Short-Term Solutions to a Long-Term Challenge: Rethinking Disaster Recovery Planning to Reduce Vulnerabilities and Inequities

Melissa L. Finucane, Joie Acosta, Amanda Wicker and Katie Whipkey
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Melissa L. Finucane: Department of Behavioral & Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Joie Acosta: Department of Behavioral & Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes St, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
Amanda Wicker: Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes St, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
Katie Whipkey: CARE Nederland, Parkstraat 19, 2514 JD Den Haag, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: In the immediate aftermath of disaster, governments usually act quickly to reduce risk and to recover their communities’ socio-economic functioning. Policy makers in these situations need—but may not have the capacity or time for—substantial analysis and public debate about how to balance short- and long-term societal needs. Inadequate attention to this challenge may result in a deepening of the inequities that increase vulnerability to disaster impacts. We review case examples to illustrate how post-disaster policies may influence the nature, pace, and inclusiveness of community recovery. We then apply a vulnerability/inequity framework to conceptualize how to enhance disaster recovery and avoid perpetuating inequities when weighing the diverse needs of communities across long time horizons.

Keywords: disaster recovery; post-disaster policies; social vulnerability; inequity; decision making (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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