Decision making in complex contexts such as disaster risk management requires collaborative approaches to knowledge production. Evidence-based disaster risk management and pre-event planning relies ...on robust and relevant disaster risk knowledge. We report on a case study of Project AF8, a "cocreation" collaboration involving local- and central-government disaster risk management agencies and groups, critical infrastructure organizations, and scientists from six universities and Crown Research Institutes. Participant observation and interview data are used to document and analyze the processes used to generate, share, and apply multidisciplinary disaster risk knowledge. Project AF8 was conceived as a cross-jurisdictional and multiagency initiative to plan and prepare for a coordinated response across the South Island following a large magnitude earthquake along the Alpine Fault, one of New Zealand's major natural hazard risks. Findings show that (1) practitioners at all levels operate in highly uncertain environments and therefore have specific knowledge needs at different times and for different purposes, (2) disaster risk knowledge was perceived to be most effective when scientifically credible and focused on identifying likely impacts on the capacity of communities to function, and (3) disaster risk knowledge outputs and the processes used to cocreate them were perceived to be equally important. Using cocreation to combine researcher credibility with practitioner relevancy enhanced the legitimacy of Project AF8 processes, the collective disaster risk knowledge they facilitated, and the wider project. In hindsight, a greater focus at the outset on developing a formal coproduction structure may have increased the pace of cocreation, particularly in the early phases. Future interdisciplinary disaster risk management initiatives could benefit by adopting contextually relevant aspects of this example to strengthen the science-practice interface for more effective pre-event planning and decision making.
PurposeThis conversation presents the reflections from five prominent disaster scholars and practitioners on the opportunities and challenges associated with research following disasters and explores ...the importance of ethics in disaster research.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on the conversations that took place on Disasters: Deconstructed Podcast livestream on the 11th of June 2021.FindingsThe prominent themes in this conversation include ethical approaches to research, how we–as disaster researchers and practitioners–collaborate, engage, and cooperate, and whose voices are centred in a post-disaster research context.Originality/valueThe conversation contributes to ongoing discussions around the conduct and practice of disaster research.
There is increasing evidence that access to social capital, and particularly linking capital can significantly enhance the resilience of minoritised and vulnerable communities impacted by disasters. ...Understanding levels and types of access to social capital within such communities before disasters occur is an important part of disaster risk management policy and planning. Migrant worker communities, however, remain an understudied group in general, and there are very few published findings concerned with the 3.5 million Filipino migrant workers who primarily live in high-income host countries. This article contributes to addressing this gap with an Aotearoa-New Zealand qualitative case study that aims to increase understanding of the social capital accessed pre-disaster by members of Filipino migrant worker organisations in the Canterbury region. Interview and focus group data indicated that worker organisations facilitated access to local Filipino migrant worker networks, contributing to consistently high reliance on bonding capital, but less access to bridging or linking capital. This trend is linked to the precarious immigration status afforded by temporary work visas, which increased the vulnerability of participants. Only one organisation provided access to the linking capital required to mitigate this vulnerability. Factors influencing the capacity of organisations to develop linking capital appeared to include establishment objectives, length of time since establishment and support from government and industry groups. These findings emphasize the valuable role that migrant worker organisations can play in mitigating disaster risks, through providing connections that facilitate support and resourcing from authorities and industry bodies.
•Temporary work visa status was the greatest driver of vulnerability to disaster risk.•Migrant worker organisations provided access to bonding and linking capital.•Worker organisations can bridge migrant worker communities and EM organisations.
Worldwide, Po-210 is an important contributor to human ionising radiation exposure through food. To characterise the ionising radiation dose for New Zealanders from Po-210 in shellfish, a dose ...assessment was undertaken. Deterministic and probabilistic dietary models were constructed by assigning shellfish consumption rates to Po-210 activity concentrations measured in shellfish. Modelling was undertaken for different shellfish consumer populations and geographical areas. Dietary modelling estimated an annual dose range from 4 μSv to 6070 μSv. The lowest dose was calculated for the overall shellfish consumer population residing in areas where baseline Po-210 activity concentrations were measured in shellfish. The highest dose was calculated for the high shellfish consumer population residing in areas where elevated activity concentrations were measured in shellfish. For the majority of the New Zealand population, the total estimated dose did not exceed the selected reference level of 1000 μSv, and Po-210 is therefore not a cause of concern. About 50% of high shellfish consumers residing in areas where shellfish had elevated Po-210 activity concentrations were exposed to ionising radiation resulting in an annual dose higher than 1000 μSv. Exposure assessment for different demographic groups identified that higher shellfish consumption rates in the population identifying as Māori lead to higher doses of ionising radiation for this group.
•Po-210 in shellfish contributes considerably to the radiation dose to New Zealanders.•The ionising dose for Po-210 can vary greatly at a regional and demographic level.•Variation in radiation doses is an important consideration in radiation protection.
Shellfish are a popular food with high cultural, economic and nutritional importance in New Zealand but may also be a significant pathway of human exposure to contaminants. Currently, limited data on ...shellfish consumption rates in New Zealand poses challenges for risk assessment. This study investigated the rate of shellfish consumption and recreational gathering practices in Northland using a self-completed parallel mixed methodology survey. Seventy six percent (n=229) of total survey respondents (n=302) reported consuming shellfish, with an average daily consumption of 4.8 g.day−1. Consumption of cooked shellfish was preferred over raw shellfish. Seventy-two percent of shellfish consumers (n=166) reported eating recreationally gathered shellfish, with on average 48% of shellfish consumed gathered recreationally. While the key motivation for gathering was enjoyment, providing food was also of great importance. When selecting gathering places respondents prioritised proximity and shellfish quantity over shellfish quality, reporting limited and geographically close gathering sites. In general, the quality of shellfish was perceived to be high, and unchanged, although a minority of respondents reported a perceived decline in the quality due to over gathering. Ethnicity was the main parameter influencing shellfish consumption whereas age and gender influenced shellfish gathering.
•Most (76%, n=229) of survey respondents reported eating shellfish.•Most (72%, n=166) of shellfish consumers reported eating shellfish gathered recreationally.•These findings will aid risk assessments for shellfish consumption.
Understanding future volcanic eruptions and their potential impact is a critical component of disaster risk reduction, and necessitates the production of salient, robust hazard information for ...decision-makers and end-users. Volcanic eruptions are inherently multi-phase, multi-hazard events, and the uncertainty and complexity surrounding potential future hazard behaviour is exceedingly hard to communicate to decision-makers. Volcanic eruption scenarios are recognised to be an effective knowledge-sharing mechanism between scientists and practitioners, and recent hybrid scenario suites partially address the limitations surrounding the traditional deterministic scenario approach. Despite advances in scenario suite development, there is still a gap in the international knowledge base concerning the synthesis of multi-phase, multi-hazard volcano science and end-user needs. In this study we present a new modular framework for the development of complex, long-duration, multi-phase, multi-hazard volcanic eruption scenario suites. The framework was developed in collaboration with volcanic risk management agencies and researchers in Aotearoa-New Zealand, and is applied to Taranaki Mounga volcano, an area of high volcanic risk. This collaborative process aimed to meet end-user requirements, as well as the need for scientific rigour. This new scenario framework development process could be applied at other volcanic settings to produce robust, credible and relevant scenario suites that are demonstrative of the complex, varying-duration and multi-hazard nature of volcanic eruptions. In addressing this gap, the value of volcanic scenario development is enhanced by advancing multi-hazard assessment capabilities and cross-sector collaboration between scientists and practitioners for disaster risk reduction planning.
•Pairing statistical models with end-user input gives credible and relevant outputs.•Modular eruption scenario framework allows flexibility for a range of end-user needs.•Frameworks delivers dynamic spatio-temporal outputs disaster risk applications.•Co-creative volcanic hazard assessment leads to relevant and credible outputs.
This article argues that active coordination of research engagement after disasters has the potential to maximize research opportunities, improve research quality, increase end-user engagement, and ...manage escalating research activity to mitigate the ethical risks posed to impacted populations. We focus on the coordination of research activity after the 22 February 2011 Mw6.2 Christchurch earthquake by the then newly formed national research consortium, the Natural Hazards Research Platform, which included a social science research moratorium during the declared state of national emergency. Decisions defining this organization's functional and structural parameters are analyzed to identify lessons concerning the need for systematic approaches to the management of post-disaster research, in collaboration with the response effort. Other lessons include the importance of involving an existing, broadly based research consortium, ensuring that this consortium's coordination role is fully integrated into emergency management structures, and ensuring that all aspects of decision-making processes are transparent and easily accessed.
Abstract
Effective volcanic impact and risk assessment underpins effective volcanic disaster risk management. Yet contemporary volcanic risk assessments face a number of challenges, including ...delineating hazard and impact sequences, and identifying and quantifying systemic risks. A more holistic approach to impact assessment is required, which incorporates the complex, multi-hazard nature of volcanic eruptions and the dynamic nature of vulnerability before, during and after a volcanic event. Addressing this need requires a multidisciplinary, integrated approach, involving scientists and stakeholders to co-develop decision-support tools that are scientifically credible and operationally relevant to provide a foundation for robust, evidence-based risk reduction decisions. This study presents a dynamic, longitudinal impact assessment framework for multi-phase, multi-hazard volcanic events and applies the framework to interdependent critical infrastructure networks in the Taranaki region of Aotearoa New Zealand, where Taranaki Mounga volcano has a high likelihood of producing a multi-phase explosive eruption within the next 50 years. In the framework, multi-phase scenarios temporally alternate multi-hazard footprints with risk reduction opportunities. Thus, direct and cascading impacts and any risk management actions carry through to the next phase of activity. The framework forms a testbed for more targeted mitigation and response planning and allows the investigation of optimal intervention timing for mitigation strategies during an evolving eruption. Using ‘risk management’ scenarios, we find the timing of mitigation intervention to be crucial in reducing disaster losses associated with volcanic activity. This is particularly apparent in indirect, systemic losses that cascade from direct damage to infrastructure assets. This novel, dynamic impact assessment approach addresses the increasing end-user need for impact-based decision-support tools that inform robust response and resilience planning.
The concept of ‘resilience’ has recently gained traction in a range of contexts. Its various interpretations and framings are now used to examine a variety of issues, particularly relating to the ...human dimensions of global change. This can pose challenges to scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers seeking to develop focused research programmes, design targeted interventions, and communicate across disciplinary boundaries. The concept of resilience is widely used in Aotearoa-New Zealand, where it informs both government policy and research programmes. Resilience is particularly relevant in this small developed nation, which is heavily reliant on primary production in rural areas and affected by a range of geological and climatic hazards. To understand the range and extent of application of resilience in the rural context, we use systematic review methods to identify, characterise, and synthesise this knowledge base. Currently, research applying the concept of resilience in the rural context is limited in areal extent, largely quantitative in nature, and led by a small number of researchers. There is limited evidence of collaboration. Research has focused on a small number of hazards, failing to capture the diversity of risks and hazards in addition to their impacts. The results of our analysis and methodology offer important insights for meta-analyses of risk and hazard scholarship. The findings provide a baseline to track the future progress and effectiveness of resilience interventions and help inform current and future research priorities targeting persistent vulnerabilities in rural New Zealand and elsewhere.
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