Domestic animals in disaster risk reduction

This study explores how working animals, such as horses, donkeys, and mules, are insufficiently integrated into disaster risk management (DRM) frameworks across Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and Senegal.

This chapter brings together examples and stories of working equids in disasters, both how lack of forethought led to disaster-related problems and how pre-disaster actions averted disaster-related problems.

The event brought together experts, government agencies, disaster management authorities, policymakers, veterinary professionals and humanitarians to explore strategies for integrating animal welfare into disaster preparedness and response systems.

Animal suffering is an example of non-economic loss and damage that is not recorded by the current loss and damage mechanism, which is inherently anthropogenic, focusing on human-centric, non-economic and economic losses.

This study investigated whether companion animal guardians exhibit a distinct risk perception-willingness to evacuate relationship compared to non-guardians during Category 1–2 and Category 3+ hurricanes.

This photo essay uses locally produced and locally focused positive visual representations of women enacting disaster risk management for themselves with working equids.

Set to open in 2026, the shelter will provide safe refuge for up to 150 animals during disasters, including goats, cows, pigs and dogs.

his article reports on informal community efforts to care for non-human animals during and after the 2019/2020 “Black Summer” bushfires in Australia and finds that