Strengthening all-of-society approaches for disaster resilient societies through competency building: A European research agenda

The increasing frequency of disasters, alongside the recent COVID-19 pandemic, climate emergency, and ongoing/new crises including conflicts and their disproportionate impacts on many communities, all point towards the cascading, multidimensional, and systemic nature of risks. In the wake of this ever-changing risk landscape, it is paramount to adopt multi-sectoral, multidisciplinary risk reduction, preparedness, and adaptation approaches, which are inclusive and innovative, and which reduce vulnerability. In line with the recent midterm review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, this calls for nuanced and critical actions at all levels based on strategies to increase risk awareness and vulnerability reduction, which are co-developed and enabled through all-of-society engagement and participation. This paper builds from the research and experience of more than 8 European-funded research projects involving over 100 research and practitioner organisations, which has shown the positive impacts of all-of-society approaches for involving members of the population in areas of disaster risk management (DRM), disaster risk reduction (DRR), and climate change adaptation (CCA). The paper presents evidence-based insights and lessons learnt from these European projects focusing on improving engagement between authorities and citizens and building capacities through inclusive participatory actions. This includes reflections on diverse methodological approaches leading to integrated outcomes. Based on the outcomes of the projects, we propose four key-dimensions of investing in disaster resilient societies: 1) enhancing the participation of multiple stakeholders, and 2) building capacities in order to 3) reduce vulnerabilities, enabled by 4) organizational change leading to the adaptability of formal DRM organisations’ routines and operating structures. Key outcomes and recommendations from the projects are provided to guide future research, policy, and practice on all-of-society engagement for strengthening societal resilience to disasters with a specific focus on competency building among populations at-risk.