title: If Numbers Can Speak, Who Listens? Creating Engagement and Learning for Effective Uptake of DRR Investment in Developing Countries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With a renewed emphasis on evidence-based risk sensitive investment promoted under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, technical demands for analytical tools such as probabilistic cost-benefit analysis (CBA) will likely increase in the foreseeable future. This begs a number of pragmatic questions such as whether or not sophisticated quantitative appraisal tools are effective in raising policy awareness and what alternatives are available.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article briefly reviews current practices of analytical tools such as probabilistic cost-benefit analysis and identifies issues associated with its applications in small scale community based DRR interventions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The article illustrate that while best scientific knowledge should inform policy and practice in principle, it should not create an unrealistic expectation that the state-of-the art methods must be used in all cases, especially for small scale DRR interventions in developing countries, where data and resource limitations and uncertainty are high, and complex interaction and feedback may exist between DRR investment, community response and longer-term development outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alternative and more participatory approaches for DRR appraisals are suggested which includes participatory serious games that are increasingly being used to raise awareness and identify pragmatic strategies for change that are needed to bring about successful uptake of DRR investment and implementation of DRR mainstreaming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Risk and Resilience, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Risk and Resilience, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.affiliation: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria; Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mechler
authors.affiliation: Department of Risk and Resilience, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Callahan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.affiliation: Department of Risk and Resilience, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hochrainer-Stigler