Post-Disaster Reconstruction Strategy: Opportunity or Opportunism? 2009 Tsunami in Samoa as a Case Study

Abstract

Reported natural disasters have significantly increased over the last fifty years. Because of their high exposure to natural hazards and limited economic capacity, developing countries are recognized by the international aid community to be the most vulnerable to disasters. In 1990, the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction was created to promote ideas of disaster reduction, identifying vulnerability as one of the priorities. The idea that vulnerability reduction is a matter of development is the mainstream discourse of agencies involved in disaster response.Within this general discourse issues of vulnerability depend on adaptive capacity, technical knowledge, awareness and good governance. For the international aid community, lack of capacity and knowledge can be overcome by means of policy learning transfer from industrialized countries to developing nations. However, there are contrasting views,as some affirm that this approach reflects a top-down, technocratic and Western expert approach that is based on socio-cultural belief and perceptions of „man‟ and „nature‟. Others state that most agencies have used vulnerability in the way that best fits their practices, and that this concept is utilized as a justification by developed countries to intervene in the affairs of developing nations.In 2009, a tsunami hit Samoa, resulting in considerable damages and mobilising the international aid community. Through this case study, this research explores how the mainstream use of the concept of vulnerability shapes the post-disaster management.The reconstruction of housing, land transport infrastructure and tourist accommodation and the utilisation of vulnerability reduction and risk mitigation measures are critically observed.Moreover, the role that different agencies play in shaping the decision making process is analysed, and the recovery strategy is explored and criticized. A qualitative research was undertaken, using a range of techniques including semi-structured interviews, scoping and observations on the field, and the analysis of policy documents. Findings show that international aid partners have an influence on shaping the policy carried out by the government of Samoa. The research qualifies the recovery approach as technocentrist and develops the argument that the strategy used has been lacking in considering the socio-cultural aspects inherent to the Samoan society.