Moral Disengagement within Disaster Governance

How, why and with what consequences do those in disaster risk governance (DRG) morally disengage from disaster? Disasters are increasing in magnitude and
frequency which disproportionately affects the most vulnerable and at-risk populations. Disaster risk governance provides an opportunity to avert the
experience of disaster, yet current disaster risk reduction interventions are often considered inadequate. In disaster studies, the moral aspects of disaster and specifically
DRG have been unjustly neglected. This research will directly advance understanding of how moral disengagement operates within disaster risk governance
and the consequence of this for at-risk populations. It will explore the context of the moral disengagement being exhibited and its differential influence. It will utilise a case
study approach of rapid-onset DRG in the small-island developing state of Mauritius. This location has been selected due to its repeated experience of rapid-onset
disaster, fragmented DRG and its socio-political and cultural context. The research methodology includes content analysis of previous rapid-onset disaster
identifying intersections in which moral disengagement might be exhibited and their contextualisation. It will workwith DRG actors predominantly through the Mauritian
Natural DRR and Management Centre, to understand acts of moral disengagement, their contextualisation and consequences. It will employ participant observation and
in-depth interviews. This research will develop theoretical connections between disaster studies and moral disengagement. Critically, this research will be translated
into positive, appropriate and sustainable action for those most at-risk to disasters by understanding the relations between the experience of disaster and the complex
dynamics of moral disengagement.