IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i10p3545-d173495.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving Development Outcomes and Reducing Disaster Risk through Planned Community Relocation

Author

Listed:
  • Johanna Nalau

    (Griffith Climate Change Response Program (GCCRP) and Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT), School of Environment and Science, Griffith Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus QLD 4222, Australia)

  • John Handmer

    (School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia)

Abstract

The idea of relocation as a transformative disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and development strategy follows the assumption that relocation reduces the vulnerability of communities. Yet, it is unclear whose and what kind of vulnerability is reduced through relocation, and which factors are important in determining the “success” of relocation efforts as strategies for development, climate change adaptation (CCA), and disaster risk reduction (DRR). Temporary and short distance relocation is highly likely to achieve increased resilience by reducing exposure, but relocation to a new area and new communities brings a range of issues. CCA and DRR use different timescales and focal points regarding relocation: CCA focuses on future mass permanent relocation and the subsequent potential loss of cultures and identities mainly due to projected sea level rise. The DRR community focuses on temporary relocation as a way to reduce exposure to a range of hazards, although it is also involved in permanent movement as a transformative way to reduce risk and enhance development. We explore these differences in this paper, with examples mainly from the Pacific Small Island Developing States where past relocations have been numerous. Better understanding and articulation of the underlying assumptions and preferences in CCA, DRR, and development discourses on planned community relocation could provide a richer context for future planning and dealing with both slow-onset and sudden disasters.

Suggested Citation

  • Johanna Nalau & John Handmer, 2018. "Improving Development Outcomes and Reducing Disaster Risk through Planned Community Relocation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:10:p:3545-:d:173495
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3545/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3545/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shane Cronin & Mike Petterson & Paul Taylor & Randall Biliki, 2004. "Maximising Multi-Stakeholder Participation in Government and Community Volcanic Hazard Management Programs; A Case Study from Savo, Solomon Islands," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 33(1), pages 105-136, September.
    2. Frank Biermann & Ingrid Boas, 2010. "Preparing for a Warmer World: Towards a Global Governance System to Protect Climate Refugees," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 10(1), pages 60-88, February.
    3. Declan Conway & Johanna Mustelin, 2014. "Strategies for improving adaptation practice in developing countries," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(5), pages 339-342, May.
    4. W. Neil Adger & Jon Barnett & F. S. Chapin & Heidi Ellemor, 2011. "This Must Be the Place: Underrepresentation of Identity and Meaning in Climate Change Decision-Making," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 11(2), pages 1-25, May.
    5. Jessica Mercer, 2010. "Disaster risk reduction or climate change adaptation: Are we reinventing the wheel?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 247-264.
    6. Anamaria Bukvic, 2015. "Identifying gaps and inconsistencies in the use of relocation rhetoric: a prerequisite for sound relocation policy and planning," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 20(7), pages 1203-1209, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Thaler, 2021. "Just retreat—how different countries deal with it: examples from Austria and England," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(3), pages 412-419, September.
    2. Alessa Jasmin Truedinger & Ali Jamshed & Holger Sauter & Joern Birkmann, 2023. "Adaptation after Extreme Flooding Events: Moving or Staying? The Case of the Ahr Valley in Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-27, January.
    3. Giuseppe Barbaro & Marcelo Gomes Miguez & Matheus Martins de Sousa & Anna Beatriz Ribeiro da Cruz Franco & Paula Morais Canedo de Magalhães & Giandomenico Foti & Matheus Rocha Valadão & Irene Occhiuto, 2021. "Innovations in Best Practices: Approaches to Managing Urban Areas and Reducing Flood Risk in Reggio Calabria (Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-22, March.
    4. Pramod K. Singh & Konstantinos Papageorgiou & Harpalsinh Chudasama & Elpiniki I. Papageorgiou, 2019. "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Climate Change Adaptations in the World’s Largest Mangrove Ecosystem," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Christian Huggel & Laurens M. Bouwer & Sirkku Juhola & Reinhard Mechler & Veruska Muccione & Ben Orlove & Ivo Wallimann-Helmer, 2022. "The existential risk space of climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 1-20, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. J.C. Gaillard, 2010. "Vulnerability, capacity and resilience: Perspectives for climate and development policy," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 218-232.
    2. Bimal Kanti Paul & Munshi Khaledur Rahman & Max Lu & Thomas W. Crawford, 2022. "Household Migration and Intentions for Future Migration in the Climate Change Vulnerable Lower Meghna Estuary of Coastal Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    3. W. Neil Adger & Jennifer Hodbod, 2014. "Ecological and social resilience," Chapters, in: Giles Atkinson & Simon Dietz & Eric Neumayer & Matthew Agarwala (ed.), Handbook of Sustainable Development, chapter 6, pages 91-102, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Iwowari Beatrice Dute, 2020. "The Influence of Cross-Cultural Language and Background on Climate Change Perception – An Empirical Investigation," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 7(9), pages 50-55, September.
    5. Stephen Woroniecki, 2019. "Enabling Environments? Examining Social Co-Benefits of Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Sri Lanka," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, February.
    6. Jean Charles Hourcade & Michel Aglietta & Baptiste Perrissin-Fabert, 2014. "Transition to a Low-Carbon society and sustainable economic recovery, a monetary-based financial device," Post-Print hal-01692593, HAL.
    7. Ella Furness & Harry Nelson, 2016. "Are human values and community participation key to climate adaptation? The case of community forest organisations in British Columbia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(2), pages 243-259, March.
    8. Clark Gray & Richard Bilsborrow, 2013. "Environmental Influences on Human Migration in Rural Ecuador," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(4), pages 1217-1241, August.
    9. Lore Van Praag & Samuel Lietaer & Caroline Michellier, 2021. "A Qualitative Study on How Perceptions of Environmental Changes are Linked to Migration in Morocco, Senegal, and DR Congo," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/333295, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    10. Gül Aktürk & Martha Lerski, 2021. "Intangible cultural heritage: a benefit to climate-displaced and host communities," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(3), pages 305-315, September.
    11. Madeline Whetung, 2019. "(En)gendering Shoreline Law: Nishnaabeg Relational Politics Along the Trent Severn Waterway," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 19(3), pages 16-32, August.
    12. Andrew Baldwin, 2013. "Racialisation and the Figure of the Climate-Change Migrant," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(6), pages 1474-1490, June.
    13. Benedykt Pepliński, 2020. "Location of Cows and Pigs in Suburban Areas of Polish Metropolitan Centers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-20, March.
    14. Yaoyao Wu & Hao Guo & Jing’ai Wang, 2018. "Quantifying the Similarity in Perceptions of Multiple Stakeholders in Dingcheng, China, on Agricultural Drought Risk Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-21, September.
    15. Takahiro Tsuge & Yasushi Shoji & Koichi Kuriyama & Ayumi Onuma, 2022. "Using a Choice Experiment to Understand Preferences for Disaster Risk Reduction with Uncertainty: A Case Study in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    16. Rachel Clissold & Ellie Furlong & Karen E. McNamara & Ross Westoby & Anita Latai-Niusulu, 2023. "How Pacifika Arts Reveal Interconnected Losses for People and Place in a Changing Climate," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-19, April.
    17. Abrar Chaudhury, 2020. "Role of Intermediaries in Shaping Climate Finance in Developing Countries—Lessons from the Green Climate Fund," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-17, July.
    18. Michael O. Erdiaw‐Kwasie & Khorshed Alam & Enamul Kabir, 2017. "Modelling Corporate Stakeholder Orientation: Does the Relationship Between Stakeholder Background Characteristics and Corporate Social Performance Matter?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 465-479, May.
    19. Dobes Leo & Jotzo Frank & Stern David I., 2014. "The Economics of Global Climate Change: A Historical Literature Review," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 65(3), pages 281-320, December.
    20. Susanne Becken & Roché Mahon & Hamish Rennie & Aishath Shakeela, 2014. "The tourism disaster vulnerability framework: an application to tourism in small island destinations," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 71(1), pages 955-972, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:10:p:3545-:d:173495. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.