DISASTERS AND DISASTERS: COMMON RESILIENCE KEY ASPECTS AT DIFFERENT SCALES
Prof. Stefano GRIMAZ
The operational meaning of resilience is introduced with reference to the disaster management cycle adopted by the United Nations in policies for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. The objective is to highlight how this conceptual approach can be applied at different scales and for different systems analysed. Comparing different scales and systems, in particular, emphasizes common key factors that contribute to building resilient responses to critical situations by different systems (communities, organizations, or individuals). The intervention aims to highlight the important role played by context, and in particular, how the complexity and uncertainty that characterize the new normality in which we live open up new challenges in building resilience at all scales, first of all, the acceptance of change. Individuals and communities are increasingly called upon to face critical situations, often unprecedented, and to seek solutions of continuous adaptation in highly unstable and uncertain contexts. The perceived dimension of the disaster is relative. What is not a disaster for the community may be so for an individual or a group of people. Therefore, it is important to place the case in the right scale and context in supporting subjects in crisis. Useful insights for addressing and supporting the improvement of resilience through a process of anticipation and adaptation to changes can be derived from a comparative analysis of the various scales in which the disaster management cycle can be applied. Framing the problem in the prediction and prevention, preparation, response, or recovery phase identifies the most effective objectives and strategies for addressing the issue effectively.
Professor, chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Intersectoral Safety for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience. He conducts research and teaching activities in the field of emergency management and safety with a holistic and intersectoral approach that combines technical aspects and human factors. He supports national and international institutions in the development of innovative methodologies for risk assessment and management, as well as the enhancement of safety and resilience, in pilot projects and capacity-building activities related to the various phases of the disaster management cycle (prevision and prevention, preparedness, response, recovery).