Revisiting frameworks: Have they helped us reduce disaster risk?

Unlabelled: Owing to the increasing impact of disasters worldwide, there is a recognised need for putting theory into relevant and effective practice in disaster risk reduction (DRR). Substantial research has been oriented on reducing loss of life, injury, livelihoods and infrastructure disruption. In this paper, we gathered the main insights derived from the reflections of the earlier work of authors or co-authors of frameworks for understanding disaster risk.

Rethinking the interplay between affluence and vulnerability to aid climate change adaptive capacity.

Affluence and vulnerability are often seen as opposite sides of a coin-with affluence generally understood as reducing forms of vulnerability through increased resilience and adaptive capacity. However, in the context of climate change and an increase in associated hazards and disasters, we suggest the need to re-examine this dynamic relationship-a complex association we define here as the Affluence-Vulnerability Interface (AVI). We review research in different national contexts to show how a more nuanced understanding of the AVI can (a) problematize the notion that increasing material affluence necessarily has a mitigating influence on social vulnerability, (b) extend our analysis of social vulnerability beyond low-income regions to include affluent contexts and (c) improve our understanding of how psychosocial characteristics influence people's vulnerability.

Communication With Children and Families About Disaster: Reviewing Multi-disciplinary Literature 2015-2017.

Purpose Of Review: To identify strategies for communicating with youth and children pre- and post-disaster in the context of a broader survey of child participation in disaster risk reduction as well as methods for communication with children.

Recent Findings: Youth and children are capable of peer and community education and activism concerning disaster issues and such participation benefits the young actors. Family and sibling support are important in easing the impact of trauma on children.

Climate change and cultural diversity.

Cultures and climate are changing. These changes interact with local knowledge and practice. Research has focused on technical questions, such as how small farmers and livestock keepers understand seasonal forecasts, veterinary problems or market conditions.

Changing household responses to drought in Tharaka, Kenya: vulnerability, persistence and challenge.

Drought is a recurring challenge to the livelihoods of those living in Tharaka District, Kenya, situated in the semi-arid zone to the east of Mount Kenya, from the lowest slopes of the mountain to the banks of the Tana River. This part of Kenya has been marginal to the economic and political life of Kenya from the colonial period until the present day. A study of more than 30 years of change in how people in Tharaka cope with drought reveals resilience in the face of major macro-level transformations, which include privatisation of landownership, population growth, political decentralisation, increased conflict over natural resources, different market conditions, and environmental shifts.

Climate change and disaster management.

Climate change, although a natural phenomenon, is accelerated by human activities. Disaster policy response to climate change is dependent on a number of factors, such as readiness to accept the reality of climate change, institutions and capacity, as well as willingness to embed climate change risk assessment and management in development strategies. These conditions do not yet exist universally.

Smoke and mirrors: deficiencies in disaster funding.

Disasters such as the recent tsunami, which derail development can no longer be viewed as short term blips from which society readily recovers