Abstract
PurposeWe consider what happened in the initial reconstruction interventions following the 6 April 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila (Italy). Using the disaster risk reduction and resilience paradigm, we discuss the cognitive and interactional failures of top-down approaches, and we analyse the main constraints to enacting inclusive social learning and socially-sustainable transformation and building back better more resilient communities in post-disaster reconstruction.Design/methodology/approachOur evidence comes from participant observation, action anthropology and analytic auto-ethnography conducted during the reconstruction phase following the L'Aquila earthquake. Findings were triangulated with document analysis, media analysis and retrospective interviewing conducted in 2013 and 2017.FindingsThe shift from civil defence to civil protection did not bring any advance in disaster management and development practice in terms of DRR and resilience. The militaristic command-and-control approach, which is still in vogue among civil protection systems, means that local political leaders become the civil protection authorities in a disaster area. As in the L'Aquila case, this exacerbates local social and environmental risks and impacts, inhibits local communities from learning and restricts them from participating in post-disaster interventions.Originality/valueMost previous commentary on disaster recovery and reconstruction following the L'Aquila earthquake has focussed on the top-down approach carried out by the national government and the Italian Department of Civil Protection (DCP). This paper is unique in that it sheds light on how the command-and-control approach was also implemented by local authority figures and on how this undermined building back better more resilient communities.
Highlights
The reconstruction phase in the disaster management cycle includes the management of and processes related to the restoration of damaged buildings and construction of replacement permanent housing and the social dimensions of these activities (Quarantelli, 1998; Chang et al, 2010; Oliver-Smith et al, 2017; Sadiqi et al, 2017)
We reflect on the top-down reconstruction interventions that were implemented, and how such an approach represents a component of the mechanism that creates counterproductive learning and facilitates disaster capitalism, failing to build back better resilient communities
Consistent with the paradigm shift around the world, from a war approach to considering disasters in the context of socially-produced vulnerability, there has been a change from civil defence to civil protection (Alexander, 2002)
Summary
The reconstruction phase in the disaster management cycle includes the management of and processes related to the restoration of damaged buildings and construction of replacement permanent housing (i.e. resettlement) and the social dimensions of these activities (Quarantelli, 1998; Chang et al, 2010; Oliver-Smith et al, 2017; Sadiqi et al, 2017). In a previous work (Imperiale and Vanclay, 2016a), we defined local community resilience as the agency (i.e. a set of cognitive and interactional capacities and processes) that enables members of local communities to collectively learn from crises, disasters and other unwanted changes and positively transform towards reducing local vulnerabilities, social risks and associated disaster risks and impacts, enhancing the well-being of all members of a community, especially the most vulnerable. To build back better more resilient and sustainable landscapes and communities, understanding, recognising, engaging and empowering the capacities of local people to collectively learn and transform towards reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing DRR and community well-being is crucial (Imperiale and Vanclay, 2016b). We reflect on the top-down reconstruction interventions that were implemented, and how such an approach represents a component of the mechanism that creates counterproductive learning and facilitates disaster capitalism, failing to build back better resilient communities
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