Understanding and unlocking transformative learning as a method for enabling behaviour change for adaptation and resilience to disaster threats

This paper calls for transformational learning, and recognition for its trans-scalar application arising from the acknowledgement that existing dominant systems of social and economic life are reproducing, and often accelerating the root cause of disaster risk. Disaster adaptation and resilience require learning that is flexible and able to adapt to complex disaster risks. However there is a value action gap between intentions and behaviour, which need to be addressed. Transformative Learning has the potential to address this through instigating changes in behaviour that are maintained over time. A visual model for transformative learning is presented for the first time in order to illustrate how it can lead to perspective transformation via a process of learning and critical reflection. It is argued that new ways of approaching learning are required to help break-out of established ways of thinking and tackling problems. Transformative Learning provides a means of achieving this. Furthermore, it helps to open conceptual and policy spaces for deep reflection; allowing public policy to move away from reducing risk to protect development – to questioning the root causes of risk that lie in dominant development pathways.