Developing an International Network on Indigenous Knowledge and Disaster Risk Reduction

Abstract

This initiative is a follow-up project from the The Risk Interpretation and Action Fellows Seminar, which was held in December, 2013, in New Zealand. This seminar was coordinated by the WSS Fellows program of the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the RIA working group of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) program, the IRDR International Center of Excellence Taipei, the International START Secretariat and the Royal Society of New Zealand. The RIA working group of the IRDR aims to improve our understanding of how individuals and groups make decisions when confronted with risk, by integrating a range of academic disciplines to address key questions and problems. Twenty-five early career researchers from around the world were selected to review the RIA framework under the theme of ‘decision-making under conditions of uncertainty’, and develop novel theoretical approaches to respond to and improve this framework. Six working groups emerged during the seminar: 1. The assessment of water-related risks in megacities; 2. Rethinking risk communication; 3. The embodiment of uncertainty; 4. Communication in resettlement and reconstruction phases; 5. Inter-relating indigenous knowledge and disaster risk reduction; and 6. Multi-scale policy implementation for natural hazard risk reduction. The indigenous peoples and disaster risk reduction project aims to advance the formation of an international network and community of practice of indigenous and non-indigenous scholars, to inter-relate indigenous knowledge into decision and policy--‐making related to natural and human ‐made hazards and disasters. The initial group involved in this initiative includes researchers, faculty and indigenous persons working in New Zealand, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, United States and China. This report documents the main activities developed by project participants, which have involved: a) joint participation in events; b) organization of webinars; c) organization of an international workshop at University of Florida, with participation of students, faculty and Seminole leaders; d) Developing a video-documentary documenting the knowledge and cultural exchange between project participants and Seminole leaders in Florida; e) Developing a website for sharing information, building a community of practice and expanding the network; and f) Collectively preparing an academic paper for submission to the “International Journal on Disaster Risk Reduction”