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Download Religion and Risk: The challenge of harnessing faith and reducing
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RELIGION AND RISK: THE CHALLENGE OF HARNESSING FAITH AND REDUCING EXPOSURE Dr Lisa Schipper Stockholm Environment Institute – Bangkok, Thailand [email protected] London – 7 February 2008 Outline Context Risk Religion Examples from the field Conclusions Questions for discussion Context ‘People have always dealt with risk’ – but still not adapted: why? Is religion a limit to adaptation? Technical terminology aside, people understand risk through a certain lens, influenced by their culture Usually not included in studies because sensitive, complex At IPCC Plenary (November 2007) scientists urged greater involvement of social scientists in the next assessment report particularly from behaviourrelated fields Risk Threat resulting from combination of Hazard and Vulnerability to that Hazard: R=HxV Reducing risk means: Reducing causes of hazard (flood, drought, earthquake, cyclone) Reducing causes of vulnerability (underlying factors that make people more exposed to specific hazard) What is religion? What is religion? What is religion? Religion Shared conviction/set of principles All forms of belief systems including spirituality, mysticism, divine faith expressed through formal, organised institutions as well as superstition, mythology and folktales Centre around some form or forms of divinity Religion Influential (positive) Support and hope Structures social systems Provides social and cultural identity Prayer as a coping mechanism Influential (negative) Divides people, cause of many wars Climate change is already recognised by many religious groups Where do they meet? Strong link between religion and nature (divine creation, moral obligation to protect) Belief systems have always been a way to explain biophysical processes, including extreme climate events (lack of scientific knowledge, world views) Religion influences Perceptions of risk Attitudes about response Exposure to risk El Salvador: Perceptions and Risk Religion affects perceptions and attitudes Evangelical Protestants and liberation theology Catholics Difference in perception of risk, in attitude toward response Deep roots in political history Religion can be harnessed to help stimulate risk reduction, but only with Catholics Ethiopia: Religious Duties and Risk Religion affects exposure to risk Orthodox Christians and Muslims Difference in crop loss between two groups Orthodox Christians have many more religious duties Muslims are not as badly affected by crop loss Not as political, but affects livelihoods seriously Conclusions Religion directly and indirectly affects risk Directly, because it influences Perceptions of what a hazard represents Perceptions of exposure to a hazard Attitudes about reducing exposure Indirectly, because it influences Time availability Livelihood choices Settlement location Social networks Conclusions Belief systems should be part of vulnerability and impact analyses Will influence willingness to adapt – and limit adaptation, adaptive capacity There are aspects that can be harnessed to raise awareness (where faith does not interfere) More thinking required to understand options when religious view direct cause of vulnerability Recommendations Identify how belief systems are constructive/ unconstructive Develop platform for dialogue with religious leaders and groups on climate change and disaster risk Integrate such studies into IPCC and Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction process Enhance dialogue with faith-based groups Questions Role of culture and/or belief systems in your research? How was it manifest – constraint or benefit? If constraint: how did you overcome? If benefit: how did you take advantage?
