Mohammad Haider Haroon : 10040

Current Disaster Reconstruction methods miss the opportunity to build local economies and social cohesion
Disaster in my opinion is a blessing in a disguise. For the very first reason it creates destruction no doubt but on the same side it also provides a window of opportunity to build economies and furthermore social cohesion. Hence in my opinion its a situation of mixed bag because it is not necessary that social cohesion will be successful. Some changes in the employment structure of the region after the earthquake have been observed. First, after the integration of villages, the number of employed heads of households decreased slightly, from 187 to 164 (Table 4), mostly due to retirement. Few previously unemployed household heads now have jobs. Moreover, most of the jobs are now part-time the average number of working months per year has fallen from nine to eight. Typically, before the earthquake, only one person per family was employed. In the post-disaster period, however, the data show that the number of families with multiple members working has risen, especially in the host community. The findings also suggest that the type of employment before and after the earthquake has changed. The percentage of persons employed in the agriculture sector has decreased in both communities. This decline is particularly acute in the relocated community, due primarily to its loss and its limited access to agricultural resources. Yet, there has been an increase in the level of employment of the host community in the public and private sector service industries (S. Ali Badri, et al, 2001, 458) The following extract from a research paper done on Irans earthquake shows that after the post disaster the economic activity in village has increased in services sector after the collapse of agriculture sector. Previous people who did not have jobs are now employed and are now earning
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money in order for their survival. Although after the massive earthquake struck area in Manjil with a lot of destruction but on other hand multiple families member got job. One such is example of honey production in which now more people were involved so that they can earn a respectable amount of income.

The situation of women in the disaster stricken area of Manjil also shows a positive trend. Women are now getting more opportunity to work in region after the disaster rather than before. The very reason is the need. Human recourse is mainly required in the region after the disaster. Women being the major chunk in the area play a vital role in economic generation but one thing that comes into hindrance is that they are usually paid less for their work then the man , which in itself being gender biased but on other hand its better for women to earn something rather than sitting idle in home.

Successive governments have been unable to alter local political economies and thereby change significantly the socio-economic and political position of the poorest people, in which case a partnership seems to be the most positive way to break the cycle. The governments would continue to be responsible for the infrastructural elements of coastal management through public-works programmes and other public services. The co-operative NGOs would be responsible for carrying out the economic aspects of the anti-poverty programmes, which have the possibility of reaching millions of people. These programmes are normally well beyond their means. Together these programmes should ensure both protection and reduced vulnerability as well as bringing lasting economic benefits in cyclone and flood-prone coastal areas. (Peter Winchester, 2000, 34)

Tropical cyclones and floods usually hit the East coast of India. The above taken paragraph from a Middlesex University flood hazard research centre shows that after the hitting of cyclones and floods in the region a lot of destruction takes place. In post disaster scenario, rehabilitation ,
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reconstruction plays a very eminent role for a society to get upheaval in economic and social well being . For these two very reasons the government has decided that NGO sector should come forward in this regard and help out people living there . It is urged that the NGO s can play a pivotal role of development in the eastern coastal region of Devi Seema. The poverty can only be alleviated by improvement of socio economic resilience of the poor.

Two intermediate-scale NGOs operating in the Krishna delta have joined forces with larger NGOs to carry out projects which neither could do on their own while remaining independent. The Divi Seema Social Service Society (197785), run by the Jesuits, and the Salvation Army (197782) came to Divi Seema immediately after the 1977 cyclone and worked in the areas with the highest death tolls on the coastal strip and low-lying inland areas where approximately 25,000 people lived (or one-third of the areas population). They departed after friction between their respective head offices and their field operatives. Both organizations established village credit unions, membership of which gave access to soft loans and subsidized agricultural inputs; their other programmes covered health-care, adult and nursery education and skills training for a wide range of self-employment activities. Membership of credit unions was open to everyone, but the better-off found the prospect of regular payments and compulsory attendance at meetings too tedious and the loans and subsidies too small. Nevertheless they did not feel excluded and consequently did nothing to undermine the programmes. Both NGOs worked with Oxfam and other international aid agencies on large projects (affecting up to 15,000 people).

With the operation of new NGOs in the region , hence it was now time for people to get benefit from them and hence provide themselves an opportunity to earn and also gel together socially because the activities NGO z are doing will definitely fill the gap of the society and social cohesion hence will take place .

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In addition to relocating communities to a foreign natural environment, the resettlement process incited by the buffer zone has also resulted in unfavorable social conditions. For example, at the Dickwella resettlement camp in the Matara district of southern Sri Lanka more than1000 people of different social, economic and cultural backgrounds were brought to live together. This is a drastic change from the small traditional villages of a few hundred residents where people lived before the tsunami. A sense of community is difficult to attain in large resettlement camps with non-traditional groupings of socioeconomic and cultural classes. Thus, community networks, which are crucial for fostering adaptation and learning from a disaster ( Adger et al., 2005; Miller, 2005)may have been severely disrupted. A failure to address long-term needs such as social and cultural issues when selecting resettlement camp locations for coastal communities has potentially made it difficult for people to cope with the trauma of the disaster and may increase vulnerability to social conflicts.(Jane C. Ingram et al, 2006, 609)

The aforementioned extract taken from a research paper done on tsunami stricken Dickwella resettlement camp in Matara , Srilanka. Here the people of various backgrounds were resettled after the disaster of tsunami. Unfortunately social cohesion could not take place between everyone there because the effecters from various nontraditional groupings could not merge together. Everyone had their differences. It was a difficult job to try to settle more than 1000 people in one place if they are not willing to live together. Ultimately it was a failure and made life complex for people to muddle through the trauma of the disaster. For this very reason the policy should be made that how the resettlement of the people will be done in order that there is no issue that they might end up facing while living together. Sustainable livelihood opportunities must be given to the affected people of disaster stricken region so that they can get involved in work and engage themselves actively in the society and hence providing economic generation in the region.

All in all after going through some of the examples regarding the topic I conclude that current disaster reconstruction although provide a window of opportunity in economic aspects but as far as social cohesion goes there is a need bringing such a policy that people struck in disaster region
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get an opportunity to amalgamate together so that they can do work collectively as a single unit hence showing social cohesive bond. A famous saying goes United we stand and divided we fall. This saying is a picture perfect example for the case of this topic.

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References:
Disasters, Badri, E,A(2006) Post-disaster resettlement, development and change: a case study of the 1990 Manjil Earthquake in Iran: Blackwell Publishers,30,4,Oxford and Malden ,458. Disasters, Peter Winchester (2000), 24(1) Cyclone Mitigation, Resource Allocation and Post- disaster Reconstruction in South India: Lessons from Two Decades of Research Blackwell Publishers, 24, 1, Oxford and Malden, 34. Environmental science & policy, Ingram E, A (2006) Post-disaster recovery dilemmas: challenges in balancing short-term and long-term needs for vulnerability reduction Earth institute, 9, Newyork, 609.

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