ABSTRACT
In recent decades, disasters and socio-structural inequalities related to global environmental change have increased disproportionately. Multiple disciplinary circles are examining the need for societal change towards sustainability. Though the phenomenon of leadership for disaster resilience has gained prominence, the scientific community’s contribution to the operational challenges has been limited. We seek to contribute towards bridging this gap. This introductory chapter reviews the existing literature on the three equally contested concepts that come together in the coinage of Disaster Resilience Leadership in order to develop a conceptual framework of the same. It envisages sustainable solutions for the environmental crisis by emphasising the need for disaster resilience leadership that brings about systemic and socio-structural change. Disaster risk and the initiatives for building resilience are positioned within the context of macrosocial processes, including modernisation, liberalisation, and globalisation, contributing to the construction of risk society. These processes have a strong bearing on leadership practices, considering the dilemma leaders face while managing disasters from within the value framework of social and environmental justice.
