Long-term Disaster Recovery in Urban Communities
Final Report Abstract
The research undertaken by this funded project examined disaster recovery in urban communities by assessing long-term housing recovery, the role of disaster insurance, attention to rural-urban linkages in sustainability transition agendas and the evaluation of disaster resilience. The research developed a framework for measuring long-term housing recovery using qualitative and quantitative indicators. To date, no such models exist, in large part because of the challenges posed: the significant amount of data needed and accessibility. Thus, the research makes valuable contributions to the field of disaster risk reduction and management. While discussion over how to manage disaster insurance has gained momentum due to the increasing frequency and magnitude of disasters and complexities surrounding climate change, little research exists on the role of disaster insurance in overall community recovery. As originally conceived, the project aimed to examine three different case studies (Passau, New Orleans and Christchurch) in an effort to provide comprehensive longitudinal study of housing recovery in three different insurance contexts. However, owing to resistance among community stakeholders and residents engaged in on-going political debates and conflicts over how to handle persistent flood events in Passau, it was not possible to collect adequate data to perform cross-analysis and so research focused on Christchurch and New Orleans. In both of the cases researched, disaster recovery plans for housing were not established as priority anchor projects to be carried out by local governments and institutions, and were only considered well after initial recovery efforts were implemented. Little attention was given to conducting appropriate quantitative housing assessments within communities as part of recovery efforts. Thus, our model testified to the need for communities to have their lived experiences documented in order to augment assessments based on traditional quantitative data including initial housing damage assessments, the issuing of rebuilding permits, settling of insurance claims and completion of infrastructure repairs. In both Christchurch and New Orleans, the research identified a tendency for local and national governments to offer homeowners housing buy-outs. This was a reaction to the increasing magnitude and frequency of calamities, with buy-outs seen as a temporary solution to inefficiencies connected to disaster insurance. Regardless of whether a homeowner obtained disaster insurance or not, the severity of damages often warranted a decision not to rebuild parts of the community, which, in turn, resulted in unintended consequences for managing disaster recovery. These findings directed us to connect our research to rural-urban linkages within sustainability transitions. We were not surprised to learn that technical expertise met resistance among stakeholders and residents in communities managing recovery from disaster events. However, when examining rural-urban linkages in the rebuilding effort in Christchurch, we were surprised to learn that the discourse of disaster resilience was used by some experts and those in governance as a tool in conflicts with other experts and residents over rebuilding. This work resulted in a publication in a Routledge book series, ‘Dynamics of Economic Space.’ Lastly, recent debates within development agendas have led to the support and adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). This has been seen as a tool to facilitate collaboration in designing urban resilient communities as they face shocks and stresses related to disasters and climate change. One of the tools in place is the Rockefeller Foundation Program 100 Resilient Cities (100RC). We studied the policy planning aspects of this program in relation to SFDRR. Overwhelmingly, member cities identified disaster related shocks and stresses but neglected to connect these to policies drawn from the SFDRR. The 100RC resulted in significant financial collaborations and private-public partnerships. However, few signs of community involvement – a key aspect and outcome of the program – were reported.
Publications
- ‘Rural-urban linkages in sustainability transitions: Challenges for Economic Geography.’ International Geographical Union (IGU) Commission on ‘The Dynamics of Economic Spaces’ IGU Mini-Conference on Rural-Urban Linkages for Sustainable Development: An Economic Geography Perspective; July 2018
Winder, G.M.
- ‘Urban Disaster Recovery.’ Canterbury Earthquake Symposium, Christchurch, New Zealand. December 2018
Zavareh Hofmann, S.
- ‘How should we insure cities against disasters?’ Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society, August 2019
Zavareh Hofmann, S.
- ‘Resilient cities and natural disasters.’ Annual Conference of the Association of American Geographers, April 2019
Zavareh Hofmann, S.
- ‘The challenges posed by UN-Habitat’s rural-urban linkages in a sustainability transition agenda: The case of the Christchurch, New Zealand rebuild.’ Regional Studies Association Australasia Conference on Urban and Rural Wellbeing, First Nations Economies and Global Value Chains for Regional Sustainability, February 2019
Zavareh Hofmann, S.
