Phased post-disaster recovery challenges

2016–2017 Floods and landslides in Colombo and Kalutara, Sri Lanka

Bibliographic Data

ID22029153
AuthorsRizwan Akbar Ali (0000-0003-3848-6360, University of Auckland, corresponding author), Sandeeka Mannakkara (0000-0002-4959-9072, University of Auckland)
Year2024
Volume111
Pages104728
Publication date2024-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2212-4209
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104728
OpenAlexW4401281158
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited30

This paper aims to understand the challenges arising in individual post-disaster recovery (PDR) phases and how they contribute to overall recovery progress. It further investigates the transition of recovery from one phase to the subsequent phases of PDR. The 2016 and 2017 floods and landslides in Sri Lanka were used as the case study focusing on the two affected districts, Colombo and Kalutara. An in-depth study was conducted to explore the PDR phases from response to long-term reconstruction and development following the disaster events. A mixed methods approach was adopted where, under a qualitative approach, twenty-two semi-structured interviews with disaster management stakeholders were conducted. Moreover, on quantitative analysis, a survey questionnaire was conducted. The case study field data was supplemented with an extensive document review. The study found several factors in different PDR phases hindering long-term recovery. They include: a lack of communication and coordination mechanisms among key stakeholders in the response phase, and limited capacity and resources of local authorities in the rehabilitation phase. The challenges in recovery and long-term reconstruction and development phases were to disaster governance, collection and management of data and information, and low level of inter-agency collaboration. Some factors were recurring and continually hindered the PDR process and had a larger impact in Kalutara than in the Colombo district. Regarding the transition of recovery, there was only one transition from response and rehabilitation to the recovery phase occurred. No evidence was found for the second recovery transition from recovery to the long-term reconstruction and development phase. These findings will assist in planning future post-disaster recoveries in the region to ensure issues are anticipated, and proper planning is done ahead of time. The goal is to tackle the issues impeding long-term recovery in each PDR phase to allow a smooth and successful transition into the long-term phase. The findings of this research make an original contribution to the limited scholarship on the implications of individual PDR phases on long-term recovery

Business · Corporate governance · Data collection · Disaster recovery · Emergency management · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Geography · Landslide · Political science · Sociology · Sri lanka · Disaster Management and Resilience · Engineering · Environmental Science · Flood Risk Assessment and Management · Infrastructure Resilience and Vulnerability Analysis · Medicine · Finance · Rehabilitation

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