Disaster risk reduction in conflict contexts: The state of the evidence

This working paper reviews the state of the evidence on disaster risk reduction (DRR) in conflict-affected contexts. It is intended to stimulate a more explicitly political consideration of disaster and DRR studies, and to ‘reroot’ disaster studies in the political realm.

Consideration of DRR in conflict raises important questions about normative conceptions of and approaches to DRR, including the centrality of the state, the position of national DRR policies and institutions as the primary entry point for effective risk governance and the assumption that stability and peace are prerequisites for undertaking DRR.

The review identifies important gaps in the evidence which point to potential new directions in disaster–conflict research that simultaneously build on existing normative approaches, sidestep them and adopt new approaches and perspectives, and push the boundaries of current knowledge on the relationships and interactions between DRR and conflict.