This paper develops an approach under Work Package 4 (WP4) of the Strengthening Resilience in Volcanic Areas (STREVA) programme for analysing the institutional factors that shape collective action to reduce disaster risk.

The key messages include:

Volcanic risk is dynamic, with hazards, vulnerability and exposure of populations constantly changing. To manage risk effectively, disaster risk governance systems need to be flexible enough to adapt to these changes. The concept of disaster risk governance provides a useful analytical framework for assessing the capacity of governance regimes to undergo incremental and transformational institutional shifts in response to volcanic risk.
STREVA will engage with stakeholders in a joint assessment of how different dimensions of disaster risk governance have contributed to resilience in places with a recent history of volcanic activity. It will identify opportunities for decision-makers to improve the complementarity of informal and formal institutions, build networks of actors and strengthen vertical coherence in disaster risk management.
The conceptual framework developed in this paper can be used to assess the norms governing risk management for a range of extreme socio-ecological events.