“Build back better”? The challenge of Goma and beyond

Abstract

More than thirty years after the catastrophic eruption of a nearby volcano, Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), provides evidence of how complex and difficult it is to implement a ‘build back better’ approach to disaster recovery. The history of Goma and the series of conflicts and other crises its residents have suffered provide the context for understanding these complexities and difficulties as does a reflection on capacity to manage risk at national, sub-national and municipal scale in the DRC. Other cities in Africa are identified that should be studied in this light. This commentary provides a critical perspective on issues of conflict and institutional fragility that are likely to confound ambitious programmes promoted by international organisations.