Chapter 27 - Reconstruction from the Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster: Case Study of Indonesia and Sri Lanka and the Philosophy of “Build Back Better”

Abstract

The Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster was one of the most catastrophic events ever recorded and Indonesia and Sri Lanka were the most affected countries. After the tsunami both countries have made great efforts in terms of disaster response, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. However, as each country exhibited different damage patterns, and given the social and economic characteristics intrinsic to each of them, different reconstruction paths were chosen in each case. Nevertheless, the process of reconstruction after a large-scale disaster is often considered an opportunity to create a safer society, especially for developing countries. In this chapter the reconstruction process, in terms of urban reconstruction, housing relocation and organizational rearrangement for disaster risk management after the disaster in Indonesia and Sri Lanka will be compared from the point of view of a “Build Back Better” philosophy. As a conclusion: (1) a strong intention to build stronger and more resilient settlements and societies could be observed in the reconstruction process of both countries, even beyond the disaster-affected area and (2) there are trade-offs and dilemmas between the speed in reconstruction, in this case rapid housing reconstruction and the creation of safe areas, and between the rapid revival of livelihoods and the creation of safe areas, especially where primary sector industries are dominant. Such trade-offs have frequently been observed in disaster reconstruction and they can complicate the reconstruction process. To minimize the negative impact of the trade-offs, strong leadership by the government is required to enforce the reconstruction policy, regulations and measures. It is clear that prolonged reconstruction processes will negatively impact the to recovery of economic and social activities. Therefore, in order to minimize such disruption it is important that for areas where future disasters are anticipated pre-disaster recovery planning, basically to plan for reconstruction before a disaster actually hits, should be undertaken as a preparedness measure.