“Events and failures are our only means for making policy changes”: learning in disaster and emergency management policies in Manitoba, Canada

The Canadian Province of Manitoba has experienced many severe floods and other natural disasters, and in response municipal, provincial, and federal governments have developed various disaster and emergency management (DEM) policies and programs over the years to protect and preserve lives and resources. In this context, the present study examined how various disaster management institutions and policies in Manitoba have changed over the years, drawing insights from the existing literature. Framing devices employed included Birkland’s policy change and learning framework, Peter May’s categorization of policy learning, and other social learning literature. A total of 21 key informant interviews (KIIs), comprising 3 senior provincial political leaders, 10 senior bureaucrats, and 8 municipal emergency coordinators, were conducted to collect primary data. Our findings reveal that significant policy changes were made in response to events such as the droughts of the 1930s; the floods of 1950, 1966, 1997, and 2011; and the wildfires of 1989. However, these were largely “reactive” initiatives driven by “top-down” decision-making processes. While natural as well as technological disasters [such as the 1979 Mississauga (Ontario) train derailment and 1984 Bhopal (India) chemical plant disaster] led to the successful implementation of institutional learning provisions within Manitoba DEM policy, the achievement of similar provisions for responding to climate change and other emerging threats has been impeded by numerous barriers such as a lack of political will and/or financial constraints.