Addressing the cultural gap between humanitarian assistance and local responses to risk through a place-based approach

The briefing argues that cultural differences between international disaster risk reduction (DRR) actors and local communities can increase social vulnerability. It highlights a clash between the 'expert'-driven, scientific culture of aid organizations and the culturally embedded, place-specific risk perceptions of local populations. To resolve this, the authors advocate for 'place-based research' that explores emotional attachments and social memories linked to specific biophysical locations, allowing for the co-creation of risk reduction strategies aligned with local sociocultural priorities.

• Cultural differences between international disaster risk reduction (DRR) organizations and at-risk communities can actively create and maintain social vulnerability to disasters.
• The international aid community has expanded significantly, with an estimated $3 trillion in aid provided over the last twenty years, leading to organizational culture clashes and a disconnect from local realities.
• International aid organizations often view local risk perceptions in developing countries as fatalistic or antiquated, while failing to recognize that their own 'expert' knowledge is also a product of a specific organizational culture.
• Power imbalances between external actors and local communities can lead to the distribution of aid that is culturally irrelevant and may reinforce existing inequalities related to disability, ethnicity, or gender.
• Local responses to risk are not static but are fluid and shaped by place-specific historical trajectories, including trans-generational social memories and religious views.
• A place-based approach, utilizing social science to explore emotional attachments and identities linked to biophysical spaces, can help external actors develop DRR strategies that align with local sociocultural priorities.

APA

Johnson, K., Wahl, D., & Thomalla, F. (2016). Addressing the cultural gap between humanitarian assistance and local responses to risk through a place-based approach. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Bangkok/SEI_GSDR_2016_Brief_Addressing_cultural_gap_humanitarian_assistance_local_responses_risk.pdf

Chicago

Johnson, Karlee, Darin Wahl, and Frank Thomalla. Addressing the cultural gap between humanitarian assistance and local responses to risk through a place-based approach. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2016. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Bangkok/SEI_GSDR_2016_Brief_Addressing_cultural_gap_humanitarian_assistance_local_responses_risk.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Johnson |first1=Karlee |last2=Wahl |first2=Darin |last3=Thomalla |first3=Frank |title=Addressing the cultural gap between humanitarian assistance and local responses to risk through a place-based approach |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Bangkok/SEI_GSDR_2016_Brief_Addressing_cultural_gap_humanitarian_assistance_local_responses_risk.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{johnson2016addressing, author = {Johnson, Karlee and Wahl, Darin and Thomalla, Frank}, title = {{Addressing the cultural gap between humanitarian assistance and local responses to risk through a place-based approach}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Bangkok/SEI_GSDR_2016_Brief_Addressing_cultural_gap_humanitarian_assistance_local_responses_risk.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }