Localized Development Gaps in Global Governance: The Case of Disaster Risk Reduction in Oceania

Global framework agreements on disaster risk reduction aim to reduce the vulnerability of states from the effects of natural hazards and guide international development strategies. The effects of these agreements have surely saved lives and buffered shocks to economic systems. Yet there remains a gap between global aims and envisioned outcomes in local communities. This article argues that cultural determinants of risk, which shape the reception and translation of ideas on DRR, must be taken seriously if international organizations wish to enhance their efficacy and reduce vulnerability. Elucidating the importance that indigenous practices of resilience, time, and governance have for the global diffusion of DRR can help to reduce this gap and encourage more effective development policy in the future.