“We want to connect different hazards—seeing earthquake risk reduction as related to risk reduction from events like wildfires, drought, heat or floods... How do we take all these different kinds of research which already exist, and put them into conversation in ways that might actually create new paths for action?”
On October 15 an article titled The state of disaster and resilience literature in British Columbia, Canada. A systematic scoping review was published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, co-authored by Prof. Sara Shneiderman (SPPGA; Anthropology) alongside fellow Disaster Resilience Research Network members Charlotte Milne, Taylor Legere, Jonathan Eaton and Carlos Molina Hutt.
This article was published just days before The Great British Columbia Shakeout, a massive province-wide earthquake drill.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim at the ShakeOut 2024 press conference, photo by Sara Shneiderman
We caught up with Prof. Shneiderman to talk about her research findings, her work with the City of Vancouver on disaster preparedness, and some of her more recent media appearances.
What were some of the key findings of the research outlined in this new article, and was there anything in particular that stood out to you?
As far as we’re aware, this is the first article attempting a systematic review of research on disaster resilience in British Columbia. We’re looking at material from a broad range of disciplines and trying to bring different perspectives into conversation with one another.
One of the things we found is that earthquakes are the hazard most commonly published about, despite being the least frequently occurring. We want to connect different hazards—seeing earthquake risk reduction as related to risk reduction from climate-related events like wildfires, drought, heat or floods. The specifics of material and infrastructural destruction might differ, but from my perspective as a social scientist, a lot of the necessary social and governmental response mechanisms are going to be similar.
I think what stands out about this article is the multidisciplinary and multi-hazard approach. We’re reviewing over 340 articles from fields like engineering, geology, geography, anthropology, archaeology, and planning. It’s about not seeing these topics as separate. And we’re looking at material published around different kinds of hazards from a shared framework. This work is especially relevant given the range of current events like the atmospheric river we experienced in mid-October.
How do we take all these different kinds of research which already exist, and put them into conversation in ways that might actually create new paths for action? That’s one of the questions we’re asking ourselves as researchers.
With the increasing risks associated with climate change in BC, what are some practical steps that local policymakers can take based on your research to reduce vulnerabilities and build stronger disaster preparedness frameworks?
There are lots of practical steps that can be taken.
One thing is to attend to where gaps in the research are. The article shows that there’s a disconnect between the actual locations of historical disasters and where research has been conducted. Most articles focus on urban areas, particularly Metro Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo. While that makes sense since many researchers are based there, these aren’t necessarily the communities with the highest disaster risk. The article is accompanied by an interactive map and timeline that really hit these findings home.
So the question is: how do we conduct specific research in the places that need it most? This article identifies some of those gaps, and we hope future researchers and policymakers will be able to use these findings to guide research in more intentional ways.
This research has been conducted in conjunction with a contract that the Disaster Resilience Research Network has with the Provincial Ministry for Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. So we’ve been sharing findings with them, which is a direct link into the policy making community, and we’re hoping these might help shape some of their priorities.
You co-authored this paper with others involved in the UBC Disaster Resilience Research Network (DRRN). How can interdisciplinary approaches improve disaster preparedness and resilience in BC, and why are networks such as the DRRN important?
The DRRN is a UBC research cluster that I co-lead with my colleague Carlos Molina Hutt, who’s in Civil Engineering. While he and I are both co-authors on the paper, it was actually led by graduate students who were hired as fellows with the program. Charlotte Milne, the lead author, is a PhD student at the Institute for Resources Environment and Sustainability, and Taylor Legere is a Masters student in Landscape Architecture. Jonathan Eaton, who’s the third author, has just finished his PhD in Anthropology. So with my joint appointment in Anthropology and SPPGA, between us we have five different UBC units and as many disciplines represented, which is really exciting.
What’s interesting about working in interdisciplinary teams is that we often have completely different definitions of key terms. And that’s part of what an article like this is trying to do: break down some of these barriers. For instance, when engineers talk about resilience, they may be thinking primarily about the structural resilience of buildings. On the other hand, as a social scientist I’m focused on human resilience built through social and cultural capacities. When Carlos and I first connected, we realized how different our interpretations were, and how much we need both perspectives in order to generate any kind of holistic resilience. That’s something that I really deeply believe.
We often talk about it as a socio-technical interface. Many of the technical disciplines, such as engineering or geology, have the science that we need to understand what the problems are and, in many cases, how to address them. But the science itself is not going to engage with people’s behaviors and all of the social policy and governance issues that are always at the heart of implementation. We all have a different piece of the puzzle.
What role do Indigenous communities and knowledge play in enhancing disaster resilience, particularly given their deep connection to the land and traditional risk management practices?
This is critical, especially in BC, but really anywhere in the world.
Just as one example, the last major earthquake in BC was in the 1700s, so more than 300 years ago. The main reason we have records of that is due to the Indigenous oral traditions, which helped scientists understand the Cascadia Subduction Zone’s historical behaviors. This is also certainly the case around wildfire management practices, flooding, and other kinds of hazards.
However, there are challenges. Indigenous communities need to be able to assert their jurisdiction for disaster risk reduction, which can be complex due to emergency legislation. For instance, our colleague in the DRRN, Jocelyn Stacey of UBC’s Allard School of Law, co-authored a paper discussing how the Tŝilhqot’in Nation was experienced challenges in implementing their wildfire management protocols during the 2017 wildfires because of interference from federal and provincial jurisdictions.
Our review shows that Indigenous perspectives are significantly underrepresented in the scholarly literature. While there’s growing recognition of the importance of Indigenous knowledge, translating that into practice can be complicated due to conflicting legislation and protocols. We’re also seeing a new emergency and disaster management act in BC that aims to implement the principles of UNDRIP, providing a new framework for these relationships, but it’s still very much a work in progress.
Your team is also working with the City of Vancouver on personal preparedness. Can you tell us a little bit about that research?
Yes, we’re partnering with the City of Vancouver Emergency Management Agency on a survey about personal emergency preparedness. This survey is open to all residents of Vancouver over 18 until November 15. It will inform municipal emergency preparedness strategies and provide us with a new dataset to understand community awareness and preparedness for various disasters. After collecting the survey data, the city will conduct initial analysis, and then we at UBC will take that further. There’s also a place for people to opt in to share their contact details for follow-up interviews and focus groups. I’m particularly excited about this qualitative aspect, where we’ll get to gather personal insights from people about past disaster experiences and how they inform current preparedness.
In the Media
October 15, 2024
How Canadians are Preparing for Natural Disaster
Prof. Sara Shneiderman (SPPGA; UBC Anthropology) delves into Canada’s nationwide preparation for natural disasters amidst BC’s recent earthquakes, stressing the importance of practicing safety procedures. Via CTV News
October 21, 2024
SHAKEOUT BC: BE PREPARED, DON’T WAIT FOR THE BIG ONE | Manimugdha Sharma | Dr. Sara Shneiderman
Prof. Sara Shneiderman (SPPGA; UBC Anthropology) discusses the significance of BC inhabitants’ preparation for natural disasters, referencing the recovery of other countries such as Nepal. Via SherePunjabRadio AM600
