Institute of Development Studies Publications

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Dynamics of configuring and interpreting the disaster risk script: Experiences from Zimbabwe
(AOSIS publishing, 2013-08-12) Bongo, Pathias P.; Chipangura, Paul; Sithole, Mkhokheli; Moyo, Funa
People in Zimbabwe have been faced with disasters in different forms and at various levels. When people experience hazard events and disasters, they perceive these phenomena through lenses that are largely shaped by their local day-to-day experiences and some external influence. As they do this, they develop their own local conception of hazards and disasters, and they tend to model their response or preparedness through this. This article argues that on the basis of this premise, each society therefore develops its own unique and localised way of interpreting the disaster, which comes in the form of a ‘script’, that needs to be deciphered, read, analysed and understood within local priorities and knowledge systems. The hazard may be the same, say, fire, but as it occurs in different communities, they configure and read the fire script differently, hence spawning different response and prevention strategies. The way people anticipate, prepare for, and respond to a particular disaster stems from their perception of it, based on their own local conceptions of reality. The article argues that effective disaster risk reduction must focus on people’s holistic understanding of the unfolding scenario, thereby feeding into disaster risk early warning systems. For effective understanding of the utility of early warning systems, the socio-cultural processes involved in the ideation of the disaster cannot be ignored. It is also critical to examine people’s past experiences with external early warning systems, and how much faith they put in them.
Dynamics of configuring and interpreting the disaster risk script: Experiences from Zimbabwe
(2013-08) Bongo, Pathias P; Chipangura, Paul; Sithole, Mkhokheli; Moyo Funa
People in Zimbabwe have been faced with disasters in different forms and at various levels. When people experience hazard events and disasters, they perceive these phenomena through lenses that are largely shaped by their local day-to-day experiences and some external influence. As they do this, they develop their own local conception of hazards and disasters, and they tend to model their response or preparedness through this. This article argues that on the basis of this premise, each society therefore develops its own unique and localised way of interpreting the disaster, which comes in the form of a ‘script’, that needs to be deciphered, read, analysed and understood within local priorities and knowledge systems. The hazard may be the same, say, fire, but as it occurs in different communities, they configure and read the fire script differently, hence spawning different response and prevention strategies. The way people anticipate, prepare for, and respond to a particular disaster stems from their perception of it, based on their own local conceptions of reality. The article argues that effective disaster risk reduction must focus on people’s holistic understanding of the unfolding scenario, thereby feeding into disaster risk early warning systems. For effective understanding of the utility of early warning systems, the socio-cultural processes involved in the ideation of the disaster cannot be ignored. It is also critical to examine people’s past experiences with external early warning systems, and how much faith they put in them.
Dynamics of Culture and Climate Change and their Implications on Livelihoods: Experiences from Rural Zimbabwe
(Leena and Luna International, 2015-07) Bongo, Pathias Paradzayi; Lunga, Wilfred; Sithole, Mkhokheli; Chipangura, Paul
That climate is changing is evident in all the regions of the world, and people in those areas have been attempting to reorganize their livelihoods around the changing local contexts. One elusive issue about climate change is that it is producing mixed paradoxes – extremes of drought and dryness in other areas and extreme cold and heat in other areas, among other complex phenomena. As people engage in their livelihoods, their actions and survival strategies are informed by custom, practice and even past experience. As the impacts of climate change start getting acute with the passage of time, people are bound to interpret and respond to them within the confines of their culture, both material and immaterial. This becomes critical when these impacts spread to cause upheaval to the very cultural foundations upon which that society is built and driven. The paper examines the nature of culture’s preparedness to engage the evolving system that evidently calls for new ways of social, political, economic, environmental and ideological organization. One needs to explore the possibility of ‘cultural adaptation’ as climate change unfolds. The views of mainly rural people in Zimbabwe form the basis of issues are captured in this paper. These shed light on how the people affected by climate change are managing to survive in the four Districts of Matobo, Shamva, Chirumanzu and Gwanda. The paper highlights the need to pay attention to religious and cultural experiences, alongside scientific climate change approaches, in informing adaptation. It concludes by noting the potential benefits of cultural diversity in managing climate change in a context largely shaped by the precautionary principle.
Dynamics of Culture and Climate Change and their Implications on Livelihoods: Experiences from Rural Zimbabwe
(Leena and Luna International, 2015-07) Bongo, Pathias Paradzayi; Lunga, Wilfred; Sithole, Mkhokheli; Chipangura, Paul
That climate is changing is evident in all the regions of the world, and people in those areas have been attempting to reorganize their livelihoods around the changing local contexts. One elusive issue about climate change is that it is producing mixed paradoxes – extremes of drought and dryness in other areas and extreme cold and heat in other areas, among other complex phenomena. As people engage in their livelihoods, their actions and survival strategies are informed by custom, practice and even past experience. As the impacts of climate change start getting acute with the passage of time, people are bound to interpret and respond to them within the confines of their culture, both material and immaterial. This becomes critical when these impacts spread to cause upheaval to the very cultural foundations upon which that society is built and driven. The paper examines the nature of culture’s preparedness to engage the evolving system that evidently calls for new ways of social, political, economic, environmental and ideological organization. One needs to explore the possibility of ‘cultural adaptation’ as climate change unfolds. The views of mainly rural people in Zimbabwe form the basis of issues are captured in this paper. These shed light on how the people affected by climate change are managing to survive in the four Districts of Matobo, Shamva, Chirumanzu and Gwanda. The paper highlights the need to pay attention to religious and cultural experiences, alongside scientific climate change approaches, in informing adaptation. It concludes by noting the potential benefits of cultural diversity in managing climate change in a context largely shaped by the precautionary principle.

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