Displacement risk: Unpacking a problematic concept for disaster risk reduction

Abstract

Abstract“Displacement risk” is increasingly central to global policy discourse on disaster risk reduction (DRR), despite its vague formulation and inconsistent use. Different understandings of displacement, its complex relationship with vulnerability, and its ambiguous role as a necessary survival strategy for people in harm's way that also creates or exacerbates risk, hinder its clear conceptualization. This limits the clarity and value of recommendations to “reduce displacement risk” for DRR. The explicit consideration of two complementary aspects of risk related to displacement could support more comprehensive, actionable discourses: (1) the “risk stemming from displacement”, that is, any negative impact people might experience due to displacement, and (2) the “risk of remaining displaced”, that is, of people being displaced for a long time. Consideration of these aspects would allow to better include protection and durable solution perspectives within DRR, integrate displacement in disaster risk and loss assessments and add value to existing DRR efforts.

Introduction: Environmental (im)mobilities: Improving the evidence base for effective policy making

“…The focus on “preventing displacement” has been accompanied by calls to limit the presence of people in hazard‐prone areas, which can be problematic and may overlook how displacement can form part of people's complex disaster risk strategies. Guadagno and Yonetani (2022) argue that DRR/DRM and climate change adaptation (CCA) efforts would benefit from a more nuanced discussion that also considers “the risks stemming from displacement” for affected people and “the risk of remaining displaced”. Such a change in perspective and the more explicit consideration of these three dimensions – “the risk of displacement occurring”, “the risk of people remaining displaced”, and/or “the risk stemming from displacement ‑ could help improve the inclusion of displacement issues within DRR/DRM efforts and provide real added value to current practices.…”

“…The articles in the Special Section address many of the issues raised by both the UNFCCC and GCM processes. They provide examples of new data sources and methodologies to address the data and research gaps, including the need for more precision in conceptualizing the problem to be studied (Guadagno & Yonetani, 2022), use of new data sources in early warning of displacement (Martin & Singh, 2022), the lessons of meta‐analyses for future data collection (Nicoletti et al, 2022), and the importance of developing new methodologies to study the relationship between environmental change and (im)mobilities (Fussell et al, 2022). The Special Section articles also address the dissemination and use of data and research to improve policy and practice, highlighting challenges and opportunities for translating scientific knowledge into policy action and effective practices (Hoffmann et al, 2023) and ways to bring the evidence to the attention of key actors (Rosengärtner et al, 2022).…”

“…The Special Section begins with a set of submissions dealing with improving concepts, measurement, data, and methodologies. Guadagno and Yonetani (2022) highlight the importance of developing adequate concepts as the basis of data collection and quantification that can inform policy and planning in appropriate ways. Drawing on their extensive experience in the work with displaced persons as well as Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRR/DRM), the authors question the emergent, but vague and inconsistently used notion of "displacement risk".…”

Solutions discourse in disaster displacement: implications for policy and practice

“…While planned relocation has received more international policy attention in recent years in the context of disasters and climate change, relocation/resettlement as a solution continues to be framed as ‘a measure of last resort’ (Bower and Weerasinghe, 2021, p. 7) that requires other options to be explored and exhausted first (Ferris and Weerasinghe, 2020). Most experiences of relocating households and/or communities to areas less exposed to hazards, including the aforementioned example in the Philippines, have proven to be ‘politically fraught, costly and socially disruptive’ (Guadagno and Yonetani, 2022, p. 7). This makes national policymakers and practitioners generally reluctant to consider this possibility.…”

“…This is also evident from operational discourses underlying the formulation and implementation of most national DRRM strategies, which tend to adopt a particular view of displacement risk. Towards this end, Guadagno and Yonetani (2022) point to a one-dimensional conceptualisation of displacement risk: 'the risk of displacement occurring', which fails to account sufficiently for the 'risk stemming from displacement' and the 'risk of remaining displaced'.…”