Perspectives in the DRRM agenda

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction recently released a report on the impacts of hazards, disasters, and anthropogenic climate change. The report agrees that, indeed, the many achievements of Sustainable Development Goals have been sidelined by the severe and complex impacts of the risks that humanity faces today. The contemporary global riskscape is characterized by high stakes and significant uncertainties: from the critical degradation of the environment and ecosystem services, to social and economic recessions, the increasing severity of, and mortality from, weather extremes and other environmental hazards, and the interconnecting and interacting health and social maladies brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, among others.

Yet a dimension that should also be critically assessed is the importance of justice perspectives and the many issues that surround the aspects of equity and fairness in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) initiatives. The global empirical evidence shows that many DRRM interventions and policies have been plagued with top-down approaches and highly technocratic and exclusive measures that, instead of delivering just outcomes, have only marginalized some segments of the population, especially the vulnerable. Despite their developmental objectives, DRRM policies and interventions have unintended impacts and consequences that we should vigilantly review and learn from. These include the creation of fissures in community dynamics, unsustainable and maladaptive resettlement, the displacement of people resulting in livelihood insecurity, as well as lack of access and control over social services and infrastructures that lead to the further marginalization of many Filipinos. These issues have been reported and continue to be the reality in some communities affected by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (November 2013), Typhoon “Odette” (December 2021), and Tropical Depression “Agaton” (April 2022), among others.

Solving wicked problems, such as disasters and climate change, requires synergy and collective knowledge and actions. As the country transitions to a new administration in the coming weeks, the Bongbong Marcos-led government must walk the talk of working in unity for the country’s development. This includes appointing competent and data-driven Cabinet secretaries and government executives who appreciate the importance of integrating and mainstreaming justice perspectives in implementing DRRM policies and plans, such as in disaster prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and rehabilitation and recovery.

The central tenets of disaster justice “recognize that disasters can expose, magnify, and deepen existing injustices in society which can then lead to further injustices.” This perspective encourages people to assess disaster events and their impacts based on the historical and contemporary choices that people, especially those in power, make.

While the concept of justice and its various topical areas are arguably too contentious to define universally, we encourage relevant stakeholders to ponder on the contextual answers to the following questions:

Are duties and responsibilities for disaster risk reduction and management activities fairly and equitably distributed across members of society?

How can we proactively and sustainably address the marginalization of some segments of the population, such as the vulnerable, across geographic locations and at various points in time?

How do inequities affect the capacities of individuals, households, and communities to manage simultaneous risks, such as those brought about by the ongoing pandemic, seasonal typhoons, floods, and droughts?

How can we better involve communities in DRRM-related policies and programs?

Are existing policies and program implementation approaches able and capable of delivering results that are acceptable and appropriate to the Filipino public in the politically and emotionally charged policy domain of DRRM?

The questions we posed are only starting points and may be complex and too contentious to answer. We argue, however, that the solutions to the wicked problems humanity faces today require deliberate poking and shaking, and must ask questions that encourage purposive actions and mindful decisions that can contribute to sustainable and resilient futures by and for Filipinos.

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Ginbert Permejo Cuaton is a Filipino Ph.D. student of environmental science, policy, and management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Masaru Yarime is an associate professor of Public Policy at HKUST. Yvonne Su is an assistant professor in the Department of Equity Studies at York University in Canada.