People, Culture, Knowledge, and Skill

Abstract

Disasters and the environment are effects of cultural practices; people's lifestyles and understanding of their relationship with the environment require a deep understanding of ongoing phenomena and developing practical skills to manage them. Miyazawa was an educator, geologist, soil scientist, poet, and storyteller whose prolific writings reflected his life and the situation in Japan during the disaster, helping to understand communities and their people. The vital role of culture, knowledge, and community is to develop the skills to adapt and live in harmony with the environment. Therefore, in this chapter, as the meaning of disaster is explored, communities are framed and discussed in light of existing literature on the influential role that people, culture, knowledge, and skills play in disaster management. In particular, philosophical approaches to disasters will be discussed, and the contribution of Miyazawa's work on resilience, community, and disaster management will be analyzed. The chapter adopts a qualitative approach, including review analysis with secondary data sources.