skip to content

Centre for Sustainable Development

Est 2000 - home of the MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development
 

Disaster Risk Management and Post-Disaster Reconstruction

A longitudinal case study of the reconstruction of horizontal infrastructure networks in Christchurch, New Zealand, following the major earthquakes of 2010-2011 involved exploring the role of governance in recovery and in particular, how funding mechanisms shape decisions for managing disaster risk. National policy on the funding of recovery that was geared towards direct replacement of existing infrastructure had a pivotal role in influencing design standards for infrastructure reconstruction. An outcome of this national policy, combined with constrained local financial resources, is that it was difficult to maximise the opportunity presented by a disaster to resolve the shortcomings of the existing infrastructure systems. This raises critical questions: whether it is appropriate to attempt to improve infrastructure in recovery and how local governments (or asset owners in general) may be better incentivised to invest proactively to reduce future disaster risk.

 

Readings and resources

 

For further information please contact Dr Kristin MacAskill