Article Title

International Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies and Indigenous Peoples

Abstract

With more frequent and more intense disasters, disaster risk reduction (DRR) has become increasingly important as a fundamental approach to sustainable development. Indigenous communities hold a unique position in DRR discourse in that they are often more vulnerable than non-Indigenous groups and yet also hold traditional knowledges that enable a greater understanding of hazards and disasters. This article provides an overview of multilateral agreements for incorporating Indigenous Peoples into wider debates on disaster policies as well as development agendas. Essential DRR strategies can be adapted for Indigenous communities through respect for Indigenous approaches in coordinating alliances; culturally appropriate incentives; accurate, appropriate, and ethical data collection; acknowledgment of Indigenous land use practices; use of Indigenous language, leadership, and institutions; collaboration with Indigenous knowledges; and acceptance of traditional healing approaches.

Acknowledgments

i Simon Lambert is an Associate Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, University of Saskatchewan. He is a member of the Tuhoe and Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana tribes of New Zealand. simon.lambert@.usask.ca ii John Scott is President of the Center for Public Service Communications. He is an enrolled member of the Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit). jcscott@cpsc.com iii Daniel Cabello-Llamas is a Masters candidate in International Humanitarian Action at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium, and currently interning at the World Health Organization's South-East Asia Regional Office in Delhi, India. cabello87@hotmail.com iv Patricia Bittner is Disaster Risk Reduction Program Coordinator at the Center for Public Service Communications and formerly with the Department of Health Emergencies at the Pan American Health Organization, regional office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. patricia.bittner@cpsc.com

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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