Livelihood and vulnerability in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda: lessons of community and resilience

Abstract

Livelihood strategies that are crafted in 'extra-ordinary' post-disaster conditions should also be able to function once some semblance of normalcy has resumed. This article aims to show that the vulnerability experienced in relation to Typhoon Yolanda was, and continues to be, directly linked to inadequate livelihood assets and opportunities. We examine the extent to which various livelihood strategies lessened vulnerability post-Typhoon Yolanda and argue that creating conditions under which disaster survivors have the freedom to pursue sustainable livelihood is essential in order to foster resilience and reduce vulnerability against future disasters. We offer suggestions to improve future relief efforts, including suggestions made by the survivors themselves. We caution against rehabilitation strategies that knowingly or unknowingly, resurrect pre-disaster vulnerability. Strategies that foster dependency, fail to appreciate local political or ecological conditions or undermine cooperation and cohesion in already vulnerable communities will be bound to fail. Some of the livelihood strategies that we observed post-Typhoon Yolanda failed on some or all of these points. It is important for future policy that these failings are addressed.

Research Progress on Farmers' Livelihood Transformation and Its Ecological Effects—A Review

“…The driving factors of farmers' livelihood choices can be summarized as interest demand driven, natural condition driven, and social policy driven. Human capital, natural capital, social capital, financial capital, ideas and other live-lihood capital determine the optimal balance between pure agricultural livelihood and non-agricultural livelihood (Joseph et al, 2013;Manlosa et al, 2019;Eadie et al, 2020). Identifying the driving factors of farmers' livelihood changes is the basis of constructing the livelihood transformation mechanism.…”

From goods to goats: examining post-disaster livelihood recovery in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake 2015

“…Further, their livelihood strategies are diversified (see Chatterjee and Okazaki 2018 ; Chhotray and Few 2012 ; Daly et al 2020 ). Therefore, people in developing countries have multiple sources of livelihood which they live on, such as agriculture, small/micro-enterprises, wage labour or employment (temporary or permanent), and remittances (Eadie et al 2020 ; He et al 2018 ).…”

“…Physical or economic livelihood assets are few or scarce in poor and disadvantaged households. Therefore, many of them take the risk of protecting livelihood goods or assets at the expense of their own lives (see Eadie et al 2020 ). For example, instead of evacuating during a disaster, some family members might stay back to protect assets such as livestock or stored food grains.…”

“…One common problem is the duplication of resources. Following Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, the same household received fishing boats from multiple humanitarian organisations, whereas some other families did not receive anything at all (Eadie et al 2020 ). Further, Chhotray and Few ( 2012 ) and Daly et al ( 2020 ) argue that rather than piecemeal or fragmented interventions, a sustained effort is necessary to help the most vulnerable disaster-affected households restore their livelihoods effectively and sustainably.…”

Typhoon Haiyan survivors at the resettlement sites: Covid-19 pandemic realities and challenges

“…The extant literature reveals that typhoon Haiyan and its impacts in Tacloban City are well-studied (e.g., [ 4 , 5 , 11 , 12 , 14 , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , 28 , 29 , 34 , 35 , 37 , 41 , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , 49 , 52 ]). There are also studies published about the impacts of the pandemic on frontline healthcare workers [ 18 ], higher education institutions [ 10 , 31 ], students' psychological health [ 47 ], and Indigenous Peoples [ 15 ] in the Philippines which exposed the local and national government's dismal investments in public health.…”