wealth
• allow introduction of convenientlyrepressive measures
• allow introduction of convenientlyrepressive measures
• permit gratuitous social engineering.• permit gratuitous social engineering.
The economic and socialVALUE of disasters
The economic and socialVALUE of disasters
Disasters area vehicle for
economic,social and
politicalopportunism
Lesson to be learned:We will never even understandthe problem, let alone solve it,unless we start being realistic
about the world in which we live.
Lesson to be learned:We will never even understandthe problem, let alone solve it,unless we start being realistic
about the world in which we live.
Whatever decisions are madeabout disaster risk reduction,
they should be based on evidence.
• base decisions on accumulatedevidence of what actually happens
• base decisions on accumulatedevidence of what actually happens
• widely used in medicine,recommended for DRR
• widely used in medicine,recommended for DRR
• migration studies, for instance,badly need an evidence base
• migration studies, for instance,badly need an evidence base
• BUT: evidence can be misleading,inconsistent or indeterminate
• BUT: evidence can be misleading,inconsistent or indeterminate
"Evidence-based practice""Evidence-based practice"
• it can defy interpretation, bemisused or be used selectively.
• it can defy interpretation, bemisused or be used selectively.
• decisions are seldom made on thebasis of evidence and research
• decisions are seldom made on thebasis of evidence and research
• there is a general lack of interestin disaster risk reduction
• there is a general lack of interestin disaster risk reduction
• corruption is one of theprincipal causes of disaster.
• corruption is one of theprincipal causes of disaster.
Some home truths aboutdisaster risk reduction
Some home truths aboutdisaster risk reduction
• the world disaster relief system isextremely inefficient and in crisis
• the world disaster relief system isextremely inefficient and in crisis
• corruption• corruption
• political decision-making• political decision-making
• shoddy building (often wilful)• shoddy building (often wilful)
• ignorance (sometimes wilful)• ignorance (sometimes wilful)
• seismicity.• seismicity.
What causes earthquake disasters?- in probable order of importance -What causes earthquake disasters?- in probable order of importance -
VulnerabilityVulnerability
Total: life isgenerally precariousEconomic: people lackadequate occupationTechnological/technocratic: dueto the riskiness of technologyDelinquent: caused bycorruption, negligence, etc.Residual: caused bylack of modernisationNewly generated: caused bychanges in circumstances
Total: life isgenerally precariousEconomic: people lackadequate occupationTechnological/technocratic: dueto the riskiness of technologyDelinquent: caused bycorruption, negligence, etc.Residual: caused bylack of modernisationNewly generated: caused bychanges in circumstances
Community
• there is no characteristicdefining scale
• there is no characteristicdefining scale
• communities are not necessarilyhomogeneous or harmonious units
• communities are not necessarilyhomogeneous or harmonious units
• community identity is ahighly variable phenomenon
• community identity is ahighly variable phenomenon
• power structurescontrol decision making
• power structurescontrol decision making
• marginalised communitieshave no power.
• marginalised communitieshave no power.
What is a community?What is a community?
• communities are notparticularly interested in DRR
• communities are notparticularly interested in DRR
• neither are governments• neither are governments
• disasters can be explained withreference to power structures
• disasters can be explained withreference to power structures
• people, governments & communitiesseldom act on evidence and research
• people, governments & communitiesseldom act on evidence and research
Community disaster risk reduction:the lessons
Community disaster risk reduction:the lessons
• rationality can only be defined in context.• rationality can only be defined in context.
What isreality?What is
rationality?
What isreality?What is
rationality?
In science we are taught that there isonly one reality and we must search for it.
In science we are taught that there isonly one reality and we must search for it.
Actually, there are many different realities.Actually, there are many different realities.
Serious conclusion: there is not onereality, but there are many of them.Serious conclusion: there is not one
reality, but there are many of them.
• Corruption and human rights: strongdeterminants of disaster vulnerability.
• Corruption and human rights: strongdeterminants of disaster vulnerability.
• Power structures: controldecision making and explain howdisaster impacts are distributed.
• Power structures: controldecision making and explain howdisaster impacts are distributed.
• 'Elite capture': influential peopleand groups capture the DRR agenda.
• 'Elite capture': influential peopleand groups capture the DRR agenda.
Reality: the world as it isReality: the world as it is
welfare mobility
sovereignty identity
entitlementproxy wars
?
What is welfare?What is welfare?
The provision ofcare to a minimumacceptable standardto people who areunable adequately to look afterthemselves.
The provision ofcare to a minimumacceptable standardto people who areunable adequately to look afterthemselves.
But we also needto focus on what welfare is NOT...
But we also needto focus on what welfare is NOT...
• in a globalised worldsovereignty is a myth
• in a globalised worldsovereignty is a myth
• so is self-determination (we live ina world of manufactured consent)
• so is self-determination (we live ina world of manufactured consent)
• identity and nationality arerecent and transient concepts
• identity and nationality arerecent and transient concepts
• disaster open a window onsociety: what will it show?.
• disaster open a window onsociety: what will it show?.
Some assertions...Some assertions...
Displacementand migrationDisplacementand migration
Climate changeadaptation
Climate changeadaptation
Disaster responseand mitigation
Disaster responseand mitigation
Climate changeClimate change TerrorismTerrorism
Displacementand migrationDisplacementand migration
Pandemicsand epidemics
Pandemicsand epidemics
Population increasePopulation increase
Env
iron
ment
al ch
ang
eEnv
iron
ment
al ch
ang
eConflict
Conflict
Technologicaldisasters and
major incidents
Technologicaldisasters and
major incidents
'Natural'disasters'Natural'disasters
Justice system
Rights Responsibilities
Moral
Ethical
Legal
Constitution DisasterDisaster
Context of disaster
Disaster risk reduction and human rightsare profoundly connected.
Disaster risk reduction and human rightsare profoundly connected.
Culture
Long term
Short term
Emic components
Etic components
METAMORPHOSISOF CULTURE
Experiences of culture[mass-media and consumer culture]
Accumulated cultural traits and beliefs
Inherited cultural background
Ideological(non-scientific)interpretations
of disaster
Learned(scientific)
interpretationsof disaster
Valuesystem
Familyculture
Workculture
Peergroupculture
Personalculture
National culture
Regional culture
Etic elementsof culture
Emic elements
of culture
Areaof culturalinterpenetration
Culturalfilter
Culturalfilter
Riskmanagementpractices
Riskmanagementpractices
Benign
Malignant
Technologyas a source ofrisk reduction
Technology asan inadvertentsource of risk
Technologyas a deliberatesource of risk
Ceaselessdevelopmentof technology
Technologyas risk
mitigation
Technologyas risk
mitigation
Technologyas a source
of vulnerability
Technologyas a source
of vulnerability
Research,development
and investmentin technology
Research,development
and investmentin technology
individualfamilypeer grouporganisationcommunitysocietyinternational C
ultu
ral filter
SociocentrismSociocentrism TechnocentrismTechnocentrism
Riskamplification
factors
Riskmitigationfactors
Totalvulnerability
Risk perceptionfactors- +
positivepositivenegativenegative
DIALECTICDIALECTIC
BENIGN (healthy)at the service of the peopleBENIGN (healthy)
at the service of the people
MALIGN (corrupt)at the service of vested interests
MALIGN (corrupt)at the service of vested interests
interplay dialectic
JustificationJustification DevelopmentDevelopment
[spiritual, cultural, political, economic][spiritual, cultural, political, economic]
IDEOLOGY CULTURE
Conclusions
THE PILLARS OF MODERN LIFETHE PILLARS OF MODERN LIFE
idealismprinciplebelieffaith
fanaticismultranationalismauthoritarianism
backlash
virtuecharityservicedefence of principles
unscrupulousnesscorruption
opportunismcensure
capital availabilitywealth diffusionfinancial security
financial repressiondebt burdenconsumerism
ingegnuitypragmatismtechnological progress
crass materialismgalloping consumption
pollution and wastetechnological hegemony
Ideocentrism
Morality
Luchrocentrism
Technocentrism
SPI
RIT
SPI
RIT
FLESH
FLESH
PHILOSOPH
ICAL
PHILOSOPH
ICAL
MECHANISTIC
MECHANISTIC
Positive Negative
...culturally conditioned....culturally conditioned.
Ideocentrism+ ideal: effective disaster mitigation- fanaticism: politicization of humanitarian relief
Morality+ virtue: untiring application of mitigation measures- corruption: failure to observe building codes
Luchrocentrism+ financial security: monetary reserves vs. disaster- financial repression: poverty --> vulnerability
Technocentrism+ ingenuity: new hazard monitoring systems- technological hegemony: unfair distribution of
mitigation benefits
Organisationalsystems:management
Socialsystems:behaviour
Naturalsystems:function
Technicalsystems:
malfunction
VulnerabilityHazard
Resilienc
e
Politicalsystems:decisions
