The document discusses the challenges of social learning in heatwave risk management by local authorities in London, highlighting both formal and informal institutional constraints. It emphasizes the role of informal networks in supporting disaster risk management (DRM) while questioning the assumption that learning necessarily leads to systemic change. The findings suggest that informal relationships can enhance coping mechanisms but may limit critical reflection and innovation in resilience planning.

1. Can we learn to be resilient? Institutional
constraints for social learning in heatwave
risk management in London, UK
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Thomas Abeling
abeling@ehs.unu.edu
UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY (UNU-EHS)
KING‘S COLLEGE LONDON

2. 2004 CCA: local authorities
“category 1” responders
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
UK heatwave risk management
Level 0 Long-term planning
Level 1 Heat Prepardness
Level 2 Heat forcast - Alert
Level 3 Heat Action
Level 4 Major Incident
 Are local authorities well equipped to
act as agents of change and
transformation?

3. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Methodology
 inductive research design, explorative analysis
 49 semi-structured expert interviews
 qualitative methodology
 grounded theory approach (Glaser + Strauss 1967)

4. Formal and informal institutions for social learning
FORMAL ITY
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Heatwave Planning
INFORMALITY
rules and regulations
visible
tangible
flexibility, trust,
networks
invisible, informal
relationships
intangible
(Pelling et al. 2008)

5. Informal networks support formal DRM
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
DYSFUNCTIONAL
COMMUNICATION
„ […] to talk to the GP
practices to sort out what
was happening there […]
we had to go through the
NHS England […]. But to get
a hold of these people […] is
actually really difficult,
especially during the level 3
alert.” (London CCG)
INFORMAL
RELATIONSHIPS
„We ended up circumventing
the official pathway […] We
went directly to the GP
practices to talk to them. […]
Our big luck was that those
people in the NHS England
[…] have worked [with us]
before, and we were able to
draw on these informal
relationships.” (London CCG)
Heatwave Planning

6. Informal institutions as constraints social learning?
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Heatwave
Planning
• Informality and social networks
support existing DRM
approaches to function
• Creative energy directed at
coping with dysfunctionalities,
rather than critical reflection and
innovation
Social learning = system stability(?)
INFORMALITY

7. Added value for the Post 2015 Framework for
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Disaster Risk Reduction
– Raises questions on the role of learning in resilience
– Challenges the idea that learning = change
– Association of informality with innovation and
critical reflection (Gundersson 1999, Nooteboom
2006, Olsson et al. 2006, Pahl-Wostl 2009) might fail
to grasp complexity of social learning

8. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Thomas Abeling
abeling@ehs.unu.edu
UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY
KING‘S COLLEGE LONDON
http://www.embrace-eu.org/