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Locating potential sources of capacity and vulnerability in geographically remote areas : Reflections based on three case studies

Hamza, Mo LU orcid ; Eriksson, Kerstin LU and Staupe-Delgado, Reidar (2021) In International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 63.
Abstract

The relationship between geographical and social forms of remoteness and the concepts of vulnerability and capacity remains unclear. Recognising that capacities and vulnerabilities tend to co-exist in a population, the article assumes that the dynamics between these concepts are situational. In this article we draw on three cases to analyse the issue. An Arctic case study provides insight on remoteness in terms of latitude, followed by an Andean case study reflecting on the role of altitude, and lastly an Island community case study provides a perspective on external isolation (recognising that island communities are also typically connected). From these cases we glean a number of preliminary insights for further investigation. One is... (More)

The relationship between geographical and social forms of remoteness and the concepts of vulnerability and capacity remains unclear. Recognising that capacities and vulnerabilities tend to co-exist in a population, the article assumes that the dynamics between these concepts are situational. In this article we draw on three cases to analyse the issue. An Arctic case study provides insight on remoteness in terms of latitude, followed by an Andean case study reflecting on the role of altitude, and lastly an Island community case study provides a perspective on external isolation (recognising that island communities are also typically connected). From these cases we glean a number of preliminary insights for further investigation. One is that remote communities tend to avoid dependence on external actors when possible. Second, power dynamics between remote communities and centralised actors can make disaster management difficult if local capacities are overrun but trust is not present. Third, remoteness mainly becomes a direct source of vulnerability if remoteness translates into neglect, rendering places ‘peripheral’. Generalisable insights suggest that relationships take time to build and cannot be easily established after the fact. The cases hence suggest that remote areas typically have a strained relationship with centralised authorities which fosters local coping strategies but also a fear of external dependence, which may ultimately prove problematic in times of adversity.

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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arctic, Disaster risk reduction, Islands, Mountain environments, Remoteness, Resilience, Vulnerability
in
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
volume
63
article number
102433
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85109448505
ISSN
2212-4209
DOI
10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102433
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
192fd3d5-5424-414c-a851-ae8d99467f61
date added to LUP
2021-08-16 14:58:17
date last changed
2023-09-26 22:57:38
@article{192fd3d5-5424-414c-a851-ae8d99467f61,
  abstract     = {{<p>The relationship between geographical and social forms of remoteness and the concepts of vulnerability and capacity remains unclear. Recognising that capacities and vulnerabilities tend to co-exist in a population, the article assumes that the dynamics between these concepts are situational. In this article we draw on three cases to analyse the issue. An Arctic case study provides insight on remoteness in terms of latitude, followed by an Andean case study reflecting on the role of altitude, and lastly an Island community case study provides a perspective on external isolation (recognising that island communities are also typically connected). From these cases we glean a number of preliminary insights for further investigation. One is that remote communities tend to avoid dependence on external actors when possible. Second, power dynamics between remote communities and centralised actors can make disaster management difficult if local capacities are overrun but trust is not present. Third, remoteness mainly becomes a direct source of vulnerability if remoteness translates into neglect, rendering places ‘peripheral’. Generalisable insights suggest that relationships take time to build and cannot be easily established after the fact. The cases hence suggest that remote areas typically have a strained relationship with centralised authorities which fosters local coping strategies but also a fear of external dependence, which may ultimately prove problematic in times of adversity.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hamza, Mo and Eriksson, Kerstin and Staupe-Delgado, Reidar}},
  issn         = {{2212-4209}},
  keywords     = {{Arctic; Disaster risk reduction; Islands; Mountain environments; Remoteness; Resilience; Vulnerability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction}},
  title        = {{Locating potential sources of capacity and vulnerability in geographically remote areas : Reflections based on three case studies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102433}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102433}},
  volume       = {{63}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}