Research in Africa
Dr Henry Bang has a long history of disaster management research in the Cameroon and together with Professor Lee Miles this activity has been expanded to include other African countries who have longstanding relationships with BUDMC including; Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. BUDMC research focuses on the need for a unique holistic approach to disaster management in Africa, taking into account the needs, challenges and opportunities faced by individual countries. The most recent research projects, since 2017, are AFRICAB and AFRIGATE.
AFRICAB is an innovative BUDMC led research project on “Single Points of Failure in African Disaster Management” a multi-year Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) project in West Africa focussing on Sierra Leone and Senegal. The main aim is to understand stakeholder needs in order to diagnose contemporary issues in African disaster management frameworks using 'Single Point of Failure' methodologies.
The predecessor to AFRICAB, AFRIGATE, facilitated disaster management research that involved the full participation and support of the emergency/disaster management agencies in Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria. The primary aim was to unlock the 'gateways' to building resilience and promoting innovation in disaster management in West Africa. This was a successful project that culminated in the delivery of executive briefings of research findings to officials from the disaster management agencies of the participating countries.
These two projects aimed to improve welfare and build resilience in African countries by enhancing resilience and reducing disruption that complicates economic, social and cultural recovery when disasters do occur. Furthermore, the projects seek to assimilate, accommodate, reduce and overcome resistance factors in order to enhance the governance of disaster risks and enable disaster management frameworks to function more efficiently.
To find out more about BUDMC's research in Africa please contact Dr Henry Bang.
Research in the Caribbean
BUDMC has been conducting innovative research across the Caribbean for a number of years in both UK overseas territories and independent nations. This research has examined 'Single Points of Failure' in crisis and disaster management planning, preparedness, response and recovery.
Caribbean Islands are uniquely vulnerable to natural hazards particularly hurricanes and sea surge. Being isolated from wider support networks from the US and Europe during such incidents means the islands need robust disaster management plans and systems in place to withstand and respond to incidents in the region, particularly in the immediate aftermath.
Having worked with the UK Foreign, Development and Commonwealth Office (FCDO), UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the World Bank on projects to build resilience and improve disaster management in the region BUDMC has excellent links to in country staff and organisations to facilitate research.
Professor Lee Miles and the team worked in the British Virgin Islands pre and post Hurricane Irma to establish a data set around 'Single Points of Failure' in crisis and disaster response. Dr Henry Bang published an article analysing the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season available via Open Access. Across 2018 and 2019 further research was conducted in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago to identify 'Single Points of Failure' and extrapolate and analyse trends across the Caribbean. In early 2020 the BUDMC team conducted research in five Caribbean countries establishing a highly contemporary data set as considerations for the 2020 hurricane season began in the context of a Covid-19 environment.
To find out more about BUDMC's research in the Caribbean please contact Professor Lee Miles.
RESEARCH AT BUDMC
BUDMC conducts internationally recognised, innovative research, contributing fresh ideas and mission critical findings to assist policy making and professional practice in crisis and disaster management across the world. The centre has developed a thriving and vibrant research community, drawing upon its associate lecturers, PhD and post-doctoral researchers and visiting international fellows. Our research covers a wide spectrum of crisis and disaster management agendas, including:
Entrepreneurial resilience.
Innovation in disaster management.
African disaster management.
Democracy and crisis management.
High reliability organisations and disasters
Health emergency planning.
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and disaster preparedness.
Crisis leadership.
Resettlement and community resilience.