Reconstruction Policies Research Articles

People-centered disaster recovery: A comparison of long-term outcomes of housing reconstruction in Thailand, India, and Japan

Although scholars recognize the importance of long-term recovery outcomes for disaster risk reduction and community empowerment, even within the limited research on long-term housing recovery, cross-national and temporal comparisons of multiple reconstruction projects are rare. Drawing on a systematic literature review and case-study approach, this paper explores two case studies of post-disaster housing reconstruction projects, each from three countries in Asia-- India, Thailand, and Japan. The cases are post-disaster housing reconstruction after the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake and 2008 Kosi River floods in Bihar in India, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and 2014 Chiang Rai Earthquake in Thailand, and the 1995 Great Hanshin Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake and 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. Comparisons across cases found consistency as well as change in each country. Analysis of reconstruction policies, programs, and governance systems led to several key findings, identifying housing reconstruction processes that led to beneficial longer-term outcomes in social, economic, technical and environmental aspects in the three countries. In contrast to government-driven housing recovery programs in Japan, housing recovery programs in both India and Thailand included crucial support from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) integrated with and complementing official support from the government. Able to translate government policies into practice in ways that community needs could be met in increasingly people-centered ways, CSOs played significant roles in the provision of needed housing units and beyond, in facilitating increased flexibility of housing recovery options, filling gaps as an intermediary between the government and the needs of the people.

Graft aberrant hepatic arteries in deceased donor liver transplantation: The "one liver, one artery" approach.

In liver transplantation (LT), graft aberrant hepatic arteries (aHAs) frequently require complex arterial reconstructions, potentially increasing the risk of post-operative complications. However, intrahepatic hilar arterial shunts are physiologically present and may allow selective aHA ligation. Thus, we performed a retrospective study from a single-center cohort of 618 deceased donor LTs where a selective reconstruction policy of aHAs was prospectively applied. In the presence of any aHA, the vessel with the largest caliber was first reconstructed. In case of adequate bilobar arterial perfusion assessed on intraparenchymal Doppler ultrasound, the remnant vessel was ligated; otherwise, it was reconstructed. Consequently, outcomes of three patient groups were compared: the "no aHAs" group (n=499), the "reconstructed aHA" group (n=25), and the "ligated aHA" group (n=94). Primary endpoint was rate of biliary complications. Only 38.4% of right aHAs and 3.1% of left aHAs were reconstructed. Rates of biliary complications in the no aHA, reconstructed aHA, and ligated aHA groups were 23.4%, 28%, and 20.2% (p=0.667), respectively. The prevalence rates of primary non-function (p=0.534), early allograft dysfunction (p=0.832), and arterial complications (p=0.271), as well as patient survival (p=0.266) were comparable among the three groups. Retransplantation rates were 3.8%, 4%, and 5.3% (p=0.685), respectively. In conclusion, a selective reconstruction policy of aHAs based on Doppler assessment of bilobar intraparenchymal arterial flow did not increase post-operative morbidity and avoided unnecessary and complex arterial reconstructions.

Environmental Aesthetics Revived in Taiwan : Implications of Socially-engaged Art Practice and Local Art Festival

<p>自1990年代後期以來，臺灣當代藝術發展出社會參與式藝術實踐的趨勢，亦即走出美術館展覽的藩籬並企求與公眾面對面、與社群連結的藝術創作。此一歷程發展適逢後解嚴時代，在地文化認同與本土意識抬頭，反映在文化政策上的則是1990年代的社區總體營造運動乃至於近年來倡議的地方創生。此後，各地的藝術祭更是持續不斷地帶來參與者對地方人文與環境的新感受，發展出在獨特的臺灣文化脈絡與社會變遷的背景下所帶動的「環境美學」復興——對自然與人文環境的重新發現，以及對地方文化歷史脈絡的重思與再建構。對環境與地方的自然和人文關懷是目前亞洲地區正歷時與共的境況，本文以臺灣的社會參與式藝術和地方藝術祭為主要探討對象，自其所帶來的環境美學復興，延伸思考社會參與式藝術暨地方藝術祭的亞洲觀點所帶來的啟示，並以更全觀的視角來思辨藝術的社會實踐，啟發藝術工作者，面對此一全球共同的環境議題。</p> <p> </p><p>Since the late 1990s, Taiwanese contemporary art has developed a trend of socially-engaged art practice that goes beyond the usual framework of museum exhibition and with the aim of reaching public audiences. Moreover, such progress involves a degree of community engagement. The post-Martial law era saw the emergence of issues of local cultural identity and the rise of ideologies of the vernacular. Equally, socially-engaged art practice in Taiwan addressed throughout the 1990s issues of cultural policies for community reconstruction and ideas of “creative placemaking”. The result of such trend has also brought the prevalence of local art festivals. Such a socially art practice and local art festival has since developed into a genuine environmental aesthetics that has led to the rediscovery of human landscape, the natural environment, and to the reconstruction of local culture and history. This latter specificity, though, differs from its Western counterpart model of social art practice.This paper will explore the socially-engaged art and local art festival in Taiwan, their process of development, content and approach through surveys and fieldwork. Their relations to each other, differences, similarities, and sustainability will be also discussed in this research. However, the impacts that they triggered for the revival of environmental aesthetics, has significances to what are related to ecological and environmental issues in the whole world. Attending for local environment, people, history and culture is currently experienced in the Asia is also a common issue. This research takes socially-engaged art practice and local art festivals as a subject, as well as addressing their implications on revival of environmental aesthetics in Taiwan. Moreover, this research not only intends to expound socially-engaged art practice and local art festival from the local perspectives of Taiwan; it also seeks to enrich how we understand such practice in a broader Asian and even global contexts. </p> <p> </p>

ASSESSMENT OF RECONSTRUCTION POLICIES ON BASIC EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN POST BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY IN NORTH EAST NIGERIA

Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast Nigeria has caused damage to basic education infrastructure and reconstructing such infrastructure is essential to sustain recovery in North East Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to assess reconstruction policies of building technical and managerial capacity, achieving rapid physical reconstruction, restoring service delivery, establishing sustainable policies and institutions and sector-wide planning on basic education infrastructure in post Boko Haram insurgency in North East, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose, five research questions and hypotheses were raised. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised four hundred basic education sector staff and stakeholders from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. Data were collected using researcher instrument tagged “Reconstruction Policies on Basic Education Infrastructure Assessment Questionnaire” (RPBEIAQ). The instrument was validated and reliability was determined using Cronbach Alpha. The reliability coefficient was 0.78. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and z-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings show that building technical and managerial capacity, rapid physical reconstruction, restoring service delivery, establishing sustainable policies, and institutions and education sector-wide planning were not achieved on basic education infrastructure in North East, Nigeria. The study concluded that key players and actors such as federal ministry of education, state ministries of education, local government education authorities, NGOs, civil societies, donor, and international aid agencies did not achieve reconstruction policies on basic education infrastructure. The study also recommended among others that sound technical and managerial capacity reconstruction policies should be built on basic education infrastructure in terms of recruitment and training of teachers and administrators to proper utilization.

DELAY ANALYSIS USING IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW METHOD: CASE STUDY POST-DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION IN LOMBOK

<p>Earthquake disasters have a significant impact, especially on infrastructure, socio-economy, and housing. In August 2018, there were earthquakes in Lombok; the Government then issued a reconstruction policy, especially in the housing sector. In the worst affected areas in North Lombok, the reconstruction process is targeted to be completed in March 2019, but as of February 2020, at least 7,210 houses have not been constructed. Further discussion is needed to determine the delay factors in post-disaster housing reconstruction. A qualitative approach was chosen to emphasize the benefits and information gathering by exploring the phenomenon under study. Seven informants from representatives of the Government, facilitators, and the community were selected to be interviewed regarding the delays. The data analysis used in this study used a descriptive approach by categorizing the results of the interviews according to previous research and experts. Thus, data analysis was found five issues of delay that are closely related to communication and coordination, human resources, materials and supplies, workmanship and quality, and monitoring.</p>

Purposeful Nation-Building: Photography, Modernisation and Post-War Reconstruction in Australia

This article considers how Australian photography from the late 1930s to the early 1950s encouraged public engagement with the aims and policies of post-war reconstruction. It examines how the nation’s first photo-magazine, Pix, covered the build up to and early months of the war and emphasised its reach into the domestic sphere. It examines photography’s role in making housing a core social and political issue, considers Australia’s efforts to house its returning service personnel, and the innovative responses of the public and private sectors to shortages of materials and manpower. It analyses how photography established the modern home as the emblem of a new beginning and how it shifted the consumer’s perspective from exterior views of the house to a focus on interiors and the imagined experience of habitation. Appraising Wolfgang Sievers’ popularisation of modern home design, the article will conclude by examining photography’s role in capturing the epic scale of post-war reconstruction’s greatest engineering triumph – the Snowy Mountain Hydro Electric Scheme.

The Destruction Levels for Ramadi City in 2016

This research delt with the levels of destruction in the city of Ramadi in 2016 based on the field study using the Likert scale to reach the end to draw graphs and statistical tables representing each level separately. And the research reached the most important causes of destruction and detection levels. As the destruction was not limited to urbanization but extended to the urban, social and political environment. And produced a set of conclusions and recommendations that could contribute to the reconstruction policy of the city.

Towards Climate Change Preparedness in the MENA’s Agricultural Sector

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) represents a substantial area of the terrestrial landmass encompassing several countries and ecosystems. This area is generally drier and warmer compared to the rest of the world, and has extreme resource limitations that are highly vulnerable to a changing climate, geopolitical instability and land degradation. This paper will first identify the nature of climate change in the region by analyzing a downscaled climate data and identifying the hotspots of climate change in MENA. It was found that the climate vulnerability is quite high, with the mean annual temperature increasing by as much as 4–6 degrees towards the end of the century. The nature precipitation under climate change is quite speculative, with the Maghreb region showing the highest vulnerability. Based on these results, five action points are postulated that may be implemented to rapidly progress our understanding of climate vulnerability and enhance the climate change preparedness in MENA’s agri-food sector, to take necessary actions to adapt to a changing climate with a systemic resilience perspective. These include working towards: (1) enhancing the sustainability of the rainfed-desert transitional belt (Rangelands) in the MENA; (2) enhancing the sustainability of agri-food systems in the food baskets of MENA and (3) working towards fostering a collective intelligence to support climate change research in the MENA. (4) The need for foresight advice on resilient food systems under climate change and (5) the need for transformative policies for stabilization and reconstruction under climate change.

Status and Challenges of Reconstruction of Heritage Structures in Nepal After 2015 Gorkha, Nepal Earthquake

ABSTRACT A destructive earthquake of moment magnitude Mw 7.8 struck central Nepal on April 25, 2015, followed by hundreds of aftershocks. A preliminary report of the Department of Archaeology (DOA), Nepal, suggested that as many as 745 monuments in 20 districts were affected. The heritage structures are crucial sectors for development, mainly through tourism and employment generation. However, over three years following the Gorkha Nepal earthquake, many collapsed heritage structures were not reconstructed. This paper explores the progress of heritage reconstruction in Kathmandu Valley along with the reasons behind the slow reconstruction process. Ethnographic fieldwork was carried out in the seven UNESCO listed heritage sites and other heritage areas over six months from November 2019 to April 2020. The research shows that the delay in heritage reconstruction was primarily due to the lack of a well-defined policy for heritage reconstruction; conflict on construction materials to be used for reconstruction; procurement modality for reconstruction; limited governance capacity; lack of workforce for traditional artwork; and the lack of a framework to support community-driven rebuilding initiatives. Some recommendations are made to accelerate the reconstruction of heritage structures in Kathmandu Valley.

American Discord: The Republic and Its People in the Civil War Era

American Discord: The Republic and Its People in the Civil War Era

The Development of the Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction Policy in Indonesia Since the Aceh Tsunami in 2004

The Development of the Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction Policy in Indonesia Since the Aceh Tsunami in 2004

Post-disaster reconstruction in the rural-urban fringe following the Great East Japan Earthquake

Although many studies have been conducted since the Great East Japan earthquake, most have focused only on recovery processes in particular affected areas. However, southern Miyagi Prefecture belongs to the rural-urban fringe of the Sendai Metropolitan Area; hence, disaster reconstruction in this area is closely related to the urban system and long-term land development. Based on these ideas, this paper explores the interaction between wider social trends and the disaster reconstruction process. The results indicate that disaster reconstruction in this area was an extension and acceleration of existing social trends such as “selection and concentration” and “intensification of agricultural competitiveness” as a whole. However, there is a unique agricultural land-use system and related community organization rooted in the peculiar history and environmental conditions of this area. Existing disaster reconstruction policies do not pay sufficient attention to such historical contexts, which has caused several conflicts and problems. Disaster studies should pay careful attention to such tensions between wider political trends and local historical contexts while focusing on land-use changes.

코시긴과 그의 동료들 – 코시긴 개혁의 인적 요소 형성 과정

Alexei Nikolayevich Kosygin served as the most crucial figure in undertaking the economic reform of 1965 in the Soviet Union. The whole process of the 1965 economic reform, which was carried forward by a group of cadres with Kosygin as the center, had been closely related to a human network materialized through his political activities in Moscow. Kosygin was chosen as one of the principal economic managers by the central authorities of Moscow in the late 1930s. This promotion stemmed from not only Kosygin’s performance in works, but also a human network he endeavored to create with high-profile cadres in the Party against the background of generational transition in the Soviet society based on larger societal upheaval in the 1930s. The most crucial turning point of Kosygin’s political career was when he began to take charges of wartime mobilization and distribution of resources as well as asset transfers in the Second World War. As the war approached to an end, Kosygin took charge of reforming currency and abolishing the ration system, both of which were key post-war reconstruction policies, starting to collaborate with currency and financial experts hailing from the Soviet Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of the Soviet Union. During this period, Kosygin accumulated experience in addressing the central issues of finance, budget, and monetary circulation in the post-war reconstruction of the Soviet economy and simultaneously familiarized himself with various attitudes of currency and financial experts regarding the future direction of the Soviet economy. Though Kosygin was out of the central posts as he was involved in “Leningrad affairs” for 4 to 5 years, he rather made a larger human network working in various economic offices and departments. Kosygin began to work in the State Planning Committee in 1957 and then as the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, which were directly related to his career in drawing the 1965 economic reform. During this period, Kosygin directed the planning and management of the Soviet economy in general, constructing the fundamental frame of economic reforms through especially working together with groups of economic experts at varying levels up until 1965.

Public Reaction to Disaster Reconstruction Policy: Case Studies of the Fukushima and Chernobyl Nuclear Accidents

This study analyzes survey responses of those affected by the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plant accidents, evaluating issues such as recovery, compensation policy, decontamination, welfare, and overall government response. We apply an ordinal logit model to the issues of compensation, decontamination, and repatriation. We found that the people of Bryansk Oblast and those with ongoing health problems were more likely to support continued compensation and victim support programs. Another key finding was the perceived inadequacy of the Japanese government’s reconstruction policy for Fukushima. Monitoring and forestry safety measures were considered insufficient, and agricultural safety measures were particularly disappointing for those with children. More generally, there was support for planting rapeseed as a biofuel and for opening up the site as a tourist spot. Mega-solar farms or nature reserves were also seen as feasible alternatives to agricultural activities. Those who continued to see nuclear energy as a viable energy source supported the construction of waste treatment and storage facilities. Among the Chernobyl respondents, some supported a return to agricultural land use, citing scientific reports suggesting it was safe. Many said that there should be further investment in scientific research in the area. Fukushima respondents viewed social welfare provision and improved information for victims and residents as important issues. A key lesson for the Japanese government from the Chernobyl experience is the legal regime that was established there, clearly defining the affected areas and people and clarifying the measures required.

Progress after the 2015 Nepal Earthquake: Evidence from Two Household Surveys in One of the Hardest-Hit Mountain Villages

Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 25 April 2015, followed by numerous aftershocks, including a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on 26 April and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on 12 May. Using two household surveys of a panel of 377 households conducted in February 2016 and March 2020 in one of the hardest-hit mountain villages, we found that most of the households recovered well, having better housing, increased income, improved awareness about disaster risk, and better infrastructure facilities than before the earthquake. Notably, the poverty headcount index reduced by 16% from 2016 to 2020, and more than 90% of the households reconstructed into earthquake-resistant houses with financial and technical support, mainly, from the government. The village has increased the quality and length of rural roads; there is also wider coverage of clean water supply and better functioning school buildings and hospitals. Similarly, the subjective well-being of the people, gauged using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), has also increased. These aspects combined indicate improved community resilience and the sustainable development of the village. However, the progress differs significantly across gender, caste/ethnic as well as income groups, which calls for inclusive reconstruction and recovery policies as well as disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks at a local level to contribute to community resilience and sustainable mountain development.

Exceedance of design actions in epicentral areas: insights from the ShakeMap envelopes for the 2016\u20132017 central Italy sequence

ShakeMap is the tool to evaluate the ground motion effect of earthquakes in vast areas. It is useful to delimit the zones where the shaking is expected to have been most significant, for civil defense rapid response. From the earthquake engineering point of view, it can be used to infer the seismic actions on the built environment to calibrate vulnerability models or to define the reconstruction policies based on observed damage vs shaking. In the case of long-lasting seismic sequences, it can be useful to develop ShakeMap envelopes, that is, maps of the largest ground intensity among those from the ShakeMap of (selected) events of a seismic sequence, to delimit areas where the effects of the whole sequence have been of structural engineering relevance. This study introduces ShakeMap envelopes and discusses them for the central Italy 2016–2017 seismic sequence. The specific goals of the study are: (i) to compare the envelopes and the ShakeMap of the main events of the sequence to make the case for sequence-based maps; (ii) to quantify the exceedance of design seismic actions based on the envelopes; (iii) to make envelopes available for further studies and the reconstruction planning; (iv) to gather insights on the (repeated) exceedance of design seismic actions at some sites. Results, which include considerations of uncertainty in ShakeMap, show that the sequence caused exceedance of design hazard in thousands of square kilometers. The most relevant effects of the sequence are, as expected, due to the mainshock, yet seismic actions larger than those enforced by the code for structural design are found also around the epicenters of the smaller magnitude events. At some locations, the succession of ground-shaking that has excited structures, provides insights on structural damage accumulation that has likely taken place; something that is not accounted for explicitly in modern seismic design. The envelopes developed are available as supplemental material.

President Andrew Johnson Impeached: The First Presidential Impeachment in American History

Introduction. The article is devoted to the mechanism of impeachment procedure on the example of the first practical application of it in the history of the U.S. in relation to President Andrew Johnson. This created a necessary precedent in the further political struggle between the branches of government and has made the study of the history of the first presidential impeachment an urgent problem. Impeachment cases were brought against six subsequent presidents: Cleveland, Hoover, Truman, Nixon, Reagan, and G.W. Bush in the lower house of Congress. W. Clinton and D. Trump’s impeachment was discussed in the Senate, but was not successful. Methods and Materials. The article is based on materials from the American press as well as cartoons. The novelty of the source base is in combination of verbal and visual materials. The author used theoretical concepts developed within the framework of interdisciplinarity. The problem-chronological approach was the methodological basis of the research. In American historiography, Johnson is regarded as the “worst” President in U.S. history. However, the debate over the legitimacy of the first impeachment of a President in U.S. history has not subsided until now. In American studies, the impeachment of Andrew Johnson has not been specifically considered. Analysis. The conflict between the President and Congress was caused by the Reconstruction policy. The confrontation between the two branches of government led to impeachment. The President was charged in connection with the dismissal of Secretary of War E. Stanton, which was a violation of the Tenure of Office Act. The article examines how the impeachment procedure was implemented by Congress and why it failed. Results. Despite the failure, the first impeachment of a President in the history of the United States showed the effectiveness of the “checks” and “balances” mechanism in implementing the principle of separation of powers. It has become a deterrent to the relationship between the President and Congress.

Policy Discretion for Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Gunung Sinabung Eruption in Karo Regency in the Settlement Relocation Program

This research aims to reveal the Policy Discretion for Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Gunung Sinabung Eruption in Karo Regency in the Settlement Relocation Program. This study used qualtitative research. Disaster emergency factors (Emergency Response Status) and Humanitarian factors because the refugees have been living in temporary shelters (shelters) for ± 1.8 years in inadequate and inhumane living conditions are the driving forces for discretionary Rehabilitation and Reconstruction policies in the Settlement Relocation Program for disaster victims the eruption of Mount Sinabung, Karo Regency; Discretion of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Mount Sinabung's Eruption in Relocation of Refugee Settlements is caused by a legal vacuum, because post-disaster development cannot be carried out in the Emergency Response phase where since September 2013 until now the Disaster Status of the Mount Sinabung Eruption is still in the Emergency Response phase.

The Tourist Trap: Great Britain, Postwar Recovery, and the Marshall Plan

AbstractAfter World War II, Great Britain faced major economic problems, which the government sought to rectify by reviving export markets and achieving a favorable balance of trade. One overlooked component of reconstruction was a decision to recognize tourism as an “invisible export,” a way to draw currency, especially American dollars, into the country. However, in a period characterized by scarcity, rationing, and austerity measures, the endeavor presented enormous challenges. The situation was exacerbated by the advent of the Marshall Plan in 1948. It required British participation in a European-based tourism scheme that jeopardized the success of Britain's own initiative and, ironically, could potentially undermine the economic benefits that Marshall Plan participation was supposed to provide. In exploring the history of British tourism policy in this era, this article shows the extent to which the Marshall Plan compromised an important aspect of British reconstruction policy. It can thereby better inform our understanding of the complexities of postwar reconstruction and of Britain's guarded response to aspects of the Marshall Plan—particularly the American initiative to promote greater European economic integration in the immediate postwar era.

Claiming the Countryside: Ekistics, Socio-Political Conflicts, and Emerging Cold-War Geopolitics During Greek Reconstruction

This article investigates the complex ties between planning, socio-political conflicts, and emerging Cold War geopolitics during the post-war reconstruction period in Greece, by focusing on the years between 1944 and 1947. In these crucial transitional years, transnational flows of expertise, interwar legacies, and political, scientific, and ideological contestations gave rise to novel planning ideas and antagonistic visions for the country’s reconstruction and its future development path. The article sheds light on how the architect-planner Constantinos Doxiadis formulated Ekistics as a spatial vision, a mode of central planning, and a technical guide, examining how Ekistics affected the shaping of reconstruction policies, particularly in the countryside. This analysis further exposes the way the Greek countryside became the locus of competing visions of spatial development, as well as contradictory state responses: from long-term housing policies and self-help practices all the way to ideological repression and population resettlement strategies, British interventionism, and Civil War conflicts (1946–49) that paved the ground to Greece’s subsequent US-led recovery programs under the Truman Doctrine (1947) and the Marshal Plan (1948–1952). By focusing on the paradigmatic case of Greece, this article advances an understanding of European reconstruction as an uneven, contested, and transitional process and highlights the implications of architecture and planning discourses and practices amid ideological, territorial, and geopolitical contestations.