Junior Researcher

Dr. Jonatan A. Lassa
 
 
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Institutional Vulnerability and the Governance of Disaster Risk Reduction: Macro, Meso and Micro Analysis

This PhD research addresses two central questions: How should institutional vulnerability that shapes disaster risks and disaster reduction policy be assessed? How does the quality of institutions and governance influence the level of disaster risk and disaster reduction policy? In this dissertation, institutional vulnerability at global and local levels is analyzed and an answer to such questions is pursued.
General vulnerability assessment frameworks on the global scale and local scale have limitations in measuring how and to what extent institutions in all countries can reduce risks. This PhD dissertation is pioneering in that it assesses global institutional vulnerability using an index-based approach on a national/local scale by employing mixed methods such as social network analysis complemented by qualitative approaches (e.g. participant observation and literature reviews) and quantitative approaches (simple regression, scatter plots and simple descriptive statistics). In this dissertation, it is hypothesized that the countries with greater institutional quality tend to have better governance over disaster risks, which leads to a higher level of disaster risk resilience.
Risk assessors have often overlooked institutions. In fact, when one assesses vulnerability, for example, social/human vulnerability (such as using health, education, human development indices), physical vulnerability (quality of physical housing and infrastructure), economic vulnerability (income, economic production), and environmental vulnerability (land degradation, environmental quality indicators), the assessor essentially measures the outcomes of institutions rather than the institutions directly.
Institutional vulnerability to disaster risk is defined here as both the context and the process by which formal institutions (regulations, rule of law, constitutions, codes, bureaucracy, etc.), informal institutions (culture, norms, traditions, etc.), and governance are either too weak to provide protection against disaster risk or are ignorant of their duty to provide safety and human security. Central to this argument is the concept that institutions are designed, among others, to reduce risks. In this research, the focus is on disaster risks. This suggests a hypothesis that nations will fail to reduce risks owing to institutional and governance factors that modify their vulnerabilities and resilience.
The findings show that both qualitative and quantitative methods at different scales of governance can assess institutional vulnerability and the governance of disaster risk reduction. At a global level, a quantitative approach to measuring institutional quality and governance disaster risk reduction is possible thanks to recent global data on global implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action; however, more efforts are required in the future. At the meso- and microlevels, this work describes the history of institutions for disaster risk management in Indonesia from the colonial period until the present challenges of decentralized governance. The main message is as follows: without considering institutions, institutional quality, and specific governance of disaster reduction at macro-, meso-. and microscales, disaster risk reduction will not be sustainably implemented.
Department
Research countries - Indonesia
- Singapore
Research topic Network theory approach in disaster risk governance, disaster mitigation, multi-hazard warnning system, environmental governance, climate risk, climate change adapation, human dimension of disaster/hazard research
Projects Ongoing:
>Marine Cargo Exposure to Natural Hazards (ICRM NTU): Focus Major international ports
>Applying network theory on disaster risk research and climate adaptation. Country: Indonesia

Past:
Independent research project on DRR CCA linkages suppo
Working groups Now: Institute of Catastrophe and Risk Management (ICRM) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Past:
Ash Center, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (http://www.ash.harvard.edu/)
German Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS)
Affiliation of research Now: Institute of Catastrophe and Risk Management (ICRM) Nanyang Technological University

Past:
Circle Indonesia
Ash Center, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (Indonesia Program)
Risk Management, UNU-EHS Bonn


GITEWS Research Project/ Risk Management
United Nations University Institute of Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) - www.ehs.unu.edu (past)
Private website http://sustainability-k-governance.net/
Contacts Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management
Nanyang Technological University
Block N1, Level B1b
50 Nanyang Avenue
Singapore 63979
http://icrm.ntu.edu.sg
Degrees Research Fellowship (Indonesian Postdoctoral Fellow), Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA. (2011).

PhD (Dr. Ing) Institute for Geodesy and Geoinformation, Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultat, University of Bonn, Germany

PhD School on Global Governance, Regionalism & The role of the EU. Garnet PhD School venued at the Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB.

Doctoral Training and Courses: Development Studies. Interdisciplinary Courses: Boundary Concepts on Values and Valuations, Risks and Vulnerabilities and Models and Modeling With System Approach Exercises.
Disciplinary Courses: A Social Science Perspective on Development: Development Theory, Practice and Research Methods. ZEFa Courses.

MSc in Environment and International Development, School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia Norwich, United Kingdom.

B.Eng (ST) Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Widya Mandira Catholic University, Kupang, Indonesia.

Other Academic and Professional Training/Education:


End-to-End and People Centered Early Warning Systems, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC 2008 venue at AIT Bangkok, Thailand)

PhD Block Course on “The Roles of Vulnerability to Disaster Risk Management.” Mar 2008. United Nation University Institute of Environment and Human Security (EHS-UNU) Bonn, Germany

Summer Course on International Humanitarian Law. Magdalene College, Cambridge, July 2006. Funded by the BRC and travel grants from Hivos.

Disaster Risk Management Course Oct. 2002 Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, AIT, Bangkok, Thailand.
Professional experience International Network on Social Network Analysis; Earth System Governance Research Fellow; Member of Society for Risk Analysis; Gender and Disaster Network; etc.

I have 11 years in professional experience in the field of: cargo exposure analysis to natural hazards, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, alternative energy, sustainable livelihood, rural technology and construction sector.
Cooperation partners Past:
United Nations University Institute of Environment and Human Security
Publications

2011. Disaster risk science for disaster risk reduction.
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/12/06/disaster-risk-science-disaster-risk-reduction.html

Lassa, J. 2011. 'Get ready for major disasters'.
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/31/get-ready-major-disasters.html

Lassa, J. 2011. Japans resilience to tsunamis and the lessons for Japan and the world: an early observation.
Download [PDF | 300 KB]

Lassa, J. 2011. Can Indonesia Incrementally Reduce its Disaster Risks?.
Download [PDF | 1035 KB]

Lassa, J. 2011. Strategic Group Formation for Carbon Governance in Indonesia after the Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. DOI.10.3974/j.issn.2095-0055.2010.02.004,
Further Information: www.ijdrs.org/EN/volumn/current.shtml#

Lassa, J. 2011. “Disaster Governance”. In: K. Bradley Penuel and Mathew Statler (eds.): SAGE Encyclopedia of Disaster Relief. Thousand Oaks CA: SAGE Publication (Forthcoming),

Lassa, J. 2011. “Risk Governance”. In: K. Bradley Penuel and Mathew Statler Ed. (eds.): Encyclopedia of Disaster Relief. Thousand Oaks CA: SAGE Publication (Forthcoming),

Lassa, J. 2011. Disaster risk science for disaster risk reduction.
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/12/06/disaster-risk-science-disaster-risk-reduction.html

Lassa, J. 2011. Post disaster governance of Aceh 2005-2007: What complexity and network theory can offer?. Aiwest-DR Conference Paper,

Haynes, K., Lassa, J., and Towers, B.. 2010. Child centred disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation: roles of gender and culture in Indonesia. IDS, Sussex, 47.
Further Information: www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/publications/v.php?id=17381

Lassa, J. 2010. Polycentric Governance of Disaster Risk Reduction: An Introduction to a New Analytical Framework. IDRC Conference Davos Book of Abstract, Extended Abstract: 4.

Lassa, J. 2010. Early warning systems and politics of fear.
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/01/25/early-warning-systems-and-politics-fear.html

Lassa, J. 2010. A History of Community Based Management in Indonesia (Sebuah Sejarah Pengetahuan PRBBK di Indonesia). A Draft for Bulletin Kawasan Bappenas Edisi 25 Th. 2010. (Work in progress - forthcoming).
Download [PDF | 538 KB]

Lassa. 2009. Feeling Better, Doing Worse?. The Jakarta Post,
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/02/26/feeling-better-doing-worse.html

Lassa, J. 2009. Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: Shared Problems, Different Worlds? Integrated Disaster Risk Management Society (IDRiM), Annual Conference of IASSA and DPRI Forum Oct 2009, Kyoto University, Japan.
Further Information: nexus-idrim.net/idrim09/Kyoto/agenda_091009_35n.pdf

Lassa, J. 2009. Disaster risk reduction and sustainable livelihood (Preface).
Download [PDF | 293 KB]
Further Information: circleindonesia.or.id/bookshelf

Lassa, J. 2009. Understanding Food and Nutrition Policy in Indonesia: Case of East Nusa Tenggara Province 1958-2008 (Memahami Kebijakan Pangan dan Nutrisi Indonesia: Studi Kasus Nusa Tenggara Timur 1958-2008). Journal of NTT Studies, Vol 1 (1): 28-45.
Further Information: ntt-academia.org/nttstudies/Lassa-2009.pdf

Lassa, J. [Ed]. 2009. The Roles of Community Based Approach for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Indonesia, Conference Proceeding 5th National Conference Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction, Makassar, 5-8 Oct 2009. ISSN: 2086-1443. MPBI, Jakarta, 81.
Download [PDF | 1574 KB]

Lassa, J., Bata, D. P., Kleden, T. 2009. 50 Years Journey of Food Policy in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia (50 Tahun Ziarah Pangan NTT). PT Timor Media Grafika (ISBN 9789791709712), Indonesia, 320.
Further Information: www.ntt-academia.org/Pangantt/50tahunziarahpanganntt.html

Lassa, J., Paripurno, E. T., Pristianto, J., Magatani, A., Purwanti, H., and Pujiono, P.. 2009. Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (Pengurangan Risiko Bencana Berbasis Komunitas). Grasindo, Jakarta, 80.

Nakmofa, Y. and Lassa, J. 2009. Community Based Approach to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Towards Sustainable Livelihood: Ten Years Experiences From PMPB Kupang. Journal of NTT Studies, Vol 1/2: 136-146.
Further Information: ntt-academia.org/nttstudies/Nakmofa2009.pdf

2008. A Brief Report on Vernacular Disaster Risk Management in Indonesia.
Download [DOC | 38 KB]

Lassa, J. 2008. When Heaven (barely) Meets the Earth: Towards Convergency in Tsunami Early Warning Systems.. Paper Accepted & Presented at the ISSM Conference (13-15 May 2008), Delft, Netherlands..
Download [PDF | 284 KB]

Lassa, J. 2008. Governance for the Sustainability of Hazard Early Warning System. An Interdisciplinary Approach (Poster). Poster Presentation at GITEWS Annual Conference Meeting on 29-30 April 2008 at GFZ, Potsdam, Germany..
Download [PDF | 140 KB]

Lassa, J. 2008. The Rise of Risk - Where Is the Resilience?. 11. Draft paper for discussion. Drafted for Oxfam GB & Partners, Jogjakarta, 28-30 July 2008. MiD Term Review PRIME Projects..
Download [PDF | 626 KB]

Lassa, J. 2008. Sustainability and Governance of Tsunami Early Warning System: Bureaucracy and System Theory Approach.
Download [PDF | 357 KB]

Lassa, J. 2008. Warning system is about people. The Jakarta Post,
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/11/27/warning-system-about-people.html

Lassa, J. 2008. Measuring Sustainability of Tsunami Early Warning Systems: An Interdisciplinary Research Agenda. International Journal of GeoRISK - Assessment and Management of Risk for Engineered Systems. Accepted June 2008., Volume 2, Issue 4: pages 185 - 192. (Peer-reviewed).
Further Information: www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a906252186~db=all~order=page

Lassa, J. 2007. Excuses, inaction only add to global warming burden. Jakarta Post, 02/10-2007:
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20071002.E04

Lassa, J. and Agus, S. A. 2007. "Community Based Conflict Early Warning and Response: Conceptualising Experiences of LPS-HAM in Poso Conflict 2001-2005. See the conflict dataset that we developed. [forthcoming].
Download [PDF | 31 KB]

Lassa, J. and Therik, A. 2007. "Aceh's security, development and institutional transformation".
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20070917.E03

Saragih, S., Lassa, J. and Ramly, A. 2007. Sustainable Livelihood Framework (Sistim Penghidupan Berkelanjutan) Indonesian Version, funded/supported by Hivos Netherlands in cooperation with Circle Indonesia. [forthcoming]. 160pp.
Download [PDF | 478 KB]

Lassa, J. 2006. "The cost of the absence of Worst Case Scenario – Jogjakarta Earthquake". The Jakarta Post, 29 May 2006,:
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060530.C02

Lassa, J. 2006. "The Art of NGO-Ing in Aceh". 10. An Input Paper to Strategic Planning Workshops of IMPACT-UNDP,.
Further Information: www.acehinstitute.org/opini_jonatan_seni_ber_ngo_di_aceh.htm

Lassa, J. 2006. Kyoto's Protocol Dillema: “Better to have a weak agreement than no agreement at all”? Indosasters Working Paper# 4. page 16.
Download [PDF | 219 KB]

Lassa, J. 2006. "Flash Flood Mitigation in Indonsia (Mitigasi Banjir Bandang Indonesia)". Kompas, 9 January 2006:
Further Information: www.kompas.co.id/kompas-cetak/0601/09/opini/2352348.htm

Lassa, J.. 2006. Using political ecology in analyzing disasters in Indonesia – A Case Study from Aceh Tsunami.. Kapai, (Indonesian Environmental and Disaster Management Journal), Ed. Jul-Sep 06, XI- No. 43:

Lassa, J.. 2006. "Famine, drought, malnutrition: Defining and fighting hunger".. The Jakart Post, 04 July 2006:
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060703.E03

Lassa, J.. 2006. "New Directions Needed for Disaster Management". The Jakarta Post,, 24 January 2006:
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060116.E02

Lassa, J.. 2006. Evaluation of Disaster Governance in Indonesia: 2004-2006. In: Fatah, E.S. Ed (eds.): Puisi Indah, Prosa Buruk – Evaluasi Dua Tahun Kebijakan SBY-Kalla, ISBN: 979378223-4. SDI-Rekatama Media Bandung, pp. 323-354..
Download [PDF | 204 KB]

Lassa, J.. 2006. Summary of Gender Analytical Frameworks for CSOs in Aceh (Kerangka Analisis Gender).
Download [DOC | 152 KB]

Lassa, J. 2005. "Manu Model: Community Based Multi-Hazards Mitigation – A CBDRM Good Practice in Timor".. This is a an independent research paper that awarded as the winner of World Day of Disaster Reduction 2005 Writing Competition in Indonesia,by Yakkum Emergency Unit.

Lassa, J. 2005. "The Politics of Food Security in Indonesia 1950-2005". 11. Working Paper for NGOs in Timor.
Download [PDF | 95 KB]

Lassa, J. 2005. "Kyoto’s Destiny and Global Future". The Jakarta Post, 19 Desember 2005:
Further Information: www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20051219.F05

Lassa, J. 2005. "On Yahukimo Famine - Kelaparan Yahukimo, Disengaja?". Kompas, 12 Desember 2005:
Further Information: www.kompas.co.id/kompas-cetak/0512/12/opini/2278318.htm

Lassa, J. 2005. "Food Security in Indonesia - Ketahanan Pangan in Indonesia". Kompas, 29 November 2005:
Further Information: www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0511/29/opini/2251252.htm

Lassa, J. 2005. "The Politics of Food and the genesis of food aid: A Case Study from Indonesia 1954-2003". MSc Dissertation. School of Development Study, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, 74.

Lassa, J. 2004. A Preliminary Study on Food and Livelihood Security in Highland Wamena, West Papua, Indonesia. p. 15. PIKUL's Working Paper. This is a result of participatory food and livelihood studies in Wamena, drafted in May 2004..
Download [PDF | 729 KB]

Lassa, J. 2004. “Bencana 26 Desember 2004 (Tsunami Disaster 26 December 2004). Kompas, 28 December 2004:
Further Information: www.kompas.co.id/kompas-cetak/0412/28/opini/1464218.htm

Lassa, J.. 2003. Introduction to Disaster Risk Management (Indonesian) in Boli et. al. COMMUNITY BASED DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT. 35-56.
Further Information: www.ntt-academia.org/CBDRM/Draft-Module-CBDRM-FKPB-January-2004.pdf

Additionals, Curriculum Vitae
and Downloads

cvlassa-new2011harvardpublic.pdf
Download [PDF | 52KB]
 
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