Institutional resilience strategies, administrative practices, and disaster risk management by Kwazulu-Natal municipalities

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the institutional resilience strategies and administrative practices used by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) municipalities to manage disaster risk. Although numerous studies have been conducted in South Africa on disaster risk management, few have focused on institutional resilience strategies and administrative practices to improve disaster risk management. South African municipal governments are constitutionally required to manage disaster risks; however, empirical data reveal that they fail to do so successfully. Therefore, it is imperative to examine the institutional resilience strategies and administrative practices adopted by municipalities in South Africa to mitigate disaster risk. The research objectives included: to examine institutional resilience strategies adopted by selected municipalities in KZN to manage disaster risks; to determine factors influencing the application of institutional resilience strategies utilised by municipalities in KZN to manage disaster; to identify administrative practices performed by selected KZN municipalities for adaption to disaster risks; to evaluate the adequacy of administrative practices performed by municipalities to adapt to disaster risks; and to formulate an integrated and adaptive strategic framework that strengthens institutional resilience and guides municipalities in South Africa towards proactive and coordinated disaster risk mitigation. A census sampling approach was employed, involving all twenty-five (25) officials responsible for disaster risk management within the selected municipalities, including disaster management practitioners, departmental officials, and municipal coordinators. In-depth interviews were used as the primary data collection method for this project. The study indicates that while both municipalities have adopted resilience strategies, there are disparities in their application, institutional learning processes, and resource distribution. One of the selected municipalities demonstrates more structured administrative practices and resilient networking strategies, while the other one depends on external support and donor-driven initiatives, showing weaknesses in established disaster risk management. The findings indicate the importance of employing integrated, adaptive, and context-specific strategies to enhance municipal resilience and alleviate vulnerabilities to disasters. This study improves academic knowledge and practical disaster management by providing recommendations on enhancing institutional resilience, increasing administrative efficiency, and advancing effective disaster risk governance in South African municipalities.