Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore communication of hazard-resistant construction techniques after disaster in the absence of outside influence. It further aims to unpack the barriers and drivers in the adoption of knowledge processes to identify strategic recommendations to enlarge adoption of safer construction practices by local construction actors.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on an analysis of stakeholders’ perspectives during post-disaster reconstruction in the Philippines in the province of Busuanga after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Data were collected from six communities that received no external housing assistance, analyzing surveys from 220 households, 13 carpenters, 20 key actors coordinating reconstruction or recovery efforts, as well as 12 focus group discussions.FindingsThis research argues for a stronger role of governmental agencies, vocational training schools and engineers. Current communication of typhoon-resistant construction knowledge is ineffective to stimulate awareness, understanding and adoption by local construction actors and self-recovering households.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis in this study focuses on a small sample of communities in the west of the Philippines that are not frequently affected by typhoons.Originality/valueThis is one of the few scholarly works in the Philippines focused on adoption of safer construction practices by community-based construction actors when technical housing assistance is absent.
Highlights
Most of the disaster-affected households reconstruct their house with little to no external or formal support – they self-recover, defined as rebuilding using their own assets
Based on lessons from self-recovering communities in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, this study presents recommendations for the design of knowledge interventions
We focus on safer housing construction knowledge as a means to examine broader tensions that exist between scientific and local knowledge in disaster recovery
Summary
Most of the disaster-affected households reconstruct their house with little to no external or formal support – they self-recover, defined as rebuilding using their own assets The authors are thankful for the indispensable support of Cordaid with the selection of case studies. We focus on safer housing construction knowledge as a means to examine broader tensions that exist between scientific and local knowledge in disaster recovery. During post-disaster recovery processes, limited importance has been given to knowledge use by community actors and their perspectives have been inadequately represented in global decision-making (Gaillard and Mercer, 2013). How communities interpret scientific knowledge and decide what information to use is poorly understood (Opdyke et al, 2018, 2019). Exchange between community stakeholders and scientists often remains absent
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