Disaster governance is not a neutral process but one shaped by political choices and economic priorities. In her article, Ignorance Production in National Disaster Risk Governance and Emergency Response-abilities of Commoning Collectives: The 2023 Earthquakes in Turkey, published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Yetişkin Doğrusöz investigates how Turkey’s disaster management system, designed as a top-down mechanism, systematically produces ignorance, marginalizing knowledge, voices, and efforts that do not align with state-led development goals or profit-driven agendas.
Yetişkin’s research delves into the dynamics of the 2023 earthquakes, revealing how disaster risk reduction policies are deeply entangled with necropolitical strategies and populist politics. Her analysis demonstrates that data, expertise, and community input, especially from non-state stakeholders and scientists are frequently disregarded when they challenge the state’s priorities. This ignorance production, she argues, is not accidental but a calculated outcome of a governance model that uses the social construction of polarized communities to obscure facts, deflect accountability, and justify political decisions.
Central to the article is the role of commoning collectives, grassroots networks that mobilized during the earthquakes to provide emergency aid and care where official responses faltered. These collectives exemplify alternative forms of resilience, built on solidarity and participatory action rather than state control or market logic. Yetişkin’s work highlights that disaster risk reduction is not just a technical challenge but a fundamentally political one, requiring inclusive, democratic governance that centers the voices and needs of those most affected.
By exposing the structures of ignorance embedded in disaster governance, Yetişkin’s research invites critical reflection on how societies prepare for and respond to crises. Her call is clear: to move beyond state-centric, profit-driven models and towards a participatory approach where knowledge is shared, accountability is upheld, and disaster risk reduction becomes a collective responsibility.