Although religion often comprises a central component of the social and cultural make-up of communities in developing countries affected by disasters, there is often limited understanding of how religious faith, religious leaders, and religious institutions contribute to vulnerability and resilience in the post-disaster period. Using a case study related to the earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2006, our research examined the role of faith and religion from the perspective of affected populations, including individuals, religious leaders, and academics. The research suggests complexity in fatalistic thinking and the role of religious activities, where both vulnerability and resilience co-existed. The nature of religious leadership was found to be highly dependent on the individual, although leaders primarily saw their roles as supporting the psychological recovery of the affected population. Examining religious institutions suggests that physical structures, collective engagement in activities, networks, and theological perspectives provided opportunities for initiatives aiming at disaster risk reduction, although not all of these aspects remain functional in the aftermath of disasters. The article concludes by discussing the importance of incorporating religious faith and institutions in disaster risk reduction programming and unifying messages between faith and non-faith organizations.

Adaptation is necessary if we are to minimize risks associated with climate change impacts. Vulnerability and resilience are two important concepts in the literature on hazards and climate change but have been used in a variety of ways to investigate human interaction with a hazardous environment. The result is widespread adoption of the terms but confusion about their relationship and how best they can advance work on climate change adaptation. This paper critically reviews the different understandings of the concepts and how they relate, and then proposes a framework that integrates vulnerability and resilience in order to advance adaptation thinking, planning and implementation. The paper concludes with a description of how the framework will apply findings on unequal social vulnerability to inform adaptation options that increase resilience in coastal cities.

A lack of monitoring and evaluation on the outcomes of livelihood recovery programming has typified many post-disaster recovery initiatives. This article uses a case study of the 2006 Yogyakarta, Indonesia earthquake to analyse longer-term impacts of livelihood programming after disaster. The article includes an overview of the programming implemented in five case study villages and the perspectives of impacted populations on the livelihood interventions. Results indicate the importance of longer-term programming, early interventions, local leadership, and an integrative strategy focusing on replacing assets, providing capital and credit to jumpstart entrepreneurial activities, capacity and skills building, and developing markets and networks.Un manque de suivi et d'évaluation des résultats de programmes de rétablissement des moyens d'existence a caractérisé de nombreuses initiatives de rétablissement post-catastrophe. Cet article utilise une étude de cas du séisme survenu en 2006 à Yogyakarta, en Indonésie, pour analyser les impacts à long terme des programmes portant sur les moyens de subsistance après une catastrophe. Cet article englobe une vue d'ensemble des programmes mis en oeuvre dans cinq villages faisant l'objet de l'étude de cas et les points de vue des populations ayant subi les impacts concernant les interventions liées aux moyens de subsistance. D'après les résultats, les actions importantes sont : la programmation à plus long terme, des interventions rapides, un leadership local et une stratégie intégrative se concentrant sur le remplacement des biens, la fourniture de capitaux et de crédits pour relancer les activités d'entreprises, le renforcement des capacités et des compétences, et le développement de marchés et de réseaux.Muchos de los proyectos de recuperación implementados tras haber ocurrido un desastre se han caracterizado por la falta de monitoreo y de evaluación de los resultados vinculados a las acciones llevadas a cabo para la restauración de los medios de vida. Apoyándose en el estudio de caso del terremoto acaecido en Yogyakarta, Indonesia en 2006, el presente artículo analiza el impacto a largo plazo de las acciones orientadas a apoyar los medios de vida después de los desastres. Asimismo, el artículo presenta una visión general de las acciones programáticas impulsadas en cinco aldeas que fueron seleccionadas para realizar estudios de caso y de las opiniones manifestadas por los damnificados respecto a dichas acciones. Los resultados surgidos dan cuenta de la importancia que tiene realizar acciones de largo plazo e intervenciones tempranas, fomentar el liderazgo local y promover una estrategia integradora que ponga énfasis en la reposición de los activos, brindando, a la vez, capital y créditos a fin de impulsar actividades orientadas a los pequeños negocios, al fortalecimiento de capacidades y habilidades, así como al desarrollo de mercados y redes. IntroductionThe post-disaster recovery period has increasingly been viewed as a time for renewal and improvement, as opposed to simply...

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As the costs associated with hazardous events continues to rise, many researchers and practitioners argue that the social, economic, and human losses attributed to these events can be significantly reduced through a variety of risk reduction and preparedness programs, as well as through a greater understanding of the social, economic, and political processes that work to create vulnerability. This paper explores various approaches to understanding vulnerability and the underlying processes affecting vulnerability levels. Empirical research was conducted in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada with key informants (n ¼ 25) working in emergency preparedness/response or with community organizations. The research revealed at least four themes that would be useful for policies and programs designed to reduce vulnerability to disasters. Although the research was carried out in a Canadian context, the paper examines how these themes might relate more generally to underlying processes of vulnerability discussed in the literature.KEY WORDS: disaster planning and preparedness, hazard management and mitigation, social vulnerability, vulnerable populations