A special issue of Disasters Professor Miwa Hirono edited has been published

The research findings of a project led by Professor Miwa Hirono (RARA Associate Fellow) of Ritsumeikan University’s Asia−Japan Research Institute have been published in Disasters, a leading disaster research journal. The special issue features eight articles summarizing the results of the joint research project “Locally-led Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance in Asia,” which is being undertaken by members of Ritsumeikan University’s College of Global Liberal Arts and the Australian National University. Prof. Hirono authored an introductory paper explaining the purpose of the project, a single-author paper on the role of overseas Chinese in humanitarian assistance, and a paper on collaborative research aimed at developing a new methodology for disaster recovery assistance. Six of the eight articles, including the three articles Prof. Hirono contributed to, are available via Open Access.

The project addresses a concerning gap in disaster management and humanitarian assistance across Asia: the systematic overlooking of unique local disaster response capabilities that have evolved from the culture, history, and traditions of affected areas. Drawing from multiple disciplinary perspectives, this special issue examines the importance of focusing on community knowledge in disaster management contexts, and explores how such knowledge saves lives during emergencies while enhancing overall disaster management effectiveness. The research employs an analytical framework applied to case studies from China, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The findings are expected to inform more appropriate and effective disaster management and humanitarian assistance by encouraging analysts and practitioners to reconsider and integrate the often-neglected knowledge and capacity that exists within local communities.

For more information, please refer to the following: 

Journal Title: Disasters: Volume 48, Issue S1
Title: Local knowledge as the basis of disaster management and humanitarian assistance
Publication date: July 2024
URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14677717/2024/48/S1