Post-disaster reconstruction : policies, performance and politics ; a comparative study of three states in India

Abstract

The study compares evidence from the major reconstruction programs undertaken in three states in India after catastrophic disasters: Maharashtra earthquake (1993), Gujarat earthquake (2001) and Asian tsunami in Tamil Nadu (2004). It poses the central question: why, within the same broad political, social, economic and cultural framework, did some reconstruction programs go beyond pre-impact restoration to build back better?

I argue that post-disaster reconstruction is a political process in which vision, political leadership, political will and political culture are key ingredients. Reconstruction prescriptions must, therefore, go beyond the technical and embrace the political realm. One of the basic policy dilemmas is the choice between restoration status quo ante and betterment reconstruction. Discussions on the factors that contribute to effective use of post-disaster opportunity have remained largely normative with very little validation through intensive empirical research, particularly in the Indian context. This study has attempted to bridge this gap. This research has identified some of the key factors behind success in "building back better." This has been accomplished using extensive primary data (compiled from household-level surveys, village meetings and interviews), rigorous field visits, archival research, international comparison and personal experience. The study has identified, analyzed and categorized the myriad factors driving the reconstruction programs. The findings emphasize that disaster reconstruction cannot be depoliticized. It finds that the commitment of the State is a critical variable determining the leap forward after a disaster and that vision and political leadership define the scope and role of the State. Since betterment reconstruction is a long-drawn-out process, continued political commitment is needed to go beyond short-term objectives. The evidence indicates that the determinants of political will are not confined to the narrow domain of leadership, but are inseparable from the specific political cultures. The research finds that political culture is an over-arching determinant of policy choices, program implementation and the nature of stakeholder engagement. The study demonstrates that in a country like India, besides the national ethos, the political cultures of different states or even sub-cultures within them shape the larger contours of the reconstruction. This finding underscores the importance of understanding political culture while formulating policy prescriptions and designing programs. The thesis is in three parts. The first examines the recovery after the three disasters in three areas: housing reconstruction, economic transformation and disaster management. The second isolates and analyses key factors behind differential outcomes from the perspective of stakeholders and global literature. The third dwells on reconstruction as a political process.