Mapping the new elements of local government disaster management capability: a systematic analysis of research trends 2003–2018

Natural disasters have tested the ability of local authorities to handle them effectively, while at the same time recognising local governments as the first local responders. Nevertheless, the disaster literature studies on local governments are limited, concentrating on their capacity to respond to disasters as a public organisation. Therefore, this research emphasises the capacity of local governments’ disaster management, centred on the disaster phases, with the goal of contributing to strategic management and to understanding to what degree their local capability was understood in disaster studies. Essentially, this study would apply the mapping review method, in which the findings would generate new elements as a basis of recommendations regarding local governments’ capability, particularly in disaster management. The findings of this analysis are meant to offer guidance to public administrators in the hope of getting a deeper understanding of their potential and of improving their response to natural disasters. Copyright © 2021 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.