Fuzzy Boundaries Between Post-Disaster Phases: The Case of L’Aquila, Italy

Abstract

A number of indices have been developed for measuring vulnerability to disasters, but little attention has been paid to recovery indices. Post-disaster periods are usually divided into four phases. The terms established by the United Nations Development Programme for post-disaster phases-relief, early recovery, recovery, and development-are used in this article. This research examines the hypothesis that the boundaries between post-disaster recovery phases are fuzzy and should be defined by the progress achieved in the recovery process, rather than by the amount of time elapsed since the event. The methodology employed involved four steps: fieldwork, mapping, identification of indicators, and assessment. The case study area was the city of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, which was struck by an earthquake in April 2009. For each phase of the recovery process in L'Aquila a score was calculated based on the progress observed in 2016, 7 years after the earthquake. The highest score went to the early recovery phase (14 points), followed by the recovery phase (13 points), the development phase (12 points), and the relief phase (4 points). The results demonstrate the possibility of defining post-disaster recovery phases in an affected area based on measuring achievements through indicators rather than defining recovery phases in terms of elapsed time after a disaster.

Post-earthquake cordons and their implications

“…L’Aquila, situated in the Abruzzo Region of Italy, was struck by an M W 6.3 earthquake in 2009 (depth 10 km, epicenter at 34 km southwest of the city), severely damaging the historic city center (Contreras et al, 2013). It left 67,500 people homeless, injured 1500, and killed 308 people (Contreras, 2016; Contreras et al, 2017). The extensive damage resulted in cordoning off a significant area of the city until 2014 (Figure 1a; Contreras et al, 2014).…”

Nepal Government’s Emergency Response to the 2015 Earthquake: A Case Study

“…Asokan and Vanitha (2017) emphasized the importance of a combined effort by aid agencies and health professionals in an emergency response. Further, needs assessments are vital for estimating the number of affected people from an earthquake, the number of temporary shelters required, and finally, the type of humanitarian aid required (Brown et al 2010 as cited by Contreras 2016).…”

‘Interrupted’ Landscapes: Post-Earthquake Reconstruction in between Urban Renewal and Social Identity of Local Communities

“…project created urban landscapes formed by homogeneous building blocks lacking commercial services and those collective places that constituted the matrix of the social and relational system ( Figure 5), altering the 'sense of community' of local inhabitants [18]. Beyond the technical and architectural issues, a specific issue arose from the individual stories and complaints of the resident people: the (increasing) sense of estrangement from the pristine landscape that may shape a "waiting community", whose unique desire is to go back to the old city [19], the only one they recognize as their own city and home [20]. Resident people have persistently asked for temporary wooden dwellings while waiting for the on-site reconstruction of the buildings [20,21].…”