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Resilience is an illusion

Emergency Planning

Previously (Alexander 2013), I thought that Holling was wrong about resilience. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 13(11): 2707-2716. Some have even stated that the 2100-year-old concept of resilience was invented by Holling. On reflection, I now believe he was right and the concept itself was suspect. Holling, C.S

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Foresight

Emergency Planning

It is obvious that military instability is likely to complicate and retard the process of getting natural hazard impacts under control. There has recently been a surge of research interest in disaster and conflict (ref). References Fukuyama, F. The End of History and the Last Man. The Free Press, New York, 418 pp.

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The 2019 Global Assessment Report (GAR)

Emergency Planning

An example of this for the 2013 GAR can be found in Di Mauro (2014). Unofficial voices have suggested that the 'cure to damage ratio' for natural hazards is 1:43. Global probabilistic assessment of risk from natural hazards for the Global Assessment Report 2013 (GAR13). The 'should ratio'. GNCSODR 2015.

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Leonardo and the Deluge

Emergency Planning

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 13(11): 2707-2716. DOI: 10.5194/nhess-13-2707-2013 Clayton, M. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 76(1): 38-49. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8306.1986.tb00102.x 1467-8306.1986.tb00102.x x Alexander, D.E. Resilience and disaster risk reduction: an etymological journey.

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Community Resilience or Community Dystopia in Disaster Risk Reduction?

Emergency Planning

In disaster risk reduction circles, there is an almost desperate reliance on 'community' and a strong growth in studies and plans to "involve the community" in facing up to risks and impacts (Berkes and Ross 2013). Society and Natural Resources 26(1): 5-20. However,'community' is contentious concept (Barrios 2014). Statler and R.

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Towards a Taxonomy of Disasters

Emergency Planning

The study of disasters is a 'lateral discipline' that, to varying degrees embraces at least 42 other disciplines and professions (Alexander 2013). For example, counter-terrorism policy and policy against natural hazards can be quite different. This is useful to maintain and is inherent in the basis of the classification.

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Disaster Risk Reduction is not a Paradigm

Emergency Planning

It is a healthy sign in a field that draws upon more than 40 disciplines for its knowledge (Alexander 2013). Natural Hazards 86: 969-988. My only reservation about this is that we may need the impact of a recognisable paradigm in order to gain the recognition that the field needs. References Alexander, D.E. Ismail-Zadeh, A.T.,