In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, both category 5 hurricanes, swept across the Caribbean, including the U.S. Territory island of Puerto Rico. These two storms, particularly Hurricane Maria, caused catastrophic damages from high winds and flooding to the island paradise. This research investigates the direct effects that Hurricane Maria had on the residential construction industry within Puerto Rico and evaluates how to better prioritize and manage these types of efforts in the future. This research was initiated to identify challenges and opportunities that have been encountered within the Puerto Rican construction industry during the first year of reconstruction, post-Hurricane Maria. Residential structures that were built using current building codes experienced minimal storm damage. Many of the damaged residential structures, on the other hand, were made up of informal construction, predominantly using light wood framing methods. Unfortunately, homes built using informal construction practices were not insured nor eligible for government rebuilding assistance. Therefore, these damaged structures will more than likely be rebuilt using informal building practices again. Other immediate challenges faced by the construction industry included finding skilled labor and creating access to resources. The results of this research can be used to help prioritize reconstruction efforts and provide best practices following other similar disasters that will inevitably occur in the future. This research is unique in that it specifically targets the construction industry's experience and ultimately the ability to increase the effectiveness of the critical role the construction industry plays in rebuilding efforts.

The emergence of resilience in the peacebuilding field shows an important change of paradigm and turn to the local context. So far few ethnographic research has been done to understand how resilience works locally and what are the mechanisms helping individuals to cope and recover from a crisis. This study intends to fill this gap through an ethnographic study of local mechanisms, structures, and understandings of resilience, gathering insights on the perspectives and experiences of women in a conflict-sensitive and post-natural disaster context. It relies on an abductive and inductive methodology using interviews and field-based observations answering the following research questions: 1) How are national and local organizations seeking to enhance the resilience of women in Putumayo? What are the tools and strategies they use? How are these related to their own understanding of resilience? 2) How do the women perceive and act in terms of resilience? How do they manage the consequences of the conflict and the natural catastrophe? What are their strategies of survival? The study brings forth a frame building on the current state of the literature, underlying factors contributing to the resilience of the local population in Putumayo and shedding light on local perspectives to contribute and deepen our current understanding of the concept.

This dissertation provides an authoritative account of reconstruction in the water sector after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in coastal, deltaic South India. In particular, this study examines 14 newly constructed housing settlements in the adjacent study areas of Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, and Karaikal District, Puducherry. There is currently a paucity of literature dedicated to water components of reconstruction. Thus, this study expands the discourse and posits water elements of post-disaster processes as unique and therefore deserving of increased scholarly attention. The study is informed by a multi-methods approach and a geographical perspective. The methodologies include, inter alia, qualitative and quantitative survey instruments; key informant interviews; focus group discussions; the employment of primary documents; and environmental analyses through bacteriological and chemical water quality testing. Geographically, data, information, and actions are perceived as the coalescence of localized socio-cultural, politico-economic, and environmental fabrics. This approach to viewing circumstances is imperative for dissecting the outcomes of reconstruction processes in a specific context, and consequently for understanding problems, identifying solutions, and gauging the appropriateness of particular configurations in place-based systems. This dissertation critiques the models utilized for reconstruction in the two study areas. The scales of inquiry are demographically and geo-physically similar, yet differ in political organization. It is argued that Nagapattinam executed a model of reconstruction founded on collaborative governance, while Karaikal exercised a single agency approach. Thus, various governmental agencies were responsible for specific reconstruction activities in Nagapattinam, whereas a single agency was responsible for all activities in Karaikal. In general, the latter approach, which was less layered, produced comparatively better outcomes. Moreover, both jurisdictions implemented 'hard' paths for water management and operationalized panoptic and revenue-based methods of reconstruction, albeit inefficiently. Numerous shortcomings in reconstruction outcomes were uncovered (e.g., water quality, quantity, and pressure), as were an array of organic coping mechanisms established by affectees in order to surmount such inadequacies. To that end, it is contended that: the coping mechanisms fail to remedy the condition; much of the waterscape is beyond the control of the subjects; and the governments are ultimately deficient in responding to the needs of their citizens. The post-tsunami waterscapes are also analyzed quantitatively through the development of a contextualized, multi-scalar Water Poverty Index (WPI). The WPI is deployed with three distinct weighing schemes and reveals that, on the whole, the sites situated in Karaikal generally perform better than those in Nagapattinam. Interestingly enough, the sites located in rural Nagapattinam outperform their urban counterparts. This case--primarily a product of different water treatment processes--challenges conventional rural-urban dichotomies. Given the occurrence of poor water quality, an investigation of boiling as a method of household water treatment (HWT) surfaces several barriers to and caveats of its adoption. Data indicate that boiling is less effective than could be; thus, it is argued that boiling may not be the optimal strategy for HWT. Lastly, advised by the corpus of data, this dissertation presents a novel framework for managing water components of post-disaster reconstruction. The framework identifies common project failures, can be harnessed independently or alongside existing instruments, and possesses diagnostic, management, and evaluative potential.

Studies on post-disaster housing in rural areas of Turkey show that these houses do not respond to all the needs of users. After the earthquake of June 2000, 1,221 permanent post-disaster houses (PDH) were erected in the villages of &Ccedil / ankiri. Some of these PDH were built with Typical Designs while others were custom-designed for the beneficiaries who had rejected the Typical Designs of the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement. The aim of this study was to pinpoint those factors of the PDH which led to satisfaction or dissatisfaction among the beneficiaries and, hence, abandonment of these houses. A survey was carried out in the area to determine the types of PDH built &amp / #8211 / used or abandoned &amp / #8211 / any additions or alterations made and for which purpose, and user&amp / #8217 / s degree of satisfaction with their houses. Those PDH which were altered and to which any additional spaces were added were measured and drawn to visually record the changes made by the beneficiaries. A random sample of 90 families was selected for the investigation. A questionnaire was prepared for the study which was administered to the permanent users of the PDH with Typical Designs and Custom Designs and the beneficiaries who refused to move to the PDH with Typical Designs. Data obtained from the questionnaires was analysed with the help of statistical tools. It was revealed that Traditional Houses in the villages are better equipped to answer the local needs / PDH with Typical Designs do not meet the needs of the users / PDH with Custom Designs are closer to user needs / and that some beneficiaries who refused to move to new settlements preferred to construct PDH on the lots of their previous houses. In addition, a survey was carried out in the villages to understand geographical, topographical and climatic conditions and house typology in the region. Additions and modifications made in the PDH with Typical Designs were recorded and at the end of the study, guidelines for post-disaster reconstruction works and design of PDH in rural areas have been proposed.

No description available.

In September 2017 Hurricane Maria made landfall on the U.S territory island of Puerto Rico, causing substantial damage to the already weakened infrastructure and other aspects of the built environment. This research attempted to identify the challenges and opportunities that have been encountered within the Puerto Rican commercial and civil construction industry during the first year of reconstruction, post-Hurricane Maria. This was done by identifying the effects of the storm as well as the strategies of construction companies involved in the reconstruction process. The study used the events occurring after the passing of the hurricane as a case study to conduct interviews with those involved in the reconstruction efforts. The interviews followed a semi- structured interview approach to gather the data. The research found how the reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico affected the commercial and civil construction industries, exploring the challenges, opportunities, and changes to typical business practices with regard to finances, labor, equipment, and material changes after Hurricane Maria. This was accomplished by highlighting the methods and processes used by the construction industry professionals and identifying the ones that were effective and/or ineffective in rebuilding the island. This research provided a number of key findings regarding reconstruction efforts. first, the large amounts of reconstruction related work following the storm boosted the economy of the industry and companies began growing in size and employing more personnel to fit their business needs. Second, unfortunately the vast amounts of reconstructive work created by Hurricane Maria also created a deficit in skilled labor in Puerto Rico. Third, initial reconstruction efforts were heavily focused on clearing debris, greatly benefitting companies that owned their own equipment. Finally, material availability proved to be a limiting factor in reconstruction, and lead times were directly increased because of Hurricane Maria.

My dissertation offers insight into the political epistemology of the Chinese Communist Party and state on the basis of their activities during the post-2008 Wenchuan earthquake reconstruction. By “political epistemology,” I mean how the Party thinks about the nature of politics, including but not limited to the role of the state in the economy. An important facet of this approach is taking seriously the CCP’s distinctive manner of thinking, writing, and talking about politics that is too often dismissed as empty jargon that means little in post-Mao China. I show how a Maoist conception of politics remains at the bedrock of how the CCP understands its own political identity and actions. Certainly, many of the salient features of Maoism have been discarded, such as the emphasis on class struggle, continuous revolution, and the role of the masses in political movements. Despite these trends toward de-politicization and technocracy, the Party’s confidence in the rationality of its planning apparatus and in its ability to mobilize politically to achieve the ends of market construction and biopolitical social transformation constitutes what I call Maoist neo-developmentalism. Each of my empirical case chapters examines a localized combination of post-disaster reconstruction with a national strategy for long-term, “great leap” development. Thus, each chapter traces how the Party’s plans to capitalize the countryside - by way of urbanization, tourism, and ecology – have become stuck in transitional processes. The spectacular market transitions and transformations envisioned by Party leaders became cycles of state investment in local economies that only function by virtue of continued state involvement. The Party’s massive expenditures of maintaining the appearance of success, however, generated local resentment at perceived waste, indifference, and corruption. Each case chapter shows evidence not so much of social resistance to the state (although of course that happened, too) but an intimate negotiation between state and society of high expectations, broken promises, and frustrations. I argue that these “perforations” deep within the tissue of the state-society relationship only make sense when viewed from the context of a Maoist social contact in which the Party’s legitimacy depends on its perceived ability to serve the people. / text

Flooding is a global challenge that has plagued mankind throughout history, affecting over 164 million people worldwide in 2007 alone. As the frequency of flooding increases in England and Wales coupled with an increase in the number of properties at risk of flooding and the attendant huge (insured) economic costs of flooding, the services received by homeowners during flood damage repair works, have not been spared criticism, Both the Welsh Consumer Council report and the Warwickshire Trading Standards report raised serious questions about the level of service in insurance claims for the repair of flood-damaged domestic property. This research project was therefore aimed at investigating the level of service quality and determinants of homeowners’ satisfaction in England and Wales with respect to flood damage repair works during insurance claims. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on customers’ needs, satisfaction and service quality, flooding and related issues, and the repair of flood damaged domestic property, in order to set the framework for the research and shape the development of the research questions/hypotheses. The study employed a two-phased sequential mixed methods approach, commencing with 20 in-depth interviews with homeowners, repairers, insurers and loss adjusters. Findings from the initial exploratory study (and from the literature review) informed the development of a questionnaire instrument, which incorporated elements of SERVQUAL, the generic service quality measurement instrument. Survey data were collected for the quantitative phase of the study from a sample of 126 homeowners, which was then analysed to test the hypotheses put forward in the study. The data did not yield a set of reliable and interpretable factors of service quality from the three service quality scales used to measure homeowners’ perceptions of the performance of insurers, loss adjusters and contractors. However, of the three key service providers, the contractor’s performance was the best predictor of homeowners’ overall satisfaction during flood damage reinstatement claims, accounting for seven times the combined unique contribution of insurance and loss adjusting firms. In addition, satisfaction levels were significantly different for homeowners whose claims for repair works were completed within six months compared to those repairs exceeded twelve months. The thesis concludes with implications of the findings for practice as well as recommendations for further research. It is argued that knowledge of the determinants of homeowners’ satisfaction with services during the repair of flood damaged property, is beneficial not only to insurers, loss adjusters and repairers but to homeowners as well.

Plusieurs études ont révélé des problèmes récurrents au niveau de la performance et de la gestion des projets de reconstruction à la suite des catastrophes dans les pays en voie de développement (PEVD). Ces projets doivent faire face à des conditions de vulnérabilité des habitants, engendrées par des facteurs politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels. Les divers participants - contraints par un accès limité à l’information - sont confrontés à travailler dans un contexte hostile ayant un niveau d’incertitude élevé. Ce niveau d’incertitude augmente les risques du projet de reconstruction, particulièrement le risque d’insatisfaction des usagers. Ce travail vise à mettre en parallèle l’analyse du système organisationnel adopté pour la conduite d’un projet de reconstruction et celle du niveau de satisfaction des usagers. Il émet l’hypothèse suivante: deux facteurs organisationnels influencent largement le niveau de satisfaction de la part des bénéficiaires d’un projet de reconstruction de logements à la suite d’un désastre en PEVD: (i) le niveau de centralisation de la prise de décisions (jumelée au manque d’information) au sein de la Multi-Organisation Temporaire (MOT); et (ii) la capacité de la structure organisationnelle de la MOT d’impliquer la participation active des usagers au niveau de la planification, de la gestion, du financement et du design du projet. Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, une recherche empirique fut menée pour analyser le cas des inondations ayant eu lieu en 2003 dans une ville dans la région du Maghreb. Le niveau de satisfaction des usagers a été déterminé grâce à des indicateurs de transfert de technologie qui se basent sur l’analyse du « Cadre Logique » - une méthode d’évaluation largement utilisée dans le domaine du développement international. Les résultats de la recherche ne visent pas à identifier une relation de cause à effet entre les deux variables étudiées (la structure organisationnelle et la satisfaction des usagers). Cependant, ils mettent en évidence certains principes du montage et de la gestion des projets qui peuvent être mis en place pour l’amélioration des pratiques de reconstruction. / Construction projects are temporary endeavors with a defined beginning and end, conducted by a temporary and multi-disciplinary team called a Temporary Multi-Organization (TMO). In the hostile environment of post-disaster reconstruction, participants of the TMO must confront high levels of uncertainty which increases project risks. The non-acceptability of project outcomes is one of the most frequent risks reported in literature (UNDRO, 1982; Barenstein, 2008; Dikmen, 2006). Acceptability is related with users’ satisfaction. However, according to the theory of bounded rationality, actors of the TMO - confronted with limited information and resources - cannot achieve an optimal solution. Instead, both project actors and end-users accept a «satisficing» [SIC] solution (Simon, 2004). This study hypothesizes that two organizational factors have an important influence on user satisfaction in post-disaster housing projects: (i) centralized decision making (coupled with lack of information); and (ii) the capacity of the structure of the Temporary Multi-Organization (TMO) to take into account the active participation of users in project planning, management, financing and design. A case study of a post-disaster housing project in the Maghreb region helps us validate this hypothesis. Building up on this hypothesis, indicators of technology transfer (as proposed by the Logical Framework Analysis) serve as a basis to assess users’ satisfaction. The research does not establish a cause-effect relationship between the two variables of the study. However, the analysis of the structure of the TMO and users’ satisfaction highlight several principles, related with the project initiation and management, that can be implemented to improve reconstruction practices in developing countries.

Plusieurs études ont révélé des problèmes récurrents au niveau de la performance et de la gestion des projets de reconstruction à la suite des catastrophes dans les pays en voie de développement (PEVD). Ces projets doivent faire face à des conditions de vulnérabilité des habitants, engendrées par des facteurs politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels. Les divers participants - contraints par un accès limité à l’information - sont confrontés à travailler dans un contexte hostile ayant un niveau d’incertitude élevé. Ce niveau d’incertitude augmente les risques du projet de reconstruction, particulièrement le risque d’insatisfaction des usagers. Ce travail vise à mettre en parallèle l’analyse du système organisationnel adopté pour la conduite d’un projet de reconstruction et celle du niveau de satisfaction des usagers. Il émet l’hypothèse suivante: deux facteurs organisationnels influencent largement le niveau de satisfaction de la part des bénéficiaires d’un projet de reconstruction de logements à la suite d’un désastre en PEVD: (i) le niveau de centralisation de la prise de décisions (jumelée au manque d’information) au sein de la Multi-Organisation Temporaire (MOT); et (ii) la capacité de la structure organisationnelle de la MOT d’impliquer la participation active des usagers au niveau de la planification, de la gestion, du financement et du design du projet. Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, une recherche empirique fut menée pour analyser le cas des inondations ayant eu lieu en 2003 dans une ville dans la région du Maghreb. Le niveau de satisfaction des usagers a été déterminé grâce à des indicateurs de transfert de technologie qui se basent sur l’analyse du « Cadre Logique » - une méthode d’évaluation largement utilisée dans le domaine du développement international. Les résultats de la recherche ne visent pas à identifier une relation de cause à effet entre les deux variables étudiées (la structure organisationnelle et la satisfaction des usagers). Cependant, ils mettent en évidence certains principes du montage et de la gestion des projets qui peuvent être mis en place pour l’amélioration des pratiques de reconstruction. / Construction projects are temporary endeavors with a defined beginning and end, conducted by a temporary and multi-disciplinary team called a Temporary Multi-Organization (TMO). In the hostile environment of post-disaster reconstruction, participants of the TMO must confront high levels of uncertainty which increases project risks. The non-acceptability of project outcomes is one of the most frequent risks reported in literature (UNDRO, 1982; Barenstein, 2008; Dikmen, 2006). Acceptability is related with users’ satisfaction. However, according to the theory of bounded rationality, actors of the TMO - confronted with limited information and resources - cannot achieve an optimal solution. Instead, both project actors and end-users accept a «satisficing» [SIC] solution (Simon, 2004). This study hypothesizes that two organizational factors have an important influence on user satisfaction in post-disaster housing projects: (i) centralized decision making (coupled with lack of information); and (ii) the capacity of the structure of the Temporary Multi-Organization (TMO) to take into account the active participation of users in project planning, management, financing and design. A case study of a post-disaster housing project in the Maghreb region helps us validate this hypothesis. Building up on this hypothesis, indicators of technology transfer (as proposed by the Logical Framework Analysis) serve as a basis to assess users’ satisfaction. The research does not establish a cause-effect relationship between the two variables of the study. However, the analysis of the structure of the TMO and users’ satisfaction highlight several principles, related with the project initiation and management, that can be implemented to improve reconstruction practices in developing countries.