Dewald Van Niekerk
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 302437 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Dewald Van Niekerk |
| PRENOMES | Dewald |
| SOBRENOME | Van Niekerk |
| ASSINATURA | VAN NIEKERK D |
| AFILIAÇÕES | North-West University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4571-4205 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 43 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 15 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 43 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2008 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 2 |
A Prudence-Based Framework for Ethical Disaster Risk Management
Current disaster risk management (DRM) frameworks promote risk-informed decision making, resilience building, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, illustrating their continued relevance and dominance in addressing disaster risks. However, they often lack comprehensive ethical guidance for decision making under uncertainty, leading to systemic failures in foresight and inequitable outcomes. To bridge this gap, this article introduces a prudence-ba…
Technologies associated with the 4IR
A regional case study approach to policy coherence for disaster resilience in Sadc
Motivation Evidence for disaster resilience and policy coherence is limited in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region, yet it is key for member states to make informed decisions, optimize resources, and improve the effectiveness of disaster resilience and policy coherence efforts. This evidence, if available and used, has the potential to ensure that disaster resilience policies across different sectors and levels of government w…
Bridging the gaps
Purpose The paper proposes a framework that could enhance Disaster Resilience Policy Coherence (DRPC) in the SADC region, strengthening decision-making processes and fostering synergies across sectors to support integrated and sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods research design was applied to the study, with data collected through key informant interviews (KIIs), a survey questionnaire, and content analysis of key…
Towards a mock quantum resilience theory for disaster risk reduction
Purpose The purpose of this concept paper is to introduce the notion of the possibility of developing a mock Quantum Resilience Theory. The paper aims to clarify, in concise form, how disciplined analogies from quantum theory can enrich the conceptualisation of resilience in complex adaptive systems without invoking literal physics. Design/methodology/approach We conducted a narrative, theory-led synthesis drawing on purposively sampled literatur…
Technology for post-disaster damage and needs assessment
Purpose Post-disaster damage and needs assessments (PDDNAs) play a critical role in guiding disaster response and recovery efforts. This study investigates the role of technology in enhancing PDDNA processes, focusing on two municipalities in South Africa. The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Disaster Information Management Systems (DIMS) in facilitating post-disaster assessments and to identify key barriers and opportunities for im…
Advancing policy coherence for disaster resilience in the Sadc
Common hazards and prioritisation of livelihoods resilience building in Malawi
Application of African indigenous knowledge systems and practices for climate change and disaster risk management for policy formulation
Indigenous knowledge of and practices for climate change and disaster risk management have been used to respond to climate and disaster risk since antiquity. These indigenous practices have continuously been evolving with the change in human societies and their environment. In Africa, dominance of contemporary science, sometimes refer to as the ‘Western version of science’ or global science, has greatly led to the abandoning of the African Indige…
Organisational vulnerability
Purpose This study aimed to address the underexplored domain of organisational vulnerability, with a specific focus on understanding how vulnerability is understood in organisations and the underlying pathways leading to vulnerability. Design/methodology/approach This study utilised a narrative literature review methodology, using Google Scholar as the primary source, to analyse the concepts of organisational vulnerability in the context of disas…
Streamlining social impact assessment and disaster risk assessment for the 21st century - Perspectives from South Africa
Despite considerable improvements in social impact assessment practice, the shortfalls and neglected status of social impact assessment persist. Integrated impact assessments have been suggested to address some of these shortcomings. Due to its transdisciplinary nature, disaster risk assessment has been identified as an emerging area that could assist social impact assessment in managing social changes and risks and improving community resilience…
Disaster capitalism in times of Covid-19 conversation on disasters
Purpose This conversation presents the reflections from six international disaster scholars on how disaster capitalism manifested in very different ways in different countries, including Japan, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, India and South Africa, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on the conversations that took place on Disasters: Deconstructed Podcast live…
Integrating risk assessment for increased social resilience
Amidst the increased exposure of vulnerable communities to disaster risks in recent years, the optimal use of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for effective risk reduction, enhanced social resilience, and a more sustainable human environment is essential. The limited flexibility of SIA methodological guidance is a potential obstacle to optimal practice, particularly in developing countries with complex social contexts, such as South Africa. In this…
Disaster Risk
The text offers a comprehensive and unique perspective on disaster risk associated with natural hazards. It covers a wide range of topics, reflecting the most recent debates but also older and pioneering discussions in the academic field of disaster studies as well as in the policy and practical areas of disaster risk reduction (DRR). This book will be of particular interest to undergraduate students studying geography and environmental studies/s…
Legal and policy frameworks to harmonise and mainstream climate and disaster resilience options into municipality integrated development plans
Integrated development planning in Zambia
Three years after promulgating the Urban and Regional Planning Act (3 of 2015), municipalities in Zambia are still struggling to formulate Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). Based on documents review and interviews with 81 key informants, purposefully and snowballing selected, this paper documents the theoretical underpinnings, historic perspectives, current practices and motivation for introducing IDP concept in Zambia. A mixed method research…
SIA and DRA integration for increased resilience
Environmental change holds many social risks, exposing vulnerable communities and influencing community resilience. Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Disaster Risk Assessment (DRA) both address social risks and impacts following from social changes induced by developments and disasters, aiming to ensure increased and sustainable community resilience. Although similar in purpose, SIA and DRA are rarely intentionally integrated, and while publishe…
A conceptual model for marine oil spills management in South Africa
Purpose Traditionally, management of disasters, particularly those emanating from environmental hazards, have been reactive with efforts focussed on technical response issues. Drawing from incident command system (ICS) theory, this paper proposes a conceptual model for managing marine oil spills in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative biased sequential mixed-based research method was applied for this study. The technical proces…
Gendered vulnerability and inequality
In this study we explore gender-differentiated drivers of disadoption and nonadoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies among smallholder farmers for everyday adaptation and resilience building in the face of the increasing threat of climate risk. We apply theoretical perspectives from mainstream technology adoption and gendered vulnerability to identify underlying vulnerabilities and inequalities that drive disadoption (the decisio…
After the Covid-19 state of disaster in South Africa
Optimizing SIA
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is recognized as a valuable component of environmental management, yet it has been neglected internationally and in South Africa. Disaster Risk Assessment (DRA), is identified as a complimentary activity to SIA, that due to its shared focus on community wellbeing, has the potential for integration with and enhancement of SIA. The integration of SIA and DRA is a new, but poorly researched trend in South Africa, which…
A critical analysis of the legal frameworks governing oil spill management in South Africa
Stop going around in circles
Purpose The way that disasters are managed, or indeed mis-managed, is often represented diagrammatically as a “disaster cycle”. The cyclical aspects of the disaster (risk) management concept, comprised of numerous operational phases, have, in recent years, been criticised for conceptualising and representing disasters in an overly simplistic way that typically starts with a disaster “event” – and subsequently leads onto yet another disaster. Such…
Academic publishing in disaster risk reduction
Nowadays there are approximately 80 Anglophone journals that deal primarily with disaster risk reduction (DRR) and allied fields. This large array signals a sustained, if uneven, growth in DRR scholarship but also competition between the offerings of different publishers and institutions. The purpose of this article is first to summarise the development of academic publishing on DRR from its early beginnings to the present day. The paper then eva…
Improved SIA through DRA integration
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Disaster Risk Assessment (DRA) are two distinct fields, with broadly similar aims relating to sustainable communities, but usually regulated by differing regulatory systems. In South Africa, SIA is an integral but often neglected component of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), while DRA informs Disaster Risk Management (DRM). The potential integration of SIA and DRA is a new trend internationally. This study…
GIRRL power! Participatory Action Research for building girl-led community resilience in South Africa
This article aims to crystallize the contributions of the Girls in Risk Reduction Leadership (GIRRL) Program in building resilient communities through the integration of adolescent girls into local level decision-making and action for reducing disaster risk. Disadvantaged adolescent girls carry a double burden derived from vulnerability associated with gender and age within the context of disaster risk. Girls often face greater danger than boys o…
A critical analysis of the South African Disaster Management Act and Policy Framework
The promulgation of the South African Disaster Management Act No. 57 of 2002 and the National Disaster Management Policy Framework of 2005 placed South Africa at the international forefront by integrating disaster risk reduction into all spheres of government through a decentralised approach. Yet, good policy and legislation do not necessarily translate into good practice. This paper provides a critical analysis of the Act and Policy Framework. U…
Integrating risk assessment for increased social resilience
Amidst the increased exposure of vulnerable communities to disaster risks in recent years, the optimal use of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for effective risk reduction, enhanced social resilience, and a more sustainable human environment is essential. The limited flexibility of SIA methodological guidance is a potential obstacle to optimal practice, particularly in developing countries with complex social contexts, such as South Africa. In this…
Gendered vulnerability and inequality
In this study we explore gender-differentiated drivers of disadoption and nonadoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies among smallholder farmers for everyday adaptation and resilience building in the face of the increasing threat of climate risk. We apply theoretical perspectives from mainstream technology adoption and gendered vulnerability to identify underlying vulnerabilities and inequalities that drive disadoption (the decisio…
Academic publishing in disaster risk reduction
Nowadays there are approximately 80 Anglophone journals that deal primarily with disaster risk reduction (DRR) and allied fields. This large array signals a sustained, if uneven, growth in DRR scholarship but also competition between the offerings of different publishers and institutions. The purpose of this article is first to summarise the development of academic publishing on DRR from its early beginnings to the present day. The paper then eva…
Hybrid Peacekeeping and the United Nations
The statutory framework which allows for the United Nations (UN) to conduct peace operations with regional organisations is examined along with the significance and meaning of a hybrid arrangement or agreement. This is followed by an analysis on the effectiveness of such an arrangement through the workings of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) which is accepted to be the first peacekeeping mission with a unique hybrid cha…
Unamid
This article examines the geopolitical dynamics associated with the African Union (AU) and United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) from the start of the Darfur conflict in 2003 until the time when UNAMID became fully operational in 2011. It provides an overview of the complex forces and geopolitical dynamics that affected the deployment of UNAMID and shaped its unique hybrid character. It mainly highlights those primary geopolitical fa…
From Burning to Learning
Wild fires are a recurring natural hazard on the African continent. Although wildfires are necessary for ecological management and regeneration of certain species, the risk posed transcends into impacts on sustainabledevelopment and the protection of livelihoods. Better management of wildfires becomes necessary because changeswithin the environment are becoming more complex. Social and ecological systems are intertwined and theresulting “complex …
Capacity development for participatory disaster risk assessment
In this paper a large-scale community-based disaster risk-assessment project, undertaken in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality in the North-West Province of South Africa, is evaluated. In contrast to other disaster risk management consultancy projects in South Africa, this project included a significant skills transfer component to the at-risk communities and local government officials. In this evaluation, the authors draw on their own e…
From disaster relief to disaster risk reduction
Disaster risk reduction is an ever-growing concept and finds its application within various disciplines. This article investigates the development of disaster risk reduction and some of the most important aspects which shaped it. The early years of international disaster relief are discussed and it is shown how a change in this system was necessitated by a variety of factors and international disasters, which exposed its weakness. The article arg…
A model for a multi‐agency response management system (MARMS) for South Africa
Purpose The promulgation of disaster management legislation and policy in South Africa necessitates the development of a uniform multi‐agency incident and disaster response system. This paper aims to argue that a uniform response by numerous government agencies in South Africa can only be achieved through the application of an accepted model, which is based on the requirements of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 as well as the National Disa…
From disaster relief to disaster risk reduction
Disaster risk reduction is an ever-growing concept and finds its application within various disciplines. This article investigates the development of disaster risk reduction and some of the most important aspects which shaped it. The early years of international disaster relief are discussed and it is shown how a change in this system was necessitated by a variety of factors and international disasters, which exposed its weakness. The article arg…
Capacity development for participatory disaster risk assessment
In this paper a large-scale community-based disaster risk-assessment project, undertaken in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality in the North-West Province of South Africa, is evaluated. In contrast to other disaster risk management consultancy projects in South Africa, this project included a significant skills transfer component to the at-risk communities and local government officials. In this evaluation, the authors draw on their own e…
Towards a disaster risk assessment methodology for communities underlain by dolomite
Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to provide a robust and simple methodology for disaster risk management officials to assess the total disaster risk posed by dolomite in urban areas of South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – In order to develop the methodology the basic principles of disaster risk assessment, incapsulated in the notation R = H × V , was applied to provide a vehicle to quantify hazard and vulnerability aspects related to …
From Burning to Learning
Wild fires are a recurring natural hazard on the African continent. Although wildfires are necessary for ecological management and regeneration of certain species, the risk posed transcends into impacts on sustainabledevelopment and the protection of livelihoods. Better management of wildfires becomes necessary because changeswithin the environment are becoming more complex. Social and ecological systems are intertwined and theresulting “complex …
A critical analysis of the South African Disaster Management Act and Policy Framework
The promulgation of the South African Disaster Management Act No. 57 of 2002 and the National Disaster Management Policy Framework of 2005 placed South Africa at the international forefront by integrating disaster risk reduction into all spheres of government through a decentralised approach. Yet, good policy and legislation do not necessarily translate into good practice. This paper provides a critical analysis of the Act and Policy Framework. U…
Disaster risk governance in Africa
Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to provide a retrospective assessment of progress in disaster risk governance in Africa against the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) since 2000. This assessment of progress achieved in disaster risk governance in Africa aims to identify achievements, good practices, gaps and challenges against selected HFA indicators (in particular Priority 1). Design/methodology/approach – This study mainly followed a qualit…
Unamid
This article examines the geopolitical dynamics associated with the African Union (AU) and United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) from the start of the Darfur conflict in 2003 until the time when UNAMID became fully operational in 2011. It provides an overview of the complex forces and geopolitical dynamics that affected the deployment of UNAMID and shaped its unique hybrid character. It mainly highlights those primary geopolitical fa…
An exploration of objectivism and social constructivism within the context of disaster risk
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the meaning of social constructivism and objectivism within the context of disaster risk from which disaster risk policy can be analysed. In particular, the paper attempts to explore the implications of social constructivism and objectivism in disaster risk which is essential in explaining why disaster risk has different nuances and consequently policy responses. Design/methodology/approach – A…
Disaster resilience and complex adaptive systems theory
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence of resilience into the contemporary discourse of disaster risk. As a counter position to the current status quo in defining and addressing resilience, this paper introduces the theoretical lens of complex adaptive systems theory (CAS). Some of the key characterisitcs related to CAS are discussed and linkages are made to possible benefit that they might have in enhancing the understan…
A normative model for integrating organisations for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation within Sadc member states
Purpose Research has demonstrated that governance of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) have evolved largely in isolation from each other – through different conceptual and institutional frameworks, response strategies and plans, at both international, national and subnational levels. As a result, the management of disaster risk through DRR and CCA is highly fragmented. The purpose of this paper is to investigate th…
Hybrid Peacekeeping and the United Nations
The statutory framework which allows for the United Nations (UN) to conduct peace operations with regional organisations is examined along with the significance and meaning of a hybrid arrangement or agreement. This is followed by an analysis on the effectiveness of such an arrangement through the workings of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) which is accepted to be the first peacekeeping mission with a unique hybrid cha…
The capacity of personnel in disaster risk management in South African municipalities
Since 1994, fundamental transformation in South Africa in terms of disaster risk reduction taken place. The transformation process led to the promulgation of the Disaster Management Act (57/2002) (DMA) that introduced a new era of disaster risk management (DRM) in South Africa. The National Disaster Management Framework (NDMF) that followed in 2005 put clear guidelines in place for implementing the DMA and emphasised the importance of the integra…
Should all disaster risks be reduced? A perspective from the systems concept of the edge of chaos
The field of disaster risk reduction (DRR) has risen to prominence since the declaration of the International Decade of Disaster Risk Reduction between 1990 and 2000. This decade provided the impetus for a change from the predominant paradigm of disaster response to that of disaster risk reduction as a means of addressing the underlying drivers that lead to disasters. In an effort to promote risk reduction, the UNISDR (the principal agency for di…
GIRRL power! Participatory Action Research for building girl-led community resilience in South Africa
This article aims to crystallize the contributions of the Girls in Risk Reduction Leadership (GIRRL) Program in building resilient communities through the integration of adolescent girls into local level decision-making and action for reducing disaster risk. Disadvantaged adolescent girls carry a double burden derived from vulnerability associated with gender and age within the context of disaster risk. Girls often face greater danger than boys o…
Understanding gender dimensions of climate-smart agriculture adoption in disaster-prone smallholder farming communities in Malawi and Zambia
Purpose Through the application of traditional and contemporary feminist theories in gender mainstreaming, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to emergent debate on gender dimensions in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption by smallholder farmers in disaster-prone regions. This is important to ensure that CSA strategies are tailored to farmer-specific gender equality goals. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory-sequential mixed met…
Building national and local capacity for disaster risk management in Cameroon
Purpose A new framework to support the national and local capacity building plan for disaster risk management (DRM) in Cameroon is presented. For the past 30 years, after the general re-organisation of the civil protection department, capacity building programmes for DRM has been solely carried out for and by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and the Department of Civil Protection. The exclusion of businesses, civil society and community…
Improved SIA through DRA integration
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and Disaster Risk Assessment (DRA) are two distinct fields, with broadly similar aims relating to sustainable communities, but usually regulated by differing regulatory systems. In South Africa, SIA is an integral but often neglected component of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), while DRA informs Disaster Risk Management (DRM). The potential integration of SIA and DRA is a new trend internationally. This study…
A gender-differentiated analysis of climate-smart agriculture adoption by smallholder farmers
The low adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies by farmers in developing regions where agrarian livelihoods are threatened by climate-related disasters remains a concerning enigma. Adoption patterns are not commensurate with merits of CSA on food security and climate resilience and attention to gender in relation to behavioral and attitudinal patterns in CSA adoption remains scarce. An exploratory-sequential mixed methods study w…
Optimizing SIA
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is recognized as a valuable component of environmental management, yet it has been neglected internationally and in South Africa. Disaster Risk Assessment (DRA), is identified as a complimentary activity to SIA, that due to its shared focus on community wellbeing, has the potential for integration with and enhancement of SIA. The integration of SIA and DRA is a new, but poorly researched trend in South Africa, which…
A critical analysis of the legal frameworks governing oil spill management in South Africa
Stop going around in circles
Purpose The way that disasters are managed, or indeed mis-managed, is often represented diagrammatically as a “disaster cycle”. The cyclical aspects of the disaster (risk) management concept, comprised of numerous operational phases, have, in recent years, been criticised for conceptualising and representing disasters in an overly simplistic way that typically starts with a disaster “event” – and subsequently leads onto yet another disaster. Such…
Academic publishing in disaster risk reduction
Nowadays there are approximately 80 Anglophone journals that deal primarily with disaster risk reduction (DRR) and allied fields. This large array signals a sustained, if uneven, growth in DRR scholarship but also competition between the offerings of different publishers and institutions. The purpose of this article is first to summarise the development of academic publishing on DRR from its early beginnings to the present day. The paper then eva…
Disaster Risk
The text offers a comprehensive and unique perspective on disaster risk associated with natural hazards. It covers a wide range of topics, reflecting the most recent debates but also older and pioneering discussions in the academic field of disaster studies as well as in the policy and practical areas of disaster risk reduction (DRR). This book will be of particular interest to undergraduate students studying geography and environmental studies/s…
Legal and policy frameworks to harmonise and mainstream climate and disaster resilience options into municipality integrated development plans
Political science (34 obras) · Disaster Management and Resilience (30 obras) · Geography (26 obras) · Environmental planning (23 obras) · Business (22 obras) · Sociology (21 obras) · Environmental resource management (19 obras) · Disaster risk reduction (17 obras) · Economics (16 obras) · Law (14 obras)