Problem, research strategy, and fi ndings: The number of people displaced either temporarily or permanently from natural disasters has been increasing at an unprecedented rate. As a result, there is a growing need for a systematic framework of resettlement planning after disasters, to either rebuild in place (in situ) or to relocate, and whether to do so independently or collaboratively with their neighbors. To gain an in-depth understanding of how resettlement is advanced, I focus on a region in Chuetsu (Japan) supplemented with cases in New Orleans (LA) and Tohoku (Japan). Results suggest that resettlement decisions, processes, and outcomes refl ect both larger socioeconomic trends and interactions between governments, communities, and households. Although the governments' speed of resettlement planning and implementation initially set the pace, informal communication within communities most infl uenced decision making. In addition, inherent community dynamics, especially styles of communication, directly infl uenced resettlement decisions and outcomes. Takeaway for practice: Although every disaster is unique in its context, communities are the key players in determining resettlement outcomes. Key points of consideration include: a) resettlement decision processes vary based on the inherent characteristics of communities; b) government offi cials often emphasize speed, even though it undermines overall quality of rebuilding; c) reestablishing livelihoods of equal or greater satisfaction to that before the disaster is important; and d) local communities are often capable of identifying and acting for their needs, regardless of governmental intentions. Planners need to support the establishment of a system in which communities are empowered by governments to make the most suitable decisions for sustainable livelihood recovery.
Abstract:Due to its intrinsic scenery, many tourism destinations are located in areas that are exposed to various natural hazards such as tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and high winds. In particular, coastal tourism presents numerous risks unique to the tourism sector due to differences in the type of vulnerabilities faced by tourists compared to other types of communities. Tourists are transient, may lack knowledge of local hazards, perceive risks differently, and may present various communication barriers. Physical mitigation may also be limited as local communities rely on the preservation of the area's natural assets.Research on the effects of disasters in tourism destinations have generally fallen into the categories of emergency management, which is focused on the preparedness and response phases, or solutions, adopting a structural engineering approach. Long-term solutions that utilize non-structural approaches have been acknowledged as vital towards mitigation in various literatures, but in reality, have been scarcely applied. As disasters can constitute a wicked rather than tame problem, long-term solutions should include the input of multiple stakeholders striving towards a working solution that is constantly updated through feedback loops. Urban planning can provide such theoretical backgrounds that are missing from tourism planning studies, but have thus far, been limited to the needs of the permanent communities and not the transient community. This paper examines literature on disaster management planning in coastal destinations and bridges the gap between the fields of urban planning, disaster management and tourism planning, by suggesting the utilization of social learning to address disaster management gaps found in existing literature.
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