A Prudence-Based Framework for Ethical Disaster Risk Management

Abstract

Current disaster risk management (DRM) frameworks promote risk-informed decision making, resilience building, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, illustrating their continued relevance and dominance in addressing disaster risks. However, they often lack comprehensive ethical guidance for decision making under uncertainty, leading to systemic failures in foresight and inequitable outcomes. To bridge this gap, this article introduces a prudence-based DRM framework rooted in foresight, moral reflection, and ethical responsibility as essential principles for decision making. Drawing from classical philosophy, particularly Aristotle’s phronēsis and Aquinas’s prudentia, prudence is described as a practical virtue that links knowledge with the moral goal of the common good. Through a narrative and scoping review of interdisciplinary literature, three interconnected dimensions are identified: the main types of prudence (political, purificatory, and perfect), the fundamental elements that inform prudent judgment (memory, intelligence, and foresight), and the supporting qualities that uphold moral action (including docility, caution, and cleverness). These interconnected dimensions foster anticipatory, equitable, and inclusive risk governance that prioritizes long-term resilience over reactive, short-sighted actions. The proposed prudence framework redefines DRM as an ethical and political act that combines technical expertise with moral wisdom, ensuring that decisions are both scientifically robust and socially legitimate. By embedding prudence into disaster risk governance, this approach provides a normative foundation for risk-informed, fair, and sustainable decision making, helping institutions manage uncertainty with foresight, compassion, and integrity.

Keywords

Disaster risk management / Ethics / Framework / Prudence

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