Citation

Davis I. Disasters 2019; 43 Suppl 1: S61-S82.

Affiliation

Visiting Professor, Kyoto University, Japan, Lund University, Sweden, and Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom, and Honorary Visiting Professor, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Europe, Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/disa.12328

PMID

30756416

Abstract

This reflection, based on a keynote address to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Disasters on 14 September 2017, begins by considering some of the prevailing assumptions that existed at the time of the journal's creation. Next is a summary of significant milestones during the past 40 years, covering major global trends, changing disaster impacts, and key developments in disaster risk management. Contrasting approaches in the first and fourth decade of the journal's history are then followed by examples of changes in terminology in the disaster field as an indication of shifting values. The paper goes on to explore the context of 2017, with observations of problem areas such as the loss of knowledge, failures to tackle the root causes of disasters, shortfalls in international assistance, and some negative attitudes. It closes by evaluating some current positive occurrences, including a reduction in casualties, sharing of experience, technological advances, and dramatic improvements in disaster warning.

© 2019 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2019.

Language: en

Keywords

Disasters; comparisons; data; education; knowledge; milestones; progress; root causes; success factors; technology; trends