Post-disaster Recovery Process Research Articles

Yoksulluk ve Afetlerin İnsan Güvenliği ve Refahı Üzerindeki Etkileri: Türkiye Örneği

Poverty and disasters are complex issues that directly impact the quality of life and security of people worldwide. Poverty makes communities more vulnerable to disasters, thereby increasing the risks of catastrophes. Factors such as inadequate infrastructure, unplanned urbanization, and resource limitations exacerbate the effects of poverty, potentially escalating the frequency and severity of disasters. Moreover, low educational attainment and insufficient pre-disaster risk management can adversely affect post-disaster crisis management, hindering swift recovery efforts for communities. Impoverished communities often struggle to access essential services such as emergency medical assistance in the aftermath of disasters. This difficulty significantly impairs post-disaster response and recovery efforts, deepening the impact of disasters on impoverished societies and prolonging the return to normalcy. Economic losses, asset depletion, and decreased labor productivity further push already impoverished populations into long-term cycles of poverty. Restrictions in accessing basic necessities also pose significant barriers during post-disaster recovery processes; challenges in transportation, housing, and nutrition can contribute to worsening poverty conditions. In this context, the role of poverty in disaster preparedness is crucial. It is vital for countries like Turkey to strengthen the capacities of all local communities and develop effective disaster strategies. Integrating poverty alleviation strategies with disaster management systems is essential to mitigate disaster risks, minimize post-disaster impacts, and facilitate faster community recovery. This study aims to underscore the importance of poverty in disaster preparedness processes and develop strategic recommendations by focusing on the relationship between poverty and disasters in Turkey. Keywords: Disaster, Disaster Management, Poverty, Security, Turkey

Phased post-disaster recovery challenges: 2016–2017 floods and landslides in Colombo and Kalutara, Sri Lanka

This paper aims to understand the challenges arising in individual post-disaster recovery (PDR) phases and how they contribute to overall recovery progress. It further investigates the transition of recovery from one phase to the subsequent phases of PDR. The 2016 and 2017 floods and landslides in Sri Lanka were used as the case study focusing on the two affected districts, Colombo and Kalutara. An in-depth study was conducted to explore the PDR phases from response to long-term reconstruction and development following the disaster events.A mixed methods approach was adopted where, under a qualitative approach, twenty-two semi-structured interviews with disaster management stakeholders were conducted. Moreover, on quantitative analysis, a survey questionnaire was conducted. The case study field data was supplemented with an extensive document review.The study found several factors in different PDR phases hindering long-term recovery. They include: a lack of communication and coordination mechanisms among key stakeholders in the response phase, and limited capacity and resources of local authorities in the rehabilitation phase. The challenges in recovery and long-term reconstruction and development phases were to disaster governance, collection and management of data and information, and low level of inter-agency collaboration. Some factors were recurring and continually hindered the PDR process and had a larger impact in Kalutara than in the Colombo district. Regarding the transition of recovery, there was only one transition from response and rehabilitation to the recovery phase occurred. No evidence was found for the second recovery transition from recovery to the long-term reconstruction and development phase.These findings will assist in planning future post-disaster recoveries in the region to ensure issues are anticipated, and proper planning is done ahead of time. The goal is to tackle the issues impeding long-term recovery in each PDR phase to allow a smooth and successful transition into the long-term phase.The findings of this research make an original contribution to the limited scholarship on the implications of individual PDR phases on long-term recovery.

CI-STR: A capabilities-based interface to model socio-technical systems in disaster resilience assessment

This paper presents a Capabilities-based Interface for Socio-Technical Resilience (CI-STR) framework to model community disaster resilience, a process shaped by the complex interplay between social and technical factors. Central to this framework is the concept of human capabilities, defined as the opportunities for individuals to achieve valuable functionings. These capabilities serve as the interface that integrates individuals' social characteristics with community resources provided by infrastructure systems and businesses, both of which can undergo dramatic and rapid changes after a disaster, influencing the fulfillment of capabilities. The CI-STR framework highlights the feedback relationships among individual capabilities, where one capability can affect others through its impact on social and/or technical contexts throughout the post-disaster recovery process. In the social context, changes in capabilities directly reflect on individual's physical, financial, and social conditions, while technical feedback effects can alter the demand, supply, and operation of technical systems. The framework conceptualizes the recovery process as a series of activities driven by human capabilities and introduces three key features to model this dynamic process: capabilities-induced coping strategies, time-dependent and hierarchical capabilities, and capabilities in groups. These features capture the motivations and abilities for recovery activities, prioritize actions based on urgent needs, and assess group-level capabilities, providing unique insights into the temporal evolution of individuals' capabilities during recovery. The CI-STR framework enables comprehensive modeling of the human components and their interactions with technical and social elements, facilitating the assessment of community resilience and the development of recovery strategies across a wide range of community dimensions.

Enhancing equity of the post-disaster recovery governance through community data generation

Climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction policy frameworks emphasize the importance of engaging vulnerable communities in data creation and utilization to enhance resilience. Yet, empirical evidence on how capacity strengthening and community data generation can improve post-disaster recovery processes remains limited. To address this gap, this article investigates the post-disaster recovery process in the El Pacífico self-built neighborhood, located at the hillslopes of the rural-urban border of Medellín, Colombia. Utilizing participatory action research and documentation analysis, we examined documents related to the response and recovery committee (called “Mesa de Atención y Recuperación”) established following a severe flooding event. Our analysis reveals a lack of clearly defined procedures for engaging affected communities in the post-disaster efforts. However, we provide evidence that initiatives promoting equitable governance through capacity strengthening and community data generation, supported by our project, have effectively empowered community members, amplifying their voices in the negotiation with municipal authorities. These findings offer valuable insights that can inform more equitable future policies and practices in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation with increased recognition and representation of marginalized urban residents.

Placemaking mediating dilemmas by addressing the gaps in post-disaster recovery process: Long-term citizen-driven place-nurturing in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina

Disasters create spatial, temporal and social gaps as people are displaced into temporary or interim situations. During this time affected people often experience the dilemma of prolonged uncertainty about the future, as well as the loss of connections with other persons that had existed and been built through shared time and space. This research hypothesizes that the process of placemaking which involves strengthening social capital of local residents and project stakeholders, can address these gaps and help mediate the dilemma of a prolonged state of uncertainty after a disaster. Recognizing the importance of examining cases of recovery after a significant period of time has passed, as it provides a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the effectiveness of post-disaster actions, the authors focus on two cases of citizen-driven, post-disaster placemaking in New Orleans, LA, USA – Lafitte Greenway and Sankofa Wetland Park – in communities affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and investigates the roles and characteristics of placemaking over the extended recovery process. Based on semi-structured stakeholder interviews, this study generated a grounded theory of citizen-driven, post-disaster placemaking, and confirmed the importance of the concept of "place-nurturing” for more sustainable, long-term recovery.

Transportable energy storage assisted post-disaster restoration of distribution networks with renewable generations

More frequent extreme weather events due to climate change impose significant challenges on the post-disaster restoration of distribution systems with significant penetration of renewable generations. To address this challenge, this paper investigates a restoration scheme for distribution networks integrated with renewable generations, and transportable energy storage systems moving along a transportation network, such as railway or road network, are used to support the network restoration after the fault event. To achieve this, for given fault conditions, topological reconfiguration is first facilitated via the soft open point (SOP) technology, and local renewable generators and loads are rapidly regrouped to form microgrids for post-disaster restoration. Then, assisted with transportable energy storage, the resources within the microgrids can be dispatched more efficiently, facilitating a more efficient post-disaster recovery process. To enable a cost-effective restoration of the distribution network, an economic model is formulated with the aim of minimizing the economic losses during the post-disaster restoration process. Case studies considering a significant number of failure scenarios show that the proposed transportable energy storage-assisted restoration scheme can effectively minimize costs during the post-disaster period considering various load types across different areas. This scheme not only achieves cost-effective post-disaster restoration but also ensures compliance with the constraints of the electrical networks, achieving up to 93.3% recovery cost reduction and 74.25% increase in critical load restoration.

Penerapan Manajemen Bencana Di Desa Cibenda Kecamatan Parigi Kabupaten Pangandaran, Sebagai Kampung Siaga Bencana Dalam Mengantisipasi Potensi Bencana

Disaster management is a series of activities carried out in the context of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, emergency response and recovery efforts related to disasters. Disaster management is carried out with the aim of reducing losses and risks that may occur and speeding up the post-disaster recovery process. The implementation of disaster management is very necessary for the people of Cibenda Village because the village is located in a disaster-prone area. The target of this activity is the people of Cibenda Village and its surroundings. The methods used are interactive lectures, discussions and simulations as appropriate methods to provide understanding to the public. Meanwhile, location surveys are carried out to find out evacuation routes that can be used by the community when a disaster occurs. The output of this community service activity is a module for socializing the application of disaster management, scientific articles, as well as planning evacuation routes and handing over disaster evacuation tools.

Enhancing urban system resilience to earthquake disasters: Impact of interdependence and resource allocation

During the post-disaster recovery process of the urban system (US), it is critical to understand the interdependencies of critical infrastructure systems (CISs) and strategically allocate resources among them. However, due to the complexity of the problem and the limitations of the perspective, the existing research usually ignores the implicit impact of interdependence and resource allocation on urban resilience. To bridge this gap, this study establishes a multilayer network-based methodological framework to characterize various types of interdependencies between different CISs and integrate the US as a complex “system of systems”. Then, the system functionality of the US under different resource allocation strategies is quantified and optimized by resilience metrics. This proposed framework was demonstrated in a virtual US including a transportation subsystem (TS), an electric power supply subsystem (EPSS), and a community subsystem (CS) under catastrophic earthquakes. The sensitivity of urban resilience to interdependencies is investigated, and the corresponding results reveal that urban resilience is most sensitive to the interdependence between TS and EPSS. In particular, when there exists strong interdependence between the TS and EPSS, the optimal resource allocation strategy to maximize urban resilience is assigning resource allocation coefficients of 0.1, 0.8, and 0.1 for the TS, EPSS, and CS, respectively. These results can be effectively applied in future planning and investment in urban resilience.

Temporary Foldable Children's Socialization Spaces After Earthquake: Interior Architecture Workshop Experience

Earthquakes are among the natural disasters that leave behind severe psychological, sociological, and economic damage. The significant earthquakes that struck our nation on February 6, 2023, with their epicenter at Kahramanmaraş, resulted in numerous fatalities and destruction of property. All kinds of entrepreneurs are essential to the post-disaster recovery process because they offer creative fixes and advancements. Within the framework of the Interior Architecture Project-IV course, an online workshop on "Temporary Foldable Children's Socialization Spaces After the Earthquake" was conducted with students from Selçuk University Faculty of Architecture and Design, Department of Interior Architecture. A three-stage systematic approach for design-oriented learning is employed, comprising stages for implementation, creative decision-making, and analytical comprehension. The outcomes of the workshop show that students studying interior architecture are capable of coming up with original solutions to design issues. Foldability has been highlighted as a key idea that influences form choices in function solutions and has given students the capacity to design at various scales, ranging from space design to equipment design.

Rural Women Entrepreneurship based on Tourism Village through Post-Disaster Socio-Ecological Capital

Women have always been considered in several studies as the most vulnerable group to disaster risk and less involved in the post-disaster recovery process. This paper aims to find out and analyze the entrepreneurial activities of rural women who joined the management of Nusa Tourism Village as one of the post-disaster economic recovery efforts. The main question that will be answered in this study is how rural women are involved in entrepreneurial activities based on tourism villages after the tsunami. To answer this question, this paper uses qualitative methods with a constructivist paradigm and narrative approach. Data collection was conducted through interviews, observation, and documentation. The results showed that women of Nusa Village carried out tourism village-based entrepreneurial activities through socio-ecological capital. This socio-ecological capital consists of elements of social capital in the form of social relations, beliefs, collective norms, and collective actions. The element of ecological capital is in the form of the utilization of land, water, plants, and household waste which is packaged through various tour packages. This study concludes that socio-ecological capital is an important capital for rural women in carrying out entrepreneurial activities to recover the post-disaster economy.

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity reveals urban-rural differences in post-disaster recovery

A post-disaster recovery process necessitates significant financial and time investment. Previous studies have found the importance of post-disaster spatial recovery heterogeneity, but the recovery heterogeneity has not been extended to the directed recovery relationships despite the significance of sequential recovery plans. Identifying a causal structure between county-level time series data can reveal spatial relationships in the post-disaster recovery process. This study uses a causal discovery method to reveal the spatiotemporal relationships between counties before, during, and after Hurricane Irma in 2017. This study proposes node aggregation methods at different time scales to obtain internally validated causal links. This paper utilizes points of interest data with daily location information from mobile phones and county-level daily nighttime light data. We find intra-regional homogeneity, inter-regional heterogeneity, and a hierarchical structure among urban, suburban, and rural counties based on a network motif analysis. Subsequently, this article suggests county-level post-disaster sequential recovery plans using the causal graph methods. These results help policymakers develop recovery scenarios and estimate the corresponding spatial recovery impacts.

The Role of Social Capital in the Response and Recovery Process of Post-Disaster Affected Communities

Many studies highlight human and physical capital’s role in the emergency response and post-disaster recovery phases. Even though social capital also plays a major role in emergency response and disaster recovery. Social capital can reduce disaster risk at the community level, especially for those who live in disaster areas. For this reason, the role of social capital in the emergency response and recovery phase is important, and its utilization must be developed. This study is expected to provide an overview of the role and influence of social capital in emergency response and post-disaster recovery in two different settings, both geographically and in the type of disaster that occurred. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach with a systematic literature review method, data collection was carried out by collecting literature, studies, articles, journals, reports, and previous research related to the role of social capital in post-disaster recovery process. The cases in this study are the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland and the earthquake in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. This review focuses on three forms of social capital, bonding, bridging, and linking, available in disaster-affected communities and how these forms of social capital affect the recovery process of communities affected by disasters. The results show that in both areas, bonding social capital plays the strongest role, but there are differences in the impact of disasters on the condition of social capital in both area.

Optimizing Modularization of Residential Housing Designs for Rapid Postdisaster Mass Production of Housing

Postdisaster housing reconstruction (PDHR) is a highly complex process because of the large number of recovery projects for affected communities and the shortage of resources after a disastrous event. PDHR also needs a strategy that reconsiders it as a large-scale integrated portfolio of projects instead of individual building reconstruction projects. However, this complexity and the lack of a holistic, systematic approach for planning frequently lead to an ad-hoc or case-by-case decision-making process. To resolve this critical challenge in postdisaster housing mass production, this study investigates and develops a systematic approach that optimizes the design modularization of housing recovery projects considering manufacturing, transportation, and assembly factors for a cost-efficient and sustainable implication of modular construction (MC) in PDHR. Using the genetic algorithm-based optimization method, the proposed method addresses the possible trade-offs between the commonality and suitability of the module configurations for PDHR projects. In addition, the authors used a set of feasible configurations of a variety of modular housing designs created from the AI-based generative design system and conducted the mass production scenarios after a disaster to validate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed methodology. The results clearly show that the proposed method significantly improved optimization and decision-making of MC design and construction processes and considerably enhanced rapid and logical responses to the demands of the postdisaster recovery process. The newly developed method is expected to assist the planners in formalizing the commonality concept in the PDHR process and achieving an optimal level of modularity and commonality that meet the required variation while maintaining the advantages of mass production.

Identification of Lean Implementation in the Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction

Housing reconstruction is a significant determinant of the post-disaster recovery process and one of the most complex challenges, especially in developing countries. Post-disaster housing reconstruction sometimes results in poor environmental quality, delayed construction completion, low performance, and wasteful materials. Previous research has shown the success of the lean application in construction projects as well as in reconstruction projects. Its means that post-disaster housing reconstruction can also apply lean principles and techniques. This study aims to identify and analyze lean theories and techniques that can be implemented to overcome, minimize or resolve problems in Indonesia’s post-disaster housing reconstruction stage to obtain a lean model (Lean Housing Reconstruction). This study is the initial stage of developing a lean implementation model in post-disaster housing reconstruction. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to obtain lean principles and techniques for post-disaster housing reconstruction. The results of the SLR obtained five lean construction techniques that can be used for housing reconstruction, including Lean Six Sigma, Last Planner System, 5S (Sort, Straight, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain), Value Stream Mapping, and Pull Scheduling.

Urban waterlogging resilience assessment and postdisaster recovery monitoring using NPP-VIIRS nighttime light data: A case study of the ‘July 20, 2021’ heavy rainstorm in Zhengzhou City, China

In recent years, with the acceleration of urbanization and abnormal changes in the overall climate, cities have been increasingly threatened and affected by disasters. Assessing and improving urban resilience, as well as postdisaster recovery monitoring, are of great significance for relevant municipal departments. Taking the heavy rainstorm event that occurred on July 20, 2021, in Zhengzhou City as an example, this study explored the resilience and postdisaster recovery of Zhengzhou City based on remote sensing data and other multisource data. First, we calculated the resilience assessment index and built an assessment model. Then, we analyzed and evaluated the resilience. Finally, based on NPP-VIIRS nighttime light data, we verified the accuracy of the resilience results and dynamically monitored the postdisaster recovery process. The results show that the overall resilience of Zhengzhou City to waterlogging disasters is low in the southwest and high in the northeast. The changing trend of the nighttime light brightness following the disaster was consistent with the resilience assessment results. Then, due to rescue work, the light index increased briefly in July; Due to the serious impact of the disaster, the facilities were damaged, and the light index was reduced in August. With the development of recovery work, the disaster-influenced and light index areas gradually recovered and exceeded the predisaster level. Corresponding urban resilience strategies were proposed based on the assessment results. This study can provide a scientific basis and reference for relevant aspects such as disaster prevention, recovery, and reconstruction in Zhengzhou City and other cities.

Analysis of post-disaster business recovery: Differences in industrial sectors and impacts of production inputs

Understanding how disaster recovery works at the firm level is critical for maximizing a firm's recovery and reducing its overall economic losses. Therefore, this study aims to empirically investigate the business recovery process following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake by examining different industry sectors and the relative influencing factors. Through postal mail, a total of 1289 questionnaire responses were received from firms that were affected by the earthquake in 2011, of which 434 were finally examined after eliminating those with incomplete responses. This study applies survival analysis models to identify the impact of sector type on the post-disaster recovery process. It also establishes panel data regression models to quantitatively estimate the impact of eight production input supplies, namely electrical power supply, water supply, communication, transportation, gasoline supply, facility availability, employee attendance, and raw materials supply, on business recovery. The results suggest that the ability to recover from the earthquake varies significantly by industrial sector, with non-manufacturing sectors recovering more rapidly than manufacturing sectors. Furthermore, the availability of production inputs determines a firm's production capacity recovery. The estimated coefficients in the regression model quantitatively measure the impact of a day earlier restoration of production inputs on production capacity increasement. For example, the restoration of electricity will increase production capacity by 82.7% and 83.35% in the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors, respectively. The findings provide empirical evidence for business managers to develop proactive plans to mitigate business risks and for decision makers to design recovery strategies.

Post-disaster neoliberal normalization in the 1985, 2010 and 2015 Chilean earthquakes

PurposeThis article analyzes biopolitical strategies for the recovery of neoliberal normality in urban areas affected by earthquakes in 1985, 2010 and 2015 in Chile (intensity >8.0Mw).Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative design research. In total, 198 semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven focus groups. The data were processed in search of discursive threads, guided by the categories contained in the analysis and those arising from the interview transcripts.FindingsResults describe three clusters of discursive threads: disruption of normality, strategies of disaster biopolitics and narratives on the recovery of normality in the medium to long term. In the analyzed cases, disaster biopolitics entered domestic and community spaces to govern life; while the aim was to safeguard lives, it also sought to ensure the continuity of the neoliberal regime. The disaster biopolitics used the exception to normalize, constructing subjectivity and memory around the idea of catastrophes.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative design can be used in sudden and extreme situations, but it is not possible to anticipate similar results in other kind of disasters (e.g. drought).Social implicationsThis study wants to contribute a political vision about disasters by describing the process of restoring order, which follows highly destructive disasters, by demonstrating that in Chile, the biopolitical exception was key to returning to neoliberal normality.Originality/valueThe findings can help improve emergency responses and propose the necessity of political contextualization in post-disaster recovery processes.

Governing the post-disaster recovery network in Nepal: Organizational challenges of public managers

Governing the network of public, private, and non-governmental organizations is increasingly becoming the standard practice to ensure effective post-disaster recovery and reconstruction processes and outcomes. While prior studies have discussed different challenges in network settings, few studies have examined the challenges faced by public managers who steer post-disaster recovery networks. Drawing on network governance and organizational theory and using 81 semi-structured interviews, we revealed three major challenges of the Nepal Reconstruction Authority's (NRA) public officers in managing the recovery network involving diverse stakeholders. First, national governments frequently divided and merged the fragmented and centralized organizational structure of NRA which added barriers to NRA officers' network management practices. Second, national governments directly controlled the NRA's access to disaster finances and human resources and influenced the personnel management of the NRA through the recruitment and dismissal of CEOs, executives, and employees. Third, stringent bureaucratic rules and practices impacted the organizational flexibility of NRA. Based on the findings that show the influence of national governments and bureaucracies on the organizational dimensions and public offices of the NRA, we argue the centralization of post-disaster governance in national governments and bureaucracies–rather than in the NRA.

From goods to goats: examining post-disaster livelihood recovery in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake 2015

Disasters can have substantial impacts on people’s livelihoods in developing countries. Further, if the need for livelihood interventions is ignored or delayed, the crisis may trigger unexpected harmful consequences in the affected households in the aftermath. Therefore, restoring livelihoods should remain a priority in the post-disaster recovery process. However, such recoveries in rural contexts and developing countries, like Nepal, are complex as the livelihood restoration process is affected by serious spatial, socio-economic, and political factors. We employed qualitative research methods in four highly affected districts in the 2015 Nepal Earthquake (7.8 Mw) to examine post-disaster livelihoods recovery. Our paper critically assesses the humanitarian response based on the narratives and lived experiences of affected households. The findings show that humanitarian assistance was crucial in addressing several unmet needs of disaster-affected rural households in resource-poor settings in Nepal. However, the interventions were generally fragmented, insufficient, neoliberal led (forcing market dependencies), and largely business-as-usual in their orientation. Previous studies in Nepal paid insufficient attention to the goods provided to affected households in the name of recovery. Therefore, our paper scrutinises selected humanitarian objects, such as power tillers, and unpacks their political economy and effectiveness in local contexts. Further, our findings show that some livelihood policies reinforced the gap between the haves and have-nots, thereby reproducing pre-disaster inequalities in the post-disaster field.

The Role of Disaster Risk Governance for Effective Post-Disaster Risk Management—Case of Croatia

Risk governance is mostly viewed through the lens of disaster or emergency management departments, agencies, or organizations. Visible in times of crises, risk governance is rarely seen as part of everyday public or private functions such as planning, social welfare, investments, or fiscal responsibilities. This paper emphasizes the importance of disaster risk governance in disaster risk management activities on the example of the post-disaster recovery of Croatia after a series of strong seismic events in mainland Croatia. The analysis is made based on a thorough review of national documents of Croatia and other selected countries overlapped with the national journals reporting on the situation from the affected areas. In accordance with the authors’ opinion, the necessary elements of disaster risk governance are clearly stated through the four Sendai framework priorities, and this statement is supported by the facts from the case study. Without either the political will or the enabling surrounding the disaster, risk management is next to impossible. The Croatian case study emphasizes the importance of disaster risk governance, showcasing the adaptation process for the post-disaster recovery process to start.