When Disasters and Conflicts Collide
Publisher: Overseas Development Institute
Author(s): Katie Peters and Mirianna Budimir
Date: 2016
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Prevention, Cooperation, Livelihoods, Programming
The evidence presented in this report challenges the status quo. It calls into question international aid spending’s neglect of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in areas affected by conflict and fragility. DRR represents the actions required to help states and societies reduce, prepare for and manage natural hazard-related disasters (‘disasters’), such as floods, earthquakes and drought. Without DRR, lives and livelihoods are lost. There is a knock-on effect: disasters set back progress made in economic development and sustainable poverty reduction.
Those people wanting to help states and societies become resilient to disasters have long overlooked the challenge of doing this in some of the most difficult working environments – fragile and conflict affected states. DRR is typically considered a lesser priority or too difficult to enact, with ambitions for securing peace taking precedence. Identifying and sustaining DRR initiatives can be problematic: violence and insecurity complicate operations and can endanger staff and inequitable resource distribution can distort programme delivery. In addition, limited state infrastructure and governments’ low willingness to engage present disincentives for the DRR community.