Local knowledge of emerging hazards: Instability above an Icelandic glacier

This article examines the role of local knowledge in disaster risk reduction and management for communities that are facing a particular type of hazard for the first time. Climate change is contributing to shifts in the magnitude and scale of hazards, and the emergence of risks in areas where they were previously unknown. In south-east Iceland, a fracture in the mountainside of Svínafellsheiði threatens to cause between 60 and 100 million cubic metres of rock to fall onto the glacier below. A large landslide could break up the surface of the glacier, crash into the proglacial lake, and affect people and infrastructure downhill. In addition to the unprecedented scale, the Svínafellsheiði fracture represents the first time people and infrastructure have been exposed to this type of hazard in Iceland.

This paper finds that even when a community lacks experience with a specific type of hazard, local knowledge can still play a valuable role in hazard identification and risk management. The study found that local knowledge is not just relevant to DRRM processes in less developed and developing countries. This has been confirmed through a large body of scholarship. However, this case adds support to the contention that local knowledge is also important in countries with well-established and well-funded DRRM processes. Even in highly developed countries, implementing effective DRRM strategies requires an integrated approach that involves local inhabitants, scien- tists and DRRM authorities, bringing together the knowledge of all three groups.