The Role(S) of Civil Society Organizations in Crisis and Disaster Management: A Systematic Literature Review

The COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing frequency of extreme natural events fueled by climate change have highlighted the pressing need for countries to develop effective strategies for mitigating and responding to current and future crises and disasters. While civil society organizations (CSOs) are gaining increasing recognition as key actors by governments worldwide, there remains a lack of comprehensive research on their roles across different types of crises and throughout the various stages of the disaster cycle. This systematic literature review aims to explore and analyze the current knowledge about the roles of CSOs across diverse crises and phases of crisis and disaster management. The findings reveal that CSOs primarily perform three key roles: protecting human life, facilitating societal and individual resilience and recovery, and advocating for affected communities and individuals. While these roles are present across diverse crises, their emphasis varies depending on the nature of the disaster and the geographical context. The review also highlights a lack of research on the contributions of CSOs in disaster risk reduction (DRR) beyond natural hazards and outside the Asian context. The article concludes by identifying key areas for further research, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of CSOs’ roles in different crisis contexts and geographical regions.