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Long term social recovery following the 2004 tsunami: Community, livelihoods, tourism and housing

Mulligan, M, Ahmed, I, Mercer, D, Nadarajah, Y and Shaw, J 2012, 'Long term social recovery following the 2004 tsunami: Community, livelihoods, tourism and housing', Environmental Hazards: Human and Policy Dimensions, vol. 11, pp. 38-51.

Document type: Journal Article
Collection: Journal Articles

Title Long term social recovery following the 2004 tsunami: Community, livelihoods, tourism and housing
Author(s) Mulligan, M
Ahmed, I
Mercer, D
Nadarajah, Y
Shaw, J
Year 2012
Journal name Environmental Hazards: Human and Policy Dimensions
Volume number 11
Start page 38
End page 51
Total pages 14
Publisher Earthscan
Abstract The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 galvanized world attention like no other natural disaster before. Unprecedented amounts of aid were given and a record number of international aid agencies were involved in relief and recovery operations. Major reviews of the response to the disaster have suggested that the immediate relief effort was better than expected. However, weaknesses in the longer term recovery work were identified within months of the disaster and yet the same weaknesses were being confirmed four and five years later. Even though many studies have been published on the tsunami disaster there are still many lessons to be learnt, particularly in relation to social recovery as distinct from the restoration of destroyed or damaged infrastructure. This paper presents an overview of the findings of a study that was conducted over a period of four years across five different tsunami-affected local areas of Sri Lanka and southern India. The study focused on lessons to be learnt in relation to rebuilding community, restoring livelihoods, recreating an appropriate tourism industry and providing relevant housing and planned settlements for disaster survivors. The paper argues that 'build back better' is possible, but only if 'asset replacement' strategies are replaced by integrated physical and social planning to address local needs in culturally appropriate ways. Much of what the authors advocate may seem to be little more than 'common sense' and many of our findings echo those of many other post-tsunami evaluations. Yet patient and well-integrated approaches to disaster recovery are all too rare in a world that is experiencing so many natural disasters.
Subject Social Change
Social and Cultural Geography
Keyword(s) community
developing countries
recovery
tsunami
Copyright notice © 2012 Taylor & Francis
ISSN 1747-7891
 
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Created: Fri, 08 Jun 2012, 13:42:00 EST by Catalyst Administrator