Identifying critical factors affecting the livelihood recovery following disasters: A comparative analysis of China and New Zealand

Abstract

As damage and loss caused by natural hazards have increased worldwide over the past several decades, it is important for governments and aid agencies to have tools that enable effective post-disaster livelihood recovery to create self-sufficiency for the affected population. This study employs a comparative case study with a mixed method to compare the critical factors affecting livelihood recovery following disasters. Data were collected following the 2013 Lushan earthquake in China and the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake in New Zealand. The results show that the common factors from the comparative case study given by the respondents from both Lushan in China and Kaikōura in New Zealand are “community safety”, “availability of family support”, “level of community cohesion”, “external housing recovery support”, “level of a housing recovery”, and “availability of health and wellbeing support”. Factors that are only in Lushan include “access to income generation assets”, “level of community participation in decision making”, and "availability of skills training programmes”. Factors that are in Kaikōura not in Lushan included “effective governance”, "availability of social welfare support from the government”, and “distance to scenic spots”. Based on the differences and similarities between different factors, this study suggests various stakeholders require more international knowledge and policy sharing, effective communicative mechanisms and the promotion of livelihood transformation process.