Within the disaster response and research sectors, there is increasing recognition of the value of community-led initiatives that facilitate emergency management, risk reduction and community resilience. In contrast, the value of cultural approaches to disaster management and recovery is rarely acknowledged. The Māori disaster management response to the Christchurch earthquakes and subsequent urban recovery process constitutes an exemplar of best practice. During the emergency management phase, Māori risk management initiatives were collaborative, effective and shaped by kaupapa (cultural values), specifically the value, 'aroha nui ki te tangata' (extend love to all people). In this article, the potential value of Māori kaupapa-based technologies for shaping contextually relevant disaster management and risk reduction strategies is considered. The discussion draws from research findings arising from two projects conducted by the Joint Centre of Disaster Research in partnership with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (resident Māori tribe) that address Māori disaster–related concerns, including factors that facilitate community recovery. An overview of the Māori emergency response, including perceived hindrances, is provided as background. Drawing upon frameworks provided within Actor-Network Theory cultural technologies that facilitate community well-being and recovery are identified and the ways in which technologies were operationalised within the emergency context, outlined. With reference to the Hyogo Framework for Action the applicability of integrating Māori technologies into national civil defence emergency management policies is also discussed and recommendations are proposed for adapting and implementing these technologies as a component of integrated disaster risk reduction at the local, national and international levels

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015) is a global strategy for addressing disaster risk and resilience that has been ratified by member countries of the United Nations. Its guiding principles emphasise building resilience through inter-sectoral collaboration, as well as partnerships that facilitate community empowerment and address underlying risk factors. Both public health and the emergency management sector face similar challenges related to developing and implementing strategies that involve structural change, facilitating community resilience and addressing individual risk factors. Familiarity with public health principles enables an understanding of the holistic approach to risk reduction that is outlined within the Sendai Framework. We present seven concepts that resonate with contemporary public health practice, namely: the social determinants of health; inequality and inequity; the inverse care law; community-based and community development approaches; hard to reach communities and services; the prevention paradox; and the inverse prevention law. These ideas from public health provide a useful conceptual base for the ”new” agenda in disaster risk management that underpins the 2015 Sendai Framework. The relevance of these ideas to disaster risk management and research is illustrated through drawing on the Sendai Framework, disaster literature and exemplars from the 2010–2011 earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Introduction: On September 4, 2010, at 4.35 a.m., a shallow 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the South Island of New Zealand, followed by a deadly 6.3 magnitude aftershock on February 22, 2011, centered under the city of Christchurch, which killed 185 people. This research explores the experiences of 12 visually impaired Christchurch residents who lived through more than 12,000 aftershocks throughout 2010 and 2011. The participants shared suggestions about how to be better prepared for such an emergency. Methods: Qualitative research involved 12 face-to-face semi-structured interviews conducted in 2011 prior to the fatal February earthquake. In February 2012, seven of the original participants were reinterviewed about how more than a year of earthquakes had affected their lives. Results: Participants highlighted the importance of communication and technology, personal and agency support, orientation and mobility, health, rebuilding independence, rehabilitation, coping, and resilience. Discussion: Participants demonstrated creative problem-solving abilities, resilience, and community spirit. Findings also indicate that older visually impaired persons are vulnerable in disasters, and that more work needs to be done to prepare communities, agencies, families, and individuals for potential disasters. Implications for practitioners: Participants provided suggestions for disaster preparedness for people who have impairments and for the agencies that provide services to people with disabilities.