From emergency to sustainability: the case of integrating disaster risk reduction in protracted refugee settings - case study from Kutupalong and Dadaab refugee camps

Abstract: In the last 20 years more than 7,300 disaster events were recorded across the world. Global trends indicated that in 2019 over 79 million people were displaced worldwide, 45 million were internally displaced and there were 26 million refugees. The nature of disasters is increasingly complex, uncertain and long lasting and refugees represent a growing community often disproportionately affected by natural hazards. Despite the recognition of the importance of disaster risk reduction (DRR) on a national and institutional level, there exists a gap in conducting research specifically targeting the integration of DRR strategies in protracted crises and in particular protracted refugee settings (PRS). This research seeks to bridge the gap between diverging understandings of DRR and its use in the humanitarian system to foster better understanding as to why there is a lack of DRR strategies in PRS. Whilst natural hazards cannot be prevented in their entirety, much can be done to reduce their impact on society. Using two case studies, this thesis sets out a comparative analysis identifying factors acting as barriers to enhancing the integration of DRR in PRS. Three factors are presented as challenges preventing a complete integration of DRR; a lack of risk awareness, structural limitations of the humanitarian system and funding shortcomings.