The study examines the influence of recurrent natural disasters on disaster risk management (DRM) policies in Mozambique, highlighting that past disasters have not directly led to significant policy changes. Instead, incremental changes primarily related to institutional learning and awareness have occurred, while DRM has become increasingly recognized in government strategies since the end of the civil war. The findings suggest that contextual factors and the need for more effective framing of DRM are crucial for future policy development.

1. Disasters as Drivers for Policy Change in the
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
Context of Recurrent Hazards?
The Case of Disaster Risk Management in Mozambique
Jenni Koivisto
Centre for Clime and Safety
Centre for Natural Disaster Science
Karlstad University, Sweden

2. 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
Introduction
• Few studies on disaster risk
management (DRM) policies and the
processes leading to policy changes
• Policy process literature recognises the
role of shocks in policy change
– DRM policy subsystems
• Developing country context
– Climate change – repeated shocks
– Differences in decision making and policy
process

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
This Study
• How do actors involved in DRM
perceive the role of disasters in
the policy process
• How do disasters influence DRM
policy process in a subsystem
facing recurrent natural
disasters?
• Mozambique as a case study
– Recurrent natural disasters
• almost 50 within the past 20 years
• Negative impacts on the country’s
development efforts
– one of the least developed
countries in the world (HDI
184/186)

4. 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
Theoretical Background
• Disasters can open “Policy Windows”: separate streams of
problems, policies and politics come together (Kingdon)
• Natural disasters do not open “windows of opportunity” in
disaster management domain since DM and DRM policies are
“policies without public” (May 1991)
• Different types of changes:
– Institutional culture, training, leadership and network building
(software)
– Formal structures and legal frameworks (hardware)
(Boin & ‘t Hart 2010)

5. 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
• Qualitative research
• Data collected in Maputo, Mozambique in 2013.
• Semi-structured interviews with 40 informants actively
involved in DRM domain in Mozambique.
– Ministries/other governmental bodies, NGOs, inter-governmental and
bilateral organisations and academia.
• Governmental documents and various policy studies
• Data on disasters and their impacts were drawn from EM-DAT
• Delimited to cover only the post-civil war era (1992 onwards)

6. 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
DRM in Mozambique
• A more proactive approach to disaster management and DRM
appeared from mid 90s onward
– The end of the civil war in 1992: from relief to development
– The IDNDR lifted DRM on the international agenda
• 1999: Disaster management bill and the National Disaster
Management Institute (INGC)
• Since 2005 DRM as cross-cutting issue in the Government 5-
year-plans and poverty reduction strategies
• 2006: Disaster Risk Reduction Master Plan
• 2013 DRM one of the main pillars in the National strategy for
climate change mitigation and adaptation
• 2014: Disaster management law

7. 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
Analysis
• Past disasters have played a role in policy process but not the
immediate or the main cause for changes
• Policy diffusion and institutionalism were seen as more direct
drivers
• Disasters were seen to impact at the background through various
processes:
– Lessons drawn: Institutional and individual learning important
but slow
– Keep DRM on the agenda: DRM is overshadowed by response
and recovery activities but the importance of DRM is
acknowledged
– Help pushing ready-made plans: The worst floods since 2000 in
early 2013 were hoped to help in passing the new disaster
management law
– Disasters as “wake-up calls”: disasters in bigger scale (2000
floods) or new types of hazards (2006 earthquake)

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
Conclusions
• Disasters have not directly led to policy changes - A lot of
disasters but few changes
• Changes incremental rather than knee-jerk reactions
• More “software” changes:
– Training, programme planning
– Networks and information sharing among actors improved
• A lot of attention. However perhaps not enough
criticism/blame-game to “force” changes at political level
• Because of connections to climate change and development
the public and actors participating is ever growing – How to
frame DRM?
• Contextual factors:
– Subsystem exhausted, focus on preparedness, response and
recovery
– Disasters less of a shock

9. 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
• How did your work support the implementation of the Hyogo
Framework for Action:
– Reveals that international cooperation and agreements, such as HFA,
are perceived important in domestic policy process
• From your perspective what are the main gaps, needs and
further steps to be addressed in the Post 2015 Framework for
Disaster Risk Reduction in
– Need to embrace the different settings and institutions
– Tools for coordination
– Platforms to share experiences and best practices

10. 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
Thank you
Jenni Koivisto
Jenni.koivisto@kau.se
Centre for Natural Disaster Science
Centre for Climate and Safety
Karlstad Univeristy