Acting as a bridge between the take up of science in earthquake and tsunami risk reduction activities and further activities

Whilst we now understand a great deal about earthquakes, and about associated hazards such as tsunami and landslides, the extent to which scientific information is successfully penetrating sectors of the humanitarian community engaged in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness and response is variable. The Haiti earthquake in January 2010, highlighted this to devastating effect.
Work undertaken by the University of Ulster, the British Geological Survey and Concern Worldwide involving local and international NGOs in Sumatra has identified obstacles to the take-up of science in earthquake and tsunami risk reduction activities. The fellowship will act as a bridge between the existing project and further initiatives, maintaining momentum and facilitating planned future research in this area. We propose to clear some of these obstacles by developing new channels for knowledge exchange between international NGOs and hazard scientists.

Disaster losses continue to rise with dire consequences for individuals and economic development. The Hyogo Framework for Action demonstrates international acknowledgement that efforts to reduce disaster risk must be integrated into plans and programmes for sustainable development and poverty reduction.
In this context, mechanisms that optimise the take-up of scientific knowledge by the humanitarian community in disaster risk reduction programming, as outlined in the objectives above, will have far reaching economic and social impacts. It is difficult to estimate the magnitude of these impacts but investing in preparedness to mitigate disasters yields high returns. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that every dollar it gives in mitigation and preparedness saves two given in emergency relief expenditure (Concern DRR Report, 2004).
Poorer countries are disproportionately affected by disasters. While the total cost of the Haiti earthquake may be less than the 1991 Kobe (Japan) earthquake, the cost relative to GDP is massive and it will take decades for the country to recover (source: Concern). Scientific knowledge regarding the earthquake threat in Haiti had not penetrated the humanitarian community. Had it done so, one might suppose that the humanitarian organisations operating there would have been better able to assess the vulnerability of their operations and their capacity to respond to an emergency, as well as the vulnerability of the communities with which they were working.
Greater integration of scientific knowledge into humanitarian programming will not only enhance the reputation of the NERC community and British scientists, but also science in general. The UK is recognized as a leader in the international aid community and the effective and timely delivery of assistance only enhances that reputation, opening avenues, not least economic, for benefits of all kind for the UK.

The Fellowship will give rise to some immediate benefits. For example, the impact of interactions with the humanitarian community in terms of influencing NGO programming will likely occur in the short term, as was seen to be the case in Padang. However, implementation of risk reduction programming at a community level – a fundamental aspect of risk reduction - is not necessarily a ‘quick win’ situation because it requires societal and attitudinal change. Similarly, successful implementation of the initiatives described in the objectives above requires a sustained effort and therefore impact is unlikely to be fully realised in the short-term. However, UU/BGS/Concern experiences in Padang and through the relationships this team have developed show that once initial contact between scientists and the humanitarian community has been made, knowledge exchange occurs relatively quickly.
Dr Sargeant already has experience and contacts in the field of knowledge exchange for disaster risk reduction and emergency response, as well as the scientific expertise, on which to build. Furthermore, Dr Sargeant has excellent collaborative links with social scientists at the Open University and Ulster University, which will serve to enhance the fellowship. Additionally, as a NERC Change Facilitator, Dr Sargeant has significant experience of implementing new initiatives on which to draw, and this will also contribute to the fellowship’s success.
The objectives of the fellowship have been identified and developed by the Padang project team, which includes Professor John McCloskey from the University of Ulster and Dominic Crowley, head of the Emergency Unit at Concern Worldwide. This provides a solid foundation to the scope of the fellowship.
The fellowship has two important strengths on which to draw. Firstly, the formal involvement and support of the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Ulster (UU, as detailed in the letter of support). Professor John McCloskey and his team at UU already have significant experience in using world class science to inform risk reduction programming. Dr Sargeant will spend some time working in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Ulster in fulfillment of the objectives outlined above. Secondly, the reputation of the British Geological Survey as a world leading centre for applied geoscience, and the international reputations of the University of Ulster and Concern Worldwide in this field lend further value.
The principle assumption on which the fellowship is based is that both the NGO and scientific community will be willing to engage in this process. As such, securing high level support from organisations like NERC, IUGG and its parent body ICSU (from the scientific side) and NGO networks such as DEC (Disaster Emergency Committee) and Bond (the UK-membership body for NGOs) is vital. A key challenge, therefore, is to engage with these bodies fully from the outset. In October, the Padang project team will present their findings at the ELRHA stakeholder conference and a conference on International Disaster Reduction, hosted by DfID, UKCDS and IDS. These will be a valuable opportunities to further the goals of the fellowship.