Disaster and development paradigms: too close for comfort?

Bernard Manyena

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The familiar distinctions between the disaster and development paradigms have become increasingly blurred. Yet, conceptual and policy dilemmas continue to pose challenges for the integration of the two paradigms into a single framework. Drawing on the literature and Ethiopia's Institutional Support Project, this article argues that the increased convergence of the two constructs may be too close for comfort, thus rendering the assertion that disaster-risk reduction can help achieve sustainable development and vice versa mere rhetoric. Unless there is a shift from focusing on the hazard event to also recognising that disasters are not politically neutral, there is a danger of being locked into the hazard paradigm, despite the different labels, titles or metaphors that may be assigned to it.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)327-345
JournalDevelopment Policy Review
Volume30
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2012

Keywords

  • Disaster and development paradigms
  • disaster policy
  • Institutional Support Project
  • Ethiopia

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