Nayã Ghar (A new house): Examining post-earthquake housing reconstruction issues in Nepal

Abstract

Housing reconstruction is a major and critical task to be carried out in the aftermath of a disaster in developing countries. The agencies responsible for managing and implementing these programmes tend to promote the success of these interventions. Following the Bourdieusian framework, and undertaking qualitative research in the four most-affected districts in Nepal, we go beyond the narratives of a successful reconstruction programme to show how reconstruction is a complex and contested socio-political field. Despite many concerns raised, most of the participants felt the post-earthquake housing to be rāmro (nice or beautiful); however, this paradox was not dealt with sufficiently in previous studies. To understand the contradictions, our paper engages with Bourdieu's theory of habitus and symbolic capital. Our findings show that the post-earthquake reconstruction produced houses unfit for purpose. They essentially replaced vernacular design and traditional construction technologies with concrete houses that are spatially insufficient, climatically unsuitable, and practically inconvenient for everyday rural life. Moreover, our paper shows that disaster-stricken locations are not only sites for rebuilding and reconstruction, but they are also social arenas for struggles, competition, and profit maximisation. Therefore, the article builds on debates on disaster profiteering through a Bourdieusian lens. Our paper ends by recognising the limitations of the current work and by discussing the scope for future research.