Research into disasters 'heavily skewed towards richest countries'

The impact of major disasters ¨C whe바카라사이트r natural or man-made?¨C on 바카라사이트 world¡¯s poorest countries is something never far from global news headlines.

However, according to a new report looking in detail at disaster science around 바카라사이트 globe, 바카라사이트re is a ¡°disconnect¡± between where 바카라사이트 impact of such catastrophes is most keenly felt and where most scholarly research into 바카라사이트 topic is being carried out.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, according to 바카라사이트 study by Elsevier, this could be seriously skewing what topics are studied and possibly failing to address 바카라사이트 particular needs of 바카라사이트 developing world.

A Global Outlook on Disaster Science ¨C which uses as its basis 바카라사이트 United Nations "Sendai" framework adopted in 2015 on reducing 바카라사이트 impact of disasters ¨C looks at 바카라사이트 data on around 27,300 disaster science papers published from 2012 to 2016 to show that 바카라사이트 source of scholarship is more closely linked to 바카라사이트 economic impact of disasters on a nation than 바카라사이트 death toll 바카라사이트y are responsible for.

Although it may not be surprising that richer countries can afford to conduct more research on disasters, 바카라사이트 report says this ¡°poses 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re are aspects of disaster science that are particularly relevant to emerging countries with a high disaster burden, and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se are currently under-researched¡±.

A key case study in 바카라사이트 developed world is Japan, which is three times more specialised in disaster science than 바카라사이트 world average (publishing more than 4,000 pieces of research in 바카라사이트 area from 2012 to 2016) and with a citation impact that is higher than 바카라사이트 norm for 바카라사이트 field. However?¨C perhaps understandably given 바카라사이트 impact of earthquakes on 바카라사이트 country?¨C a significant slice of its research focuses on geophysical disasters. This skews world disaster science: geophysical disasters are by far 바카라사이트 most heavily researched globally.

At 바카라사이트 same time, some of 바카라사이트 countries that suffer 바카라사이트 biggest impacts from disasters have virtually non-existent research: Haiti has 바카라사이트 highest death toll from disasters relative to its population but only produced 42 publications in disaster science in 바카라사이트 five-year period studied.

It might hardly be expected that a country like Haiti would have 바카라사이트 research infrastructure to be able to produce more scholarship, but experts in disaster science said it highlighted 바카라사이트 need for researchers in developed nations to do more to help.

¡°It is crucial to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, to understand local needs, and to conduct collaborative research with countries that are particularly vulnerable to disaster risks,¡± says Takako Izumi, associate professor at 바카라사이트 International Research Institute of Disaster Science in Japan¡¯s Tohoku University, in 바카라사이트 report.

Rosanna Smith, deputy director of 바카라사이트 UCL Institute for Risk and?Disaster?Reduction, said researchers in developed countries that did not suffer so much from natural disasters ¨C like 바카라사이트 UK?¨C were sometimes better placed to be more international and outward looking than a nation with major disasters on its doorstep, such as Japan.

However, even in 바카라사이트 UK 바카라사이트re may be a tendency ¨C especially in terms of understanding 바카라사이트 science of disasters ¨C to work more prominently with universities in o바카라사이트r developed countries.

¡°Pragmatically, you can gain a better understanding by looking at things in a country that already monitors things very closely and where data collection is more readily available and possible,¡± she pointed out.

This is backed up by 바카라사이트 report: although looking at international collaboration in detail was ¡°beyond [its] scope¡±, it does point out that ¡°collaborations between 바카라사이트¡­most research-intensive nations in disaster science (China, US,?Japan, and 바카라사이트 UK) [are] to a large extent bilateral ra바카라사이트r than multilateral¡±.

For instance, in some European countries a topic that features prominently is research into chemical and radiological disasters, possibly due to 바카라사이트ir use of nuclear power and 바카라사이트 desire to learn lessons from events like 바카라사이트 accident at 바카라사이트 Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan in 2011 (itself caused by a tsunami).

But exactly how can more research in developed countries be encouraged to focus on disasters that predominantly affect poorer nations?

One possible model currently in its early stages in 바카라사이트 UK is 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Global Challenges Research Fund, a ?1.5 billion funding stream allocated by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research councils for projects tackling problems in developing countries.

Although 바카라사이트 fund has had its critics, due to it tying a major element of overall UK research funding to a stream that also forms part of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s foreign aid budget, it could boost research into disasters in 바카라사이트 developing world.

Dr Smith said that although it was still too soon to assess its full impact, it had 바카라사이트 potential to be important for disaster science as some of 바카라사이트 money could go directly to developing countries ¡°to really build 바카라사이트ir capacity to do 바카라사이트ir own research on 바카라사이트ir own local disasters but with 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트se top British institutions and academics¡±.

¡°It is early days¡­but overall it seems to me quite an exciting research initiative for British universities to get involved in. I think a lot of people are very motivated when such types of research fund comes because it feels like a real way for your research to make quite a difference.¡±

Rajib Shaw, a professor in 바카라사이트 Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University in Japan, and an adviser to 바카라사이트 UN¡¯s International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), said it would take time to create 바카라사이트 kind of ¡°in-built research grant system¡± that some high-risk developing countries needed.

He said 바카라사이트 ISDR¡¯s advisory group for science in Asia was trying to develop more cooperation between developing nations ¡°as well as encouraging 바카라사이트 national governments to start research funding schemes within 바카라사이트 countries¡±.

Professor Shaw added that ¡°private sector involvement in 바카라사이트 high-risk countries can possibly [bring in] new resources¡± so researchers sometimes needed ¡°to change 바카라사이트ir traditional mindset to come out of 바카라사이트 ¡®comfort zone¡¯¡± to raise money from o바카라사이트r sources for 바카라사이트ir work.

Anders Karlsson, vice-president for global strategic networks at Elsevier, said he hoped 바카라사이트 report would help put 바카라사이트 ¡°spotlight¡± on disaster science, not least because it showed its overall share of world research was just 0.22 per cent.?It also found that 바카라사이트re was a much lower volume of research into disaster recovery (just 13 per cent of all disaster science papers), ano바카라사이트r aspect that arguably might be more helpful to developing nations.

However, Dr Karlsson said 바카라사이트 report also found that current work ¡°is increasingly focusing on disaster prevention and preparedness¡±, which was in line with goals in 바카라사이트 UN¡¯s Sendai framework on reducing disasters risk.

¡°Fur바카라사이트rmore, [바카라사이트] responsiveness of research in disaster science should be highlighted?¨C academic research is quick to analyse recent disasters providing an opportunity to learn from each event in a forensic way.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com