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Submission Number: 195
Submission ID: 1274
Submission UUID: 8f02618e-a5b5-4bbd-ae97-7b2f393f133e
Submission URI: /2025/abstracts
Created: Thu, 06/26/2025 - 09:58
Completed: Thu, 06/26/2025 - 10:43
Changed: Wed, 07/16/2025 - 06:46
Remote IP address: 197.184.162.81
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Current page: Complete
Webform: Abstract
Presenters
Mr.
Ntshaba
Bonginkosi zibula
Department of social development
An employee of the department of social development for nine years, Bonginkosi Ntshaba has demonstrated determination for working and caring for marginalized and vulnerable communities. As a community development practitioner he has been able to assist rural communities affected by natural disasters and other social ills affecting these communities in integration with other departments through the structure called Operation Sukuma Sakhe. Mr. Ntshaba has been able to conduct awareness campaigns to communities regarding natural disasters in partnership with other stakeholders, this is because he observed that communities lack knowledge about natural disasters. Mr Ntshaba plans to continue his role in empowering communities and traditional leadership about natural disasters in partnership with relevant stakeholders as to help communities to be vigilant.
No
Abstract
The impact of climate-related disasters on marginalized and vulnerable communities
THEME 1: Green Social Work and Climate Resilience: Supporting Vulnerable Communities in the Face of Environmental Crises
SUB 1.2 The impact of climate-related disasters (e.g., floods, wildfires, droughts) on marginalized and vulnerable populations.
Oral Presentation
Introduction
Marginalised and vulnerable people are hardest-hit by environmental disasters and severe weather such as floods, droughts, tornadoes. Formal systems, including municipal disaster management units, government social services, and formal humanitarian aid organisations, often neglect vulnerable communities. This study proposes a multi-layered, community-centered catastrophe governance system—characterised by local risk mapping, indigenous early-warning practices, community-based disaster response teams, and embedded social services—integrating social work, participatory planning, and cultural resilience. The study examines the multifaceted nature of disasters in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), especially in poor communities with low adaptive capacity. Structural disparities, catastrophe preparedness and response gaps make marginalised populations vulnerable.
Methods
We used grounded theory to analyse how climate shocks and overlapping vulnerabilities like poverty, gender, disability, and rurality increase hazard exposure and vulnerability. We conducted qualitative interviews with 25 community members and local leaders in two rural KZN communities—Ntabamhlophe and Loskop under Umtshezi local municipality, which have been hit by floods between 2019 and 2024. This provided empirical data.
Findings
Many households suffered trauma in the form of constant relocation, health decline, and loss of livelihoods. Many communities face similar climate emergency environmental health disparities, with place-based marginalisation and risk exposure. Marginalised people's poor disaster preparation increases social isolation, and also eroded any prevention, mitigation, coping or transformative measures. People lose the ability to prevent shocks or avoid further vulnerability once disaster strikes because it has happened so much and so frequently. People with disabilities, like other vulnerable groups, are often disproportionately excluded from planning and response efforts. Informal social networks, such as burial societies, savings groups, church associations, and traditional councils, and indigenous coping methods, such as communal rebuilding, rainwater harvesting, and ancestral rituals, prevent being systematically overlooked by mainstream planning systems, but not long-term support.
Conclusion
For climate justice, policymakers and practitioners should rethink static and one-size-fits-all vulnerability classifications, and adopt dynamic, context-specific resilience-building measures such as livelihood diversification, accessible infrastructure, and gender-responsive planning.
Marginalised and vulnerable people are hardest-hit by environmental disasters and severe weather such as floods, droughts, tornadoes. Formal systems, including municipal disaster management units, government social services, and formal humanitarian aid organisations, often neglect vulnerable communities. This study proposes a multi-layered, community-centered catastrophe governance system—characterised by local risk mapping, indigenous early-warning practices, community-based disaster response teams, and embedded social services—integrating social work, participatory planning, and cultural resilience. The study examines the multifaceted nature of disasters in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), especially in poor communities with low adaptive capacity. Structural disparities, catastrophe preparedness and response gaps make marginalised populations vulnerable.
Methods
We used grounded theory to analyse how climate shocks and overlapping vulnerabilities like poverty, gender, disability, and rurality increase hazard exposure and vulnerability. We conducted qualitative interviews with 25 community members and local leaders in two rural KZN communities—Ntabamhlophe and Loskop under Umtshezi local municipality, which have been hit by floods between 2019 and 2024. This provided empirical data.
Findings
Many households suffered trauma in the form of constant relocation, health decline, and loss of livelihoods. Many communities face similar climate emergency environmental health disparities, with place-based marginalisation and risk exposure. Marginalised people's poor disaster preparation increases social isolation, and also eroded any prevention, mitigation, coping or transformative measures. People lose the ability to prevent shocks or avoid further vulnerability once disaster strikes because it has happened so much and so frequently. People with disabilities, like other vulnerable groups, are often disproportionately excluded from planning and response efforts. Informal social networks, such as burial societies, savings groups, church associations, and traditional councils, and indigenous coping methods, such as communal rebuilding, rainwater harvesting, and ancestral rituals, prevent being systematically overlooked by mainstream planning systems, but not long-term support.
Conclusion
For climate justice, policymakers and practitioners should rethink static and one-size-fits-all vulnerability classifications, and adopt dynamic, context-specific resilience-building measures such as livelihood diversification, accessible infrastructure, and gender-responsive planning.
Reviewer ONE Feedback
Dr
Ntandoyenkosi
Maphosa
Yes
Empirical Research
Accepted
Reviewer TWO Feedback
Mr
Luvuyo
Teko
Yes
Empirical Research
Accepted