Enhancing disaster risk governance for small-scale recurring disasters through pre-determining emergency response and recovery entry points for improved social outcomes

Abstract

There is growing recognition that climate change is increasing the frequency of disasters globally. Historical disaster data show that the majority of disasters are non-catastrophic. However, these less severe disasters can occur in quick succession and affect the resilience of the communities, and their long-term impacts can be just as severe. Nevertheless, emergency management policies are largely developed around larger-scale disasters, along with related institutional arrangements and operational decisions that establish resource availability for affected communities. This often results in ad hoc emergency response and recovery mechanisms, leading to inconsistent approaches to assist affected communities. Drawing on empirical data from emergency management specialists operating across Aotearoa New Zealand, this paper investigates how current emergency response and recovery approaches account for small-scale recurring disasters, and how these could become more comprehensive and equitable for improving local adaptation capacity. Findings indicate the absence of an agreed definition of what comprises a small-scale disaster; the lack of a clear methodology to capture cumulative impacts of disasters; unavailability of resources to establish a formal recovery phase for small-scale disasters; and, ambiguity around the methodology used to activate emergency response operations for small-scale disasters. Our paper concludes by suggesting the establishment of tailored community-based interventions for small-scale disasters, for more effective and equitable service delivery.