The possible impacts of the level of formal education on different aspects of disaster management, prevention, alarm, emergency, or postdisaster activities, were studied in a comparative perspective for three countries with a comparable exposure to hurricane hazards but different capacities for preventing harm. The study focused on the role of formal education in reducing vulnerability operating through a long-term learning process and put particular emphasis on the education of women. The comparative statistical analysis of the three countries was complemented through qualitative studies in Cuba and the Dominican Republic collected in 2010-2011. We also analyzed to what degree targeted efforts to reduce vulnerability were interconnected with other policy domains, including education and science, health, national defense, regional development, and cultural factors. We found that better education in the population had clear short-term effects on reducing vulnerability through awareness about crucial information, faster and more efficient responses to alerts, and better postdisaster recuperation. However, there were also important longer term effects of educational efforts to reduce social vulnerability through the empowerment of women, its effect on the quality of institutions and social networks for mutual assistance creating a general culture of safety and preparedness. Not surprisingly, on all three accounts Cuba clearly did the best; whereas Haiti was worst, and the Dominican Republic took an intermediate position. (authors' abstract)

L’aire de distribution des espèces est conditionnée à la fois par des facteurs biotiques et abiotiques et ses frontières dépendent généralement des limites physiologiques de l’espèce. Ainsi, en bordure d’aire de répartition, les populations se caractérisent par une diversité génétique moindre ainsi qu’une forte différentiation génétique et leur existence dépend d’un équilibre fragile entre événements de colonisation et d’extinction.Depuis les années 1970, l’augmentation et l’accélération des pressions anthropiques exercées sur les écosystèmes bouleversent ces équilibres et des modifications de l’aire de répartition sont observées chez certaines espèces dont le bivalve Macoma balthica, espèce clé des écosystèmes littoraux en Europe, dont la limite sud de répartition s’est décalée vers le nord-est au cours des quarante dernières années.Afin d’évaluer les capacités adaptatives de M. balthica et dans un but de conservation, deux approches complémentaires ont été menées dans des environnements contrastés qui ont permis de mettre en évidence des signes d’adaptation locale.D’une part, l’étude du génome neutre à l’aide des outils méthodologiques et concepts de la génétique des populations a permis d’inférer l’histoire démographique de l’espèce avec une attention particulière portée sur une baie en limite d’aire de répartition (Baie de Marennes Oléron, France) et sur une baie soumise à de fortes pressions physico-chimiques (Baie de Gdansk, Pologne). Nous avons mis en évidence notamment :(i) un polymorphisme significatif dans les populations en limite d’aire en opposition avec les attendus théoriques(ii) des ruptures au flux de gènes dans le golfe de Gascogne soumis au réchauffement des eaux de surface mais aussi le long d’un gradient environnemental dans la baie de Gdansk. D’autre part, l’étude moléculaire de la sélection a été menée par la méthode de pyroséquençage sur le transcriptome d’individus prélevés en milieux contrastés. Cette étude a permis de mettre en évidence des tendances d’expression différentielle de gènes de réponse générale au stress selon le milieu considéré. / Species distribution is conditioned by biotic and abiotic factors and its borders depend generally on physiological limits of species. At the edge of their distribution, populations are characterized by a less genetic diversity as well as a strong genetic differentiation and their existence depends on a fragile balance between colonization and extinction.Since the 1970s, the increase and the acceleration of the anthropological pressures exercised on ecosystems upset this balance. As a consequence, modifications of many species distributions are observed. As an example, the south end of the distribution of the bivalve Macoma balthica, a key species of the european littoral ecosystems has moved towards the northeast during the last forty years.In order to conserve this species, we need to estimate the adaptive capacities of M. balthica. Two complementary approaches were undertaken in contrasting environments. The neutral genome was studied using population genetics methods to the demographic history of the species with a particular attention at the edge of its distribution (Bay of Marennes Oléron, France) and in a bay subjected to strong physico-chemical pressures (Bay of Gdansk, Poland). We brought to light in particular:1) A significant polymorphism in the populations at the edge of the distribution in contrast to theoretical predictions.2) A geneflow rupture correlated with high sea surface temperature (in the Bay of Biscay) and also along an environmental gradient ( derived from multiple parameters) in the bay of Gdansk.The molecular study of natural selection was conducted by the method of pyroséquençage using transcriptome from individuals at specific locations. This study allowed us to bring to light tendencies of differential gene expression implicated in the general response to stress.

The ability to recover from the effects of climate change among communities is acknowledged in previous research, where focus is laid on disaster recovery through adaptive capacities and resilience. The objective of this study was to investigate a rural community’s ability to cope with natural disasters in in the aftermath of Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, by using the case of Mudu Village in Koro Island, Fiji. The data was based on observations through an ethnographically inspired approach, as well as 20 semistructured interviews with residents in Mudu Village and other relevant stakeholders. The study was based upon the characteristics of the concept of community resilience, which allowed for deeper understanding of disaster recovery and coping mechanisms among rural communities exposed to natural disasters. The result of the thesis has showed that disaster preparedness and social support systems within the community has increased due to the experience from past recovery processes. By using the concept of community resilience, it has further become clear that the dependence on natural resources has decreased the capacity to cope with and recover from natural disasters in Mudu Village, which thus constitutes the main hindrance to community resilience.

As the impacts from anthropogenic climate change are felt around the globe, people are increasingly exposed to changes in weather, temperature, wildlife and vegetation patterns, and water and food quality and availability. These changes impact human health and well-being, and resultantly, climate change has been identified as the biggest global health threat of the 21st Century. Recently, the mental health impacts emerging from these changes are gaining increasing attention globally. Research indicates that changes in climate and environment, and the subsequent disruption to the social, economic, and environmental determinants of mental health, are causing increased incidences of mental health issues, emotional responses, and large-scale socio-psychological changes. Inuit in Northern Canada have been experiencing the most rapid climatic and environmental changes on the planet: increased seasonal temperatures; decreased snow and ice quality, stability, and extent; melting permafrost; decreased water levels in ponds and brooks; increased frequency and intensity of storms; later ice formation and earlier ice break-up; and alterations to wildlife and vegetation. These changes are decreasing the ability of Inuit to hunt, trap, fish, forage, and travel on the land, which directly disrupts their health, and is negatively impacting mental and emotional health and well-being. Through a multi-year, exploratory, qualitative case study conducted in Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada representing the first research to examine the mental and emotional health impacts of climate change within a Canadian Inuit context, Inuit indicated that climate change was impacting mental health through seven interrelated pathways: strong emotional responses; increased reports of family stress; increased reports of drug and alcohol usage; increased reports of suicide ideation and attempts; the amplification of previous traumas and mental health stressors; decreased place-based mental solace; and land-based mourning due to a changing environment. Data for this research was drawn from 85 in-depth interviews and 112 questionnaires conducted between October 2009 and October 2010. These findings indicate the urgent need for more research on climate-change-related mental health impacts and emotio-mental adaptive processes, for more mental health support to enhance resilience to and assist with the mental health impacts of climate change, and for more mitigation and adaptation policies to be implemented. / Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2008-2012); Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch's Climate Change and Health Adaptation in Northern First Nations and Inuit Communities Program (2010-2012); Nasivvik Centre for Inuit Health and Changing Environments (2009-2011); and the Nunatsiavut Government's Department of Health and Social Development (2010-2011).

Nairobi compte près de 200 bidonvilles où vit 70% de sa population. La plupart des habitants manquent de sécurité foncière et subissent des menaces constantes d'expulsion forcée. Pourtant, nous en savons encore très peu sur la façon dont ces établissements se forment, se développent et se consolident dans des espaces urbains contestés et comment leurs habitants s'adaptent aux conditions d'incertitude. Une partie de la raison réside dans l'écart entre les théories de design et d'adaptation. Alors que la théorie du design se concentre principalement sur les processus cognitifs des professionnels (en négligeant les mécanismes d'adaptation adoptés par les habitants des bidonvilles), les transformations spatiales dans les taudis sont souvent abordées par la théorie de la résilience qui, de son côté, ne tient pas compte des processus de design. Quel est le rôle du design dans les processus d'adaptation liés à des espaces urbains contestés? Je réponds à cette question en explorant les relations entre le design et les capacités d'adaptation dans le Toi Market, le deuxième plus grand marché informel de Nairobi. J'étudie les régimes fonciers du marché et les pratiques de design des commerçants au moyen d’une étude de cas combinant des enquêtes longitudinales et transversales. Le parcours de recherche est abductif. Le cadre conceptuel de la recherche est basé sur une revue de la littérature sur le régime foncier et la théorie du design. Les concepts de rationalité limitée, d'incertitude et de mécanismes adaptatifs constituent la base du cadre théorique utilisé pour analyser les données empiriques. La méthodologie comprend l’observation participante, 59 entrevues avec les commerçants, des rencontres avec les leaders du marché, des techniques de cartographie et l'analyse de plus de 80 documents pertinents sur le marché. Les résultats montrent que le Toi Market a trois types de conditions foncières controversées et que les commerçants mènent des activités de design à trois niveaux: le design de développement, le design évolutif et le design de consolidation. Le design de développement consiste en des initiatives collectives d'adaptation suscitées par des mécanismes de survie. Ce type de design émerge en réaction aux interventions urbaines ordinaires. Il renforce le capital social et vise à améliorer la fonctionnalité du marché. Le design évolutif est mené par des sous-groupes communautaires en réponse aux principaux événements et aux forces externes. Il conduit à des changements sociaux et morphologiques à l’échelle urbaine et dépend des mécanismes de gouvernance et de contrôle. Le design de consolidation fait référence à des initiatives adaptatives dirigées par des individus et des groupes et menées en période de relative stabilité. Il renforce le développement économique et les réseaux, et cherche à atteindre la sécurité foncière. Il émerge principalement dans des niches vacantes, car les habitants des bidonvilles profitent des espaces vides et sous-utilisés. Ces trois niveaux de design génèrent ce que j'appelle ici les établissements multiniveaux. J’oppose ce concept à celui de « quartiers informels », un concept qui ne représente pas la façon dont les bidonvilles et les marchés fonctionnent et évoluent. Je rejette donc la dichotomie formelle/informelle qui persiste dans la littérature. La notion d’habitat multiniveaux reconnaît l'influence d’alliances changeantes et de multiples niveaux de gouvernance comme faisant partie intégrale des processus de design. Dans ces habitats, le design émerge comme un connecteur de capacités adaptatives. Les concepts d’habitats multiniveaux, de niche vacante et de design en tant que connecteur de capacités adaptatives peuvent aider des intervenants à développer des initiatives d’amélioration des bidonvilles qui répondent à l'approche de design adoptée par les habitants de bidonvilles. Ces initiatives peuvent reconnaître la présence d'alliances multiples qui parfois entravent – et d'autres qui favorisent – le changement désiré. Les pratiques de design communautaire peuvent également être adaptées pour équilibrer les objectifs collectifs et individuels. En comprenant ces concepts, les décideurs peuvent à la fois optimiser l'espace disponible en fonction des pratiques locales et prévoir la façon dont les modèles apparaîtront dans les espaces prévus. Enfin, j'encourage les chercheurs à explorer davantage la pensée et la pratique de design des habitants de bidonvilles et de les inclure dans la théorie du design. / Nairobi has nearly 200 slums where 70% of its population live. Most slum dwellers lack tenure security and suffer the constant threat of eviction. Yet, we still know very little about how these slums form, grow, and consolidate in contested urban spaces, and how their residents adapt to uncertainty. Part of the reason lies in the gap between design and adaptation theories. Whereas design theory focuses mainly on professionals’ cognitive processes (largely ignoring adaptation mechanisms adopted by slum dwellers), spatial transformations in slums are often addressed by resilience theory, which usually overlooks design processes. What is the role of design in adaptation processes in contested urban spaces? I answer this question by exploring the relationships between design and adaptive capacities in the Toi Market, the second largest informal market in Nairobi. I study the market’s tenure regimes and traders’ design practices through a case study that combines longitudinal and cross-section investigation. The research reasoning is abductive, made of iterative paths between conceptual frameworks and empirical results. It is largely based on a literature review on land tenure and design theory. The concepts of bounded rationality, uncertainty, and adaptive mechanisms constitute the basis of the theoretical framework used to analyse the empirical data. Methods include participant observation, 59 interviews with traders, meetings with market leaders, mapping techniques and the analysis of over 80 pertinent documents about the market. Results show that the Toi Market has three types of controversial tenure regimes and traders conduct design at three levels: development design, evolutionary design, and consolidation design. Development design consists of collective adaptive initiatives prompted by survival mechanisms. It strengthens social capital, emerges in reaction to ordinary urban interventions, and seeks to improve functionality. Evolutionary design is conducted by community sub-groups in response to major external forces and events. It leads to social and morphological changes at the urban scale and depends on governance and control mechanisms. Consolidation design refers to individual and group-led adaptive initiatives conducted during times of relative stability. It reinforces economic development and networks and seeks to achieve land tenure security. It emerges mainly in vacant niches, as slum-dwellers take advantage of empty, underused spaces. These three levels of design generate what I call here Multi-Level Settlements. I oppose this concept to “informal settlements” that fails to represent how slums and markets work and evolve. I thus reject the formal/informal dichotomy that persists in literature. The Multi-level concept recognises shifting alliances and multiple levels of governance as integral part of design processes. In it, design emerges as a connector of adaptive capacities. The concepts of Multi-Level Settlements, Vacant Niche and Design as a connector of adaptive capacities can help developing slum upgrading initiatives that meet the design approach naturally adopted by slum-dwellers. These initiatives can therefore acknowledge the presence of multiple alliances, which sometimes hinder—and others, foster—desired change. Community design practices can also be tailored to balance collective and individual objectives. By understanding these concepts, decision-makers can both optimize available space according to local practices and forecast how patterns will emerge in planned spaces. Finally, I encourage scholars and practitioners to further explore slum-dwellers’ design-thinking and practices to include them in mainstream design theory.