Decolonizing Disasters Studies in the Global South: First-Hand Research Experiences

Research on disasters in the Global South tends to be pictured through a narrative of a priori victimization. Informed as they are by the connected notions of lack and weakness, narratives on making disaster risk reduction in the Global South typically contain well-rehearsed forms of labelling. The most common ones are the lack of funding and technically prepared professionals or scholars, the institutional weakness and unpreparedness, and weak policy planning or delivery capacity. The vocabulary, financing, and practice of research on disasters in the Global South need to respond to notions such as risk, vulnerability, or resilience produced in the Global North. Therefore, research and policy in disaster reduction and response in the Global South have been dominated by a subtle form of colonial cognitive capitalism. The ideas developed by decision-makers and scholars from the Global North still dominate the research and practice in the Global South. Following the epistemic decolonial turn, the session calls for first-hand research, projects, management and field practices from the Global South to contribute to a renewal of the debate. The session’s objective is to open up a space for reflection where the contours of what is generally defined as risk prevention or post-disasters reconstruction might resonate through the voices of those who are less heard. Contributions from women, young researchers and those involved in social and cultural processes of resistance to financial and political powers are particularly welcome.