Greg Walkerden

How do links between households and NGOs promote disaster resilience and recovery?: a case study of linking social networks on the Bangladeshi coast

Households’ links with NGOs are an important support for disaster resilience and recovery in Bangladesh. Previous studies have examined how social capital promotes disaster recovery. However, few explore the complexities of linking social networks and, in particular, the role of NGOs, after disasters. Through a case study of Cyclone Sidr—2007 affected two coastal villages of Bangladesh, using household surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews, this study examines when these linking networks perform well and poorly. NGOs provide strong support through immediate relief (food, water, medicine, household utensils), shelter (building materials, new houses), and livelihood assistance (microcredit, cropping seeds, livestock, fishing boats, and nets). However, this catalyzes relief dependency also, NGOs generally favour households they lend to, sometimes demand normal repayments continue even though a disaster has occurred, and often take bribes when they are distributing livelihood assistance to households. We suspect many Bangladeshi NGOs focus on relief activities rather than preparedness, because post-disaster relief provides significant opportunities for financial irregularities, as the cash flows (donor support) are relatively large. Instead, NGOs should increase their emphasis on disaster risk reduction, providing more robust housing and fostering alternative livelihood options rather relief centric activities, because households’ have a strong preference for empowerment and resilience, rather than relief dependency.

Applying Resilience Thinking to Natural Resource Management through a “Planning-By-Doing” Framework

Natural resource management (NRM) organizations are increasingly looking to resilience thinking to provide insights into how social and environmental systems interact and to identify points of intervention. Drawing on complex systems analysis, resilience thinking emphasizes that landscapes constantly change from social and ecological interactions, and focuses NRM planners’ attention on identifying key variables, feedbacks, and thresholds that can help improve intervention strategies. More deliberative approaches are being developed to use resilience thinking in ways that engage and build human capacity for action. This article documents experiences shared with NRM agencies in rural Australia as we developed new approaches to link resilience thinking with collective learning principles. We present an emerging framework through which heuristics associated with resilience thinking is being used as part of a planning-by-doing process. The framework is being tested to assess whether and how it can enable change agents to advance their capacities for adaptation and transformation.

Households' experience of local government during recovery from cyclones in coastal Bangladesh: resilience, equity, and corruption

Households’ links with local Government provide important support for disaster resilience and recovery on the Bangladeshi coast. Few previous studies of disaster resilience and recovery have explored how linking social networks—and in particular local government—contribute. Using household surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews, we examine strengths and weaknesses of local government’s contribution, using two cyclone-affected coastal villages as case studies. The findings show that local government provides important support, for example relief distribution, livelihood assistance, and reconstruction of major community services. However, patronage relationships (notably favouring political supporters) and bribery play a substantial role in how those responsibilities are discharged. The equity and efficiency of these contributions to recovery are markedly diminished by corruption. Reducing corruption in UP’s contributions to disaster recovery could significantly improve resilience; however, general reform of governance in Bangladesh would needed to bring this about.

An Application of Philosophy in Software Modelling and Future Information Systems Development

The influence of mainstream philosophy on conceptual modelling and on modelling language development has historically been arcane or, at best, not recognized, whilst modellers might in fact implicitly espouse one particular philosophical tenet. This paper describes and discusses philosophical stances applied to conceptual modeling in order to make such influences explicit so that we, as conceptual modellers, can take the next step.

Overcoming a Diabolical Challenge: Comparing journalists’ and researchers’ views on the performance of the media as a channel of climate change information

The mass media has a fundamental role to sustain an informed citizenry as a prerequisite for democratic politics. It is, therefore, vital that an evidence-based approach is used when reporting on climate change. Yet, multiple and arguably irreconcilable tensions exist between science and mass media. For example, as media workers are trained to provide a ‘balanced’ approach, this can result in bias in climate change reporting. Additionally, various industry-related pressures mean that mainstream journalists often have limited resources and time to check the accuracy of their climate news stories with researchers. Such tensions and media coverage of alleged climate research misconduct formed the basis of a survey we have developed for an interface group of researchers and journalists who have a vested interest in climate science. The aim of this survey is to compare their attitudes on the performance of the media as a channel of climate change information. The survey was conducted in mid-2010, with responses from journalists and researchers who attended international fora for science–media interface and research integrity discussions, or accessed the survey via an international climate research programme website. Survey findings reveal, contrary to tensions described in the existing literature, a mutual intelligibility and general trust between this core group of journalists and researchers, who have a vested interest in evidence-based climate science reporting. We argue that scientifically informed interface journalists, by collaborating with scientists, can help influence mainstream journalists to better inform the public about the urgency for society to overcome the diabolical climate challenge.

Reflection for learning: a holistic approach to disrupting the text

Reflective practice can support a mindful and focussed approach to deep learning, enabling the bridging between theory and the students’ learning experience. This practice can range from creative pursuits to heeding felt knowing, integrated into the curricula to support praxis. Indeed, the embedding of reflective mechanism(s) is a requirement of learning through participation known as PACE (Professional and Community Engagement), a pillar of the undergraduate curriculum, and core to the university’s new vision. Through this curriculum requirement and a number of fora extending beyond PACE, Australia’s Macquarie University engages with diverse reflective practices including digital storytelling and art. This chapter presents the holistic approach adopted to integrate reflective practice mechanisms across PACE curricula and practice. Firstly, the role of reflection for learning through participation (LTP) is established. The approach taken to achieve a holistic approach to practice is then unpacked. This holistic approach recognises the need to scaffold and embed reflective practice at, and across, many levels.