Self-recovery from disasters: an interdisciplinary perspective

Abstract

• Self-recovery: most disaster-affected families rebuild their homes relying on their own and local resources, with little or no external assistance. • Context: the governmental, economic, environmental and socio-cultural contexts in which self-recovery takes place greatly affect how it progresses. Availability and application of reconstruction grants are influenced by government conditions. Recovery often takes place in multi-hazard environments. Socioeconomic differences and levels of community organisation have an effect on access to, and use of, resources. • Drivers and barriers: many different influences contribute to the overall progression of self-recovery or to progress being held back. Important factors include households’ changing needs and priorities, livelihood pressures, psycho social reactions to disaster, and the level of technical skills and knowledge available. • Build back safer: the process of reconstruction in self-recovery is multi-faceted, involving complex decision-making and priority setting by affected individuals and households. It is also influenced by external resources, support and regulations. • Interdisciplinarity: effective support for self-recovery requires humanitarian and other actors to take an interdisciplinary approach to both design and implementation of interventions