Post-earthquake community capacity and vulnerability reduction at the small-scale local level: collective narratives from Greece, Japan, and New Zealand

Abstract

Communities are often overlooked in the course of disaster recovery planning, particularly in the area of social capital resources that can help increase the collective's resilience to risks and hazards. This research explores what collective narratives from the victims of localised earthquake events reveal about community capacity and vulnerability reduction at the small-scale local level. Study participants were recruited from populations living in three earthquake-affected areas in Japan, Greece, and New Zealand. The findings showed varied community and governmental capacity to reduce vulnerability and respond to earthquake events, differing levels of government and community capacity to provide for civil needs, and varied levels of community assistance to residents following the disasters. The implications are that planning and effort within a community can spur development of small-scale capacity to augment government efforts or mitigate government failures. Further research is required to determine applicability to other cultural paradigms and types of disasters.