Enabling Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change through a Network of Peruvian Universities

Abstract

In recent decades, Latin America (LA) has been frequently and severely affected by floods and landslides. There is an urgency for adopting Comprehensive Disaster and Climate Risk Management (CRM). In 2016, a group of Peruvian universities established a network (Gestión Integral del Riesgo de Desastres y Adaptación al Cambio Climático (GIRD-ACC)) committed to the principles of CRM. This article compiles and evaluates the network results/plans and actions. A qualitative study and a methodological strategy are reported featuring: a bibliographic/network documentary review; an account of the events that led to the start and development of the network; and a case study of a three-university network. Results show that the network can help in deepening knowledge and forging a culture of risk prevention. This is by incorporating risk management and climate change awareness in professional training and intensive activity to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs -11, 13, and 17). Results indicate the importance of gaining consensus (a notoriously difficult task in LA) between the authorities and the operational departments; the role of universities’ social responsibilities; incorporating sustainability and risk management themes in the mainstream curricula; and developing a network by learning from similar groupings across LA to improve CRM within universities.

Corporate Social Responsibility Latin America: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

“…Social responsibility is associated with large companies, but now social work is part of SME management. This trend has emerged because companies are realizing the benefits of doing so, due to the fact that it contributes to legitimacy, leadership and management (Vives and Vara, 2012;Huerta-Tantalean at al., 2022;Espinoza-Molina et al, 2022;Cordova-Buiza at al., 2022a;Barro-Chale et al, 2022). Bermudez et al (2018), explain that responsible behavior that is a horizontal element of organizational management with ethical models of…”