After disaster strikes and other stories: The political construction of Typhoon Pablo in insurgency affected communities in Mindanao

Disasters, such as the Asian tsunami (Sri Lanka & Indonesia), the Indus Floods (Pakistan) and on-going droughts in the Horn of Africa, have increasingly taken place in parts of LMICs affected by violence and conflict. Yet, surprisingly, very little is known about the way in which people living amidst conflict interact with the state, with insurgent groups or the military in the aftermath of the disaster and how this is experienced in their 'everyday' lives. The question this research seeks to address is how are climatic disasters locally constructed in communities living with conflict in LMICs? In so doing, this project will help understand the complex political space where development interventions in disaster recovery and rehabilitation take place. Fitting perfectly within the framework of the PaCCS and the GCRF this project project will address a tangible gap in conflict and disaster research. It's findings will have a significant impact in the design of development policy aimed at improving welfare of communities living in LMICs.

This research project is unique and innovative in the political space that it is interested in studying - the intersection of disasters with conflict. The approach it follows is innovative and risky, drawing together social science scholarship and methods with arts and humanities methods. Additionally in working with non-academic partners proficient in visual methods, this research allows me to build capacity as an early career scholar, interested in developing an interdisciplinary approach to studying the disaster and conflict space in LMICs.

Based on physical and digital ethnographic research in two barangays (villages), in Surigao del Sur and in Manguindanao provinces, in Mindanao this project will politically construct Typhoon Pablo that devastated the southern Philippines in 2012. This region has been facing a protracted armed insurgency between the communist New People's Army (NPA) and the Islamist, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the state. Though political geography often discusses disasters as a manifestation of state "weakness" that fracture the social contracts between the states and their citizens, allowing insurgent groups to capture this space, my previous research shows such a narrative as being too simplistic. It fails to take into account the complex, haphazard and informal ways in which state-citizen relationships have been forged, invented and reinvented in the postcolonial world.

To explore this complexity, my ethnographic fieldwork will also include twenty digital stories from community members who were affected by Typhoon Pablo and have been living amidst an active insurgency. I will be working with local partners Swito Corp based in Davao City Mindanao, who run an exciting start-up using digital storytelling as a medium of engaging local communities, particularly in areas of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Additionally a community NGO in Mindanao, PeaceBuilders Community Incorporated (PBCI), with grassroots networks will be collaborators on this project.

This will be one of the first research project exploring local construction of a disaster in a conflict-affected region in an LMIC, such as the Philippines. It is therefore not only an innovative piece of work but in providing a contextual and socially relevant framework through which to understand the disaster and conflict intersection, but can be used to design policy interventions in Mindanao and beyond. Additionally, this project will also be one of the first to use digital storytelling as a method of ethnographic data collection. Thereby, enabling participation of respondents in developing their own digital storyboards and driving their own narrative. A guiding framework in this regard will be provided by the specialist company Limetools Ltd in the UK, experienced in using media and digital storytelling for policy work thereby improving capability of Filipino partners as well.

Impact for think tanks and international development institutes
(i) Pioneering research (data, approaches and methodologies) on political construction of climatic disasters that moves beyond grand narratives of 'fractured social contracts' and 'disaster diplomacy' in conflict affected communities in LMICs
The call for this project asks for research that will make a "transformative contribution to advancing the fields of conflict and international development research", is "innovative and ambitious" and develops cross-disciplinary "approaches between the arts and humanities and social sciences".
(ii) Presenting research findings on a very relevant and challenging issue for the Philippines, and a number of other LMICs: increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters in countries struggling with enduring conflict and insecurity.
This project call is also aimed towards research that is "internationally focused" and makes a positive impact "welfare (broadly defined) of populations in, and/or economic development of, LMICs.

Impact for Filipino partners, research participants and civil society
(iii) The project collaborations include two Filipino partners; a social impact start-up Swito Corp and a community based NGO PeaceBuilders Community Inc (PBCI), and a UK based digital storytelling and behavioural change specialist company Limetools Ltd.
The call asks that research engage with "the specific cultures, histories, faiths and beliefs" of people. This research project will therefore be working with communities through "non-academic partners" who are known and trusted by the community. Additionally, UK collaborators Limetools Ltd will provide guidelines for the digital stories that will build "future capacity for cross-disciplinary and internationally collaborative research" within Swito Corp having a lasting impact beyond the scope of the project.
(iv) Findings from this research are of direct relevance and interest to project collaborators PBCI who design and deliver trainings in conflict resolution in these communities. Other NGOs and agencies working in these areas in the Philippines and the research participants themselves.
This project contributes towards the calls aims to support research that is "collaborative with non-academic partners in LMICs or in international organisations concerned with supporting international development" while also meeting the ODA requirements of "supporting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development".

Impact for international development policy makers and practitioners

(v) Project findings will have direct implications for international development policy in areas of disaster management and peace building. While also presenting an opportunity to explore the ways in which a research tool such as digital storytelling can be effectively used to influence development policy.
The ODA requirements in the field of peace and security clearly state, "Development co-operation should not be used as a vehicle to promote the providers security interests". It is therefore especially important that a counter-narrative to the mainstream approach of "winning hearts and minds" with Western aid in the aftermath of disasters, in insurgency affected LMICs, is presented. The first step in constructing this alternative policy narrative for disaster and conflict affected regions is robust evidence based research.

In the UK, the FCO, DFID and international development organisations working in areas of climate disasters and/or conflict, such as International Alert, Conciliation Resources and ActionAid will be invited to workshops and put on the project mailing list to share findings and updates on research. In the Philippines, this research will be of relevance and interest to the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (NDRRMC), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other international development actors investing in conflict prevention and disaster management