Mainstreaming women in disaster risk reduction in the built environment

• Main Author: Ginige, K. N.
• Published: University of Salford 2014
• Subjects: 710; Built and Human Environment
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.644756

Natural disasters have long-term implications on sustainable development. They mainly destroy the built environment thereby hindering economic and social development, and causing environment degradation. Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into the built environment is therefore critical for ensuring sustainable development. Improving the resilience of humans who live in the built environment, particularly the more vulnerable is a significant component of accomplishing overall disaster risk reduction in the built environment (DRR in the BE). Having observed women to be a group of humans more vulnerable to natural disasters due to social, economic, biological conditions and processes and their roles and responsibilities, it was recognised that it is important to mainstream them into disaster risk reduction within the context of the built environment. In this context, this doctoral research investigates the process of mainstreaming women, i.e. how the knowledge and needs of women, which help to reduce their disaster vulnerability, can be identified and integrated into the built environment. The research design of the study incorporates a social constructivism view point and associates with constructionism ontology and interpretivism epistemology. A literature review and a pilot round of interviews with experts in DRR in the BE were undertaken to improve the knowledge of the associated concepts pertaining to the research. Empirical investigation of the study incorporates a single case, mono method research which deploys qualitative, in-depth interviews for data collection. Sri Lanka is the case study for the research whilst the interview respondents are a group of professionals involved in DRR in the BE of the country. Data analysis for the study follows thematic analysis and combines inductive reasoning and abductive reasoning in order to build systematic, explanatory accounts from concepts and meanings embedded in the interview responses. The study reveals the importance of the process of mainstreaming women into DRR in the BE whilst demonstrating the various types of DRR knowledge and needs of women and, methods that facilitate identification of the needs and knowledge, and the ways of integrating them into the built environment. A set of guidelines is developed to inform the process of mainstreaming, identifying the existing barriers, ways of promoting the process, parties responsible, relevant protocols and suggestions for good practice in implementing the process. Improvements to the regulatory framework, enhancement of essential resources and awareness building of all relevant parties are considered to be the main ways towards process improvement.