Disaster justice and disastrous governance: what role for risk-based planning?
Abstract
Risk-based planning focuses on consequences (over likelihood) mitigated by land-use planning (over infrastructure). We report on risk-based planning in Aotearoa New Zealand’s amended Resource Management Act (1991) where Rawlsian-style distributive justice for vulnerable groups was promoted through councils’ use of ‘sensitivity classes’ for the infrastructure and assets they use, thereby mitigating exposure. We note, however, that this use may have been prompted by a significant disaster that may have only temporarily and variably countered widespread opposition to land-use planning ‘restrictions’. Consequently, future research should connect these nuts and bolts to the broader, ideological scaffolding of disaster justice and disastrous governance.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Disaster Management and Resilience
Climate Change
Adaptation
Migration
Island Studies and Pacific Affairs
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Planning Practice and Research
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 819–839
- Publication date
- 23 February 2026
- Language
- EN