Cranfield University

Department of Management and Security

MSc in Managing Defence and Security

Disaster, Risk and Security Management

Indonesian Defence University, Jakarta
9-27 May 2011, Jakarta

Disaster and Human Security

Dr Nibedita S Ray-Bennett
n.raybennett@cranfield.ac.uk
Disaster: an overview

• Increase in Disaster frequency

Increase in 600 disasters globally each year and this is predicted to go higher due to
the effect of climate change (WHO, 2005).

Rising trend: Between 2000 and 2004 – on an average 326 climate disasters was
reported each year (UN, 2007/08)

Some 262 million people were affected annually from 2000 to 2004, more than
double the level of first half of the 1980s
Is disaster a security issue?

• Increase in Disaster impact

difference in impact between developed and developing nations

between 2000-2004 on an average annual basis one in 19 people were affected

in the developing nations in comparison to one in 1,500 affected in the OECD
countries – a risk differential of 79.

flooding affected 68 million people in East Asia and 40 million in South Asia

in Sub-Saharan Africa 10 million were affected by drought and 2 million by

flooding
Is disaster a security issue?

UN’s Natural Hotspot Report predicted that about (Dilley et al., 2002):
344 million exposed to tropical cyclones
521 million exposed to floods
130 million exposed to droughts
12.3 million exposed to landslides

• Social impact
By 2080, the number of additional people at risk of hunger could reach 600
million—twice the number of people living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa
today.

• Economic impact
By 2050 natural disasters could have a global cost of over $300 billion a year
(HPN, 2007)
Is disaster a security issue?

Based on this few facts and figures can we say disasters are
security threat? How can we understand this connection? Or
Can we?
Human Security Framework

• Post Cold War – National Security Framework revisited

• Emergence of the Human Security Framework (UN, 1994)

• Non conventional threats (Lonergan, 2000)

religious fundamentalism, resource scarcity, human rights abuses, outbreaks of
infectious disease and environmental degradation by global warming, water
pollution, ozone depletion and so on

Defining human security (UN, 1994)

“safety from constant threats of hunger, disease, crime and depression. It also
means protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the pattern of our daily
lives – whether in our homes, in our jobs, in our communities or in our
environment” (1994:3).
Human security framework

• This new development paradigm puts:

people at the centre of development, regards economic growth as a means and not
an end, protects the life opportunities of future generations as well as the present
generations and respects the natural systems on which all life depends (UN,
1994)

the definition has two main aspects:

a) it means safety from such chronic threats such as hunger, disease and
repression;
b) and secondly, it means protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the
patterns of daily life.
Human security framework

human security may be threatened by seven categories of threats (UNO, 1993).

They are:
• economic security
• food security
• health security
• environmental security
• personal security
• community security
• political security
Characteristics of human
security

• Human security is a universal concern

• The components of human security are interdependent

• Human security is easier to ensure through early prevention than later

intervention

• Human security is people centred

Increasing human security
entails

• 6-point agenda involves increasing human security

1) Investing in human development and not in arms

2) Engaging policy makers to address the emerging peace
3) Giving the UN a clear mandate to promote and sustainable development
4) Enlarging the concept of development cooperation so that it includes all flows
and not just aid
5) Agreeing that 20% of national budgets and 20% foreign aid be used for human
development
6) Establish an Economic Security Council
Linking natural disasters and
Human security

• Environmental insecurity
The linkage between environment and human security:
analytical and rhetorical (Mathew, 2000)

sustainable development (Lonergan, 2000)

• Natural disasters as security issue

- more empirical (DFID, 2005; Safer World, 2007)
- Is this the future for DRR and disaster management?

• Securitisation? ?
Financial investment
a kind of call and response (Roe, 2004)
improved communication between stakeholders, disaster management as
national security issue
Any Questions

• THANK YOU