IDRiM Podcast

Summary: This episode explores the critical and often overlooked role of ethics in disaster response, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how the global crisis exposed failures in preparedness, vaccine equity, and the ethical prioritization of vulnerable populations. One key issue discussed is the unequal distribution of vaccines, where some countries had surplus access while othe...

Summary: This podcast explored the emerging discipline of disaster ethics, examining how ethical principles apply in crisis situations such as natural hazards, pandemics, and political instability. The conversation highlighted the complexity of ethical decision-making during disasters, where normal frameworks must adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, limited resources, and high stakes. One key...

Summary: This podcast explored how LGBTQ+ communities experience disasters and climate change through a lens of systemic discrimination, invisibility in policy, and grassroots resilience. The conversation examined both institutional failures and the creative survival strategies developed within queer communities worldwide. LGBTQ+ individuals are often forced to live in high-risk areas due to housi...

Summary: This episode focused on the global experiences of LGBTQ+ communities in the context of disasters and climate change, featuring perspectives from researchers working in the U.S. The discussion highlighted the growing field of queer climate justice and the urgent need to address how disasters uniquely affect LGBTQ+ individuals. Despite assumptions that LGBTQ+ rights are well protected in pl...

Summary: This podcast session explored the intersection of HIV, LGBTQ+ rights, and disaster risk management (DRM) in Colombia, with particular attention to ongoing stigma, healthcare access, and inclusive policy development. Stigma surrounding HIV remains widespread. Many individuals, including LGBTQ+ people, face discrimination in healthcare, employment, and social settings due to misconceptions...

Background: This podcast draws on insights from a recent IDRiM podcast interview with Jeisson Garcia of Colombia’s Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD), focused on the intersection of disaster risk management and the vulnerabilities of LGBTQ+ communities in Colombia. LGBTQ+ individuals in Colombia face significant structural inequalities in healthcare, education, justice...

Abstract: Today’s episode kicks off our special Pride Month series, where we shine a light on the experiences and challenges that LGBTIQA+ people face in the context of disasters and emergencies. Pride Month is observed every June in many parts of the world, is more than a celebration. It’s a commemoration of struggle, a tribute to courage, and a call to action. It began in honour of the Stonewall...

Summary: Nombulelo’s doctoral thesis explores the critical role of community participation in the “Build Back Better” (BBB) framework for post-disaster reconstruction. It emphasizes that while theory and policy widely endorse community involvement as essential for resilient and sustainable recovery, a gap remains between this advocacy and its practical implementation. Through case studies in Kamai...

Abstract: For the past decade, one of our co-hosts, Mark, has dedicated his research to exploring youth perception and participation in climate change, particularly within the United Kingdom. In this episode, Mark discusses the impact that misinformation is having—and may continue to have—on the public’s perception of climate change. He explores what changes are needed in the national education cu...

Abstract: For the past decade, one of our co-hosts, Mark, has dedicated his research to exploring youth perception and participation in climate change, particularly within the United Kingdom. In the next two episodes, he and Haris will sit down todiscuss what the research is revealing. In this episode, Mark shares how his interest in climate perception began, how young people develop their underst...

Abstract: This thesis addresses the limitations oftraditional disaster economic impact assessments, which often overlook spatial and temporal variations. It proposes a novel method that utilizes electricity consumption (EC) and nighttime light (NTL) data as alternative indicators toestimate economic impacts with greater spatiotemporal precision. By developing counterfactual models based on pre-dis...

Abstract:  This week continues the discussion from last week, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI)—examining both its benefits and its risks to society. In addition, we explore the role of laws and regulations in shaping how governments respond to disasters. Mark, in particular, focuses on the UK context and how disaster response legislation has evolved since 1945. Background to COBRA TV S...

Abstract: In this special episode of the IDRiM Podcast engage in a rich comparative discussion on disaster research and response perspectives from European and Asian contexts.   The hosts examine how disaster research in Asia tends to behazard-driven, with a focus on geophysical and hydrometeorological threats likeearthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons, particularly prevalent in countries suchas Indo...

Abstract: Professor Hirokazu Tatano is a distinguished academic at Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), where he leads the Social Systems for Disaster Risk Governance division. He earned his Master of Science and Ph. D. degrees in civil engineering from Kyoto University. Prof. Tatano's research primarily focuses on the economics of natural hazards, with significant con...

Abstract: Professor Hirokazu Tatano is a distinguished academic at Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), where he leads the Social Systems for Disaster Risk Governance division. He earned his Master of Science and Ph. D. degrees in civil engineering from Kyoto University. Prof. Tatano's research primarily focuses on the economics of natural hazards, with significant con...

Abstract: An increasing number of Extreme Weather Events (EWEs) – including storms and hurricanes – are now being live-streamed on websites such as YouTube. These streams often repurpose existing webcam infrastructure to generate channels that host footage of extreme weather and subsequent damage. Despite evidence of increasing popularity (with streams sometimes generating hundreds of thousands of...

Short Abstract: Charting gender within international disaster law involves two interrelated inquiries: firstly, assessing how gender is addressed within disaster risk regulations; and secondly, examining how feminist and queer perspectives are situated within international law itself, as this shapes both disaster risk and its root causes. While international instruments like the UN Sendai Framewor...

Summary: The Young Scientists Session (YSS) is aunique and valued feature of the annual IDRiM Conference, offering young scientists and practitioners the opportunity to present their innovative research to a wider audience. This year’s YSS will be larger than ever, with options to present both online and in-person. In addition, we are introducing eight career development workshops, a few days befo...

Summary: In late February 2025, a massive wildfire broke out in Ōfunato, a city in Japan's Iwate Prefecture, marking the country's largest wildfire in over five decades. The blaze ignited on February 26 and rapidly spread due to unusually dry conditions and strong winds, consuming approximately 2,900 hectares—about 9% of the city's area—before being contained on March 9. This devastating event led...

Short Background to the IDRiM Journal: The Journal of Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM Journal) is the official journal of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management, established since 2009. The IDRiM Journal was approved for indexing in Scopus in 2021. This further demonstrates that the IDRiM Journal is a reliable and high-quality source of information in the fiel...

Background:  Building on the previous podcast episode, this instalment delves deeper into Associate Professor Funda Atun’s current research project with PARATUS. The project focuses on promoting disaster preparedness and resilience by co-developing stakeholder support tools to manage the systemic risk of compounding disasters. PARATUS is funded by Horizon Europe and aims to enhance risk management...

Background: As we enter the month of March, the IDRiM Society would like to take this opportunity to recognize and celebrate women in disaster risk science and practice on the IDRiM Podcast. To mark this, we are running a special series of podcast episodes in collaboration with the IDRiM Women inDisaster Risk Science and Practice Committee. Today's episode is the first of two featuring an intervie...

Abstract: " Disaster risk management involves a complex interplay of knowledge, attitudes, and actions. This study investigates the attitudes of households towards disaster risk management in several administrative units in Ethiopia, utilizing cross-sectional quantitative methods and surveys conducted among 412 households. It found that a majority of households exhibit a fairly positive attitude t...

Paper Abstract (Shortened Version): Raising awareness about natural hazard-induced technological accidents (Natech), particularly those involving hazardous materials, is crucial for effective risk management and disaster preparedness. This study explores serious gaming as a Natech risk communication tool through EGNARIA, an educational role-playing board game. Focused on earthquake- and tsunami-tr...

Guest:  Dr. Haris Rahadianto [Kyoto University, Japan] Host:  Dr. Mark Ashley Parry [Northumbria University, UK] Summary: Volcanic catastrophes, such as those from eruptions producing widespread ash, pose significant threats to ecosystems, infrastructure, and economies, with effects like disrupting air travel, contaminating water, and damaging buildings. Large-scale eruptions, like the potential o...