| dc.description.abstract | This article examines the challenges that disaster leadership faces to move away from a
top-down, command-and-control style to distributed leadership. The article challenges the
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction which appears to be silent on leadership
and instead emphasises ‘good governance’ to enhance organisational and institutional
capacity for disaster resilience. We posit that leadership is an indispensable component of
good governance, and not emphasising it could be tantamount to a gross underestimation
of disaster policy and practice. Using the data from participatory action research that was
conducted in Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe, the findings reveal some tensions
in shifting from command and control to distributed leadership in disaster-risk reduction,
which has implications for the shift from government to governance in disaster risks. More
importantly, this study reiterates the blurred distinctions between disaster-risk reduction
and sustainable development. Thus, unless well-known, sustainable development
challenges are addressed – particularly community-based leadership, good governance, the
integration of local knowledge, empowerment and ownership of development programmes
– shifting from government to disaster governance is likely to continue facing challenges. | en_US |
