How Crisis Networks Learn from Past Experiences: Comparing the Responses to Two Cyclones in Mozambique

Despite the increasing scholarly attention to relational dynamics concerning the coordination of transboundary crisis responses, we still have too little evidence concerning the evolution of the structures managing these incidents. To address this literature gap, this study examines the humanitarian responses to two emergencies caused by two of the deadliest disasters affecting the Southern Hemisphere in recorded history, namely Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019 and Cyclone Freddy in 2023. More specifically, it compares the policy networks involved in the reactions to these episodes in Mozambique. The analysis will specifically focus on the extent to which the experience of Cyclones Idai and Kenneth led to lessons learned that were implemented four years later. While longitudinal crisis network studies are rare due to their demanding data collection requirements, they allow for linking structural changes over time to different policy outcomes. To do so, this paper relies on a combination of longitudinal social network analysis and semi-structured interviews. Data was extracted from a survey distributed among individuals managing these episodes. This study has relevant implications for practitioners and theorists alike, since it provides a greater understanding of the extent to which transboundary crisis network managers replicate successful patterns and apply lessons learned from previous incidents.