Disasteras

Disasteras is a term used in disaster studies and risk governance to describe the way disasters arise and are understood as the outcome of complex interactions among hazards, vulnerable populations, and social and political decision-making. Rather than treating a disaster as a purely natural event, disasteras emphasizes the processes that shape impact, response, and recovery across time and places.

Origin and usage: The term emerged in interdisciplinary discussions in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, particularly among scholars who study the social constructs of risk and the governance of emergencies. It is used to distinguish the event itself from its consequences and to highlight how policy choices, urban design, and economic conditions influence outcomes.

Conceptual scope: Disasteras encompasses hazard exposure, vulnerability, and resilience, as well as the institutional and community responses that mediate impact. It focuses on disaster chains or cascades, where a single event triggers multiple failures.

Applications: Researchers apply disasteras framework to assess risk, design mitigation plans, and evaluate recovery trajectories in cities, rural areas, and cross-border regions. It informs tools such as hazard mapping, social vulnerability indices, and risk communication strategies.

Critique: Some scholars caution that overemphasis on social construction can downplay the severity of physical harm or ignore immediate needs during crises. Others argue that the term can blur accountability if used without clear definitions of responsibility.

See also: disaster risk reduction, resilience, vulnerability, risk management.