학술논문

The importance of accounting for equity in disaster risk models
Document Type
Original Paper
Source
Communications Earth & Environment. 4(1)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2662-4435
Abstract
Societal efforts to understand and mitigate threats posed by hazards are often informed by complex disaster risk models. Despite research demonstrating the disproportionate effects of disasters on vulnerable groups, current risk modeling approaches lack robust methods to account for such equity concerns. Consequently, efforts to develop evidence-based disaster risk management interventions may lack awareness of differential risks in the settings where they are applied. Here, we draw on the relevant literature to develop a typology for characterizing current approaches to incorporating equity into risk modeling. Using this typology, we then evaluated 69 risk assessments conducted by major international development organizations. We found that only ~ 28% of risk models attempt a quantitative evaluation of the differential impacts of disasters and climate change. We then used an equity-sensitive approach to reconstruct a recent risk assessment and show that important elements are missed when equity is excluded in disaster risk modeling.
Valuable information on the disproportionate impacts of natural hazards on vulnerable populations is only captured when equity is considered in disaster risk models, according to an evaluation of common disaster risk assessments approaches