Breaking the Negative Feedback Loop of Disaster, Conflict, and Fragility: Analyzing Development Aid by Japan and South Korea

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has become an important element of donor policy, because numerous governments have expressed their commitment to helping countries vulnerable to natural hazards by mainstreaming DRR into their development programs. Meanwhile, countries that are considered fragile, as well as conflict-affected states, have faced a high risk of disasters brought on by natural hazards. However, there has been little research that addresses the complex relationship between disasters, conflict, and fragility in the context of development cooperation. Against this backdrop, this study analyzed the determinants of DRR aid allocation from Japan and South Korea—two East Asian countries that have shown a strong commitment to disaster resilience and peacebuilding—to investigate whether they are responsive to countries experiencing the combined risks of disasters and conflicts and/or fragility. Despite the vulnerable countries being in the most need, the study found that both Japan and Korea’s aid allocation has not been influenced much by the concurrence of disasters and conflict. Rather, it has been more driven by the level of a country’s climate vulnerability than the level of a country’s fragility. This suggests that developing countries facing multiple risks and challenges are at a major disadvantage in terms of the responsiveness of donors toward their needs and vulnerability.