Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Disasters can dominate newspaper headlines and fill our TV screens with relief appeals, but the complex long-term challenge of recovery--providing shelter, rebuilding safe dwellings, restoring livelihoods and shattered lives--generally fails to attract the attention of the public and most agencies. On average 650 disasters occur each year. They affect more than 200 million people and cause $166 trillion of damage. Climate change, population growth and urbanisation are likely to intensify further the impact of natural disasters and add to reconstruction needs. Recovery from Disaster　 explores the field and provides a concise, comprehensive source of knowledge for academics, planners, architects, engineers, construction managers, relief and development officials and reconstruction planners involved with all sectors of recovery, including shelter and rebuilding. With almost 80 years of first-hand experience of disaster recovery between them, Ian Davis (an architect) and David Alexander (a geographer) draw substantially from first-hand experiences in a variety of recovery situations in China, Haiti, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines and the USA.

The volume is further enriched by two important and unique features: 21 models of disaster recovery are presented, seven of which were specifically developed for the book. The second feature is a survey of expert opinion about the nature of effective disaster recovery--the first of its kind. More than 50 responses are provided in full, along with an analysis that integrates them with the theories that underpin them. By providing a framework and models for future study and applications, Davis and Alexander seek both to advance the field and to provide a much-needed reference work for decision makers. With a broad perspective derived from the authors' roles held as university professors, researchers, trainers, consultants, NGO directors and advisors to governments and UN agencies, this comprehensive guide will be invaluable for practitioners and students of disaster management.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• List of figures (p. xv)
• List of tables (p. xix)
• Prologue (p. xxi)
• Preface (p. xxiii)
• Acknowledgements (p. xxxi)
• 1 The dynamics of recovery: two examples (p. 1)
• Examples of positive and negative recovery (p. 1)
• Successful recovery of Malkondji village following the 1993 Latur earthquake in Maharashtra State, India (p. 2)
• Long-term longitudinal learning (p. 10)
• Failure to recover following the Belice Valley earthquakes, western Sicily, 1968 (p. 11)
• Comparison (p. 14)
• Conclusion (p. 17)
• 2 The context of recovery (p. 18)
• Joining together (p. 18)
• The context of disasters and recovery: changing hazards, increased vulnerability and the need to adapt to climate change (p. 18)
• Different points of view on disaster recovery (p. 22)
• The language of recovery (p. 24)
• Defining recovery and other terms (p. 25)
• Evolution of recovery studies: 'dwarfs on the shoulders of giants' (p. 29)
• Defining a vision for recovery (p. 34)
• Vision and reality (p. 35)
• Seven golden rules for disaster recovery (p. 35)
• Summary (p. 39)
• 3 Models of recovery: development and phases (p. 40)
• Introducing models (p. 40)
• Development and recovery models (p. 42)
• Model 1 Progress with recovery (p. 43)
• Recovery from the Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China, 12 May 2008 (p. 48)
• Model 2 Recovery sectors (p. 59)
• Model 3 Development recovery and elapsed time (p. 61)
• Model 4 Relationship between disaster and development (p. 63)
• Phases of recovery models (p. 65)
• Model 5 Disaster cycle (p. 66)
• Model 6 The Kates and Pijawka recovery model (p. 69)
• Model 7 Cost-effectiveness (unit cost) (p. 71)
• Model 8 Disaster timeline (p. 73)
• Summary (p. 77)
• 4 Models of recovery: safety and organisation (p. 79)
• The challenge of safe recovery (p. 79)
• What's in a name? (p. 80)
• Safe recovery models (p. 80)
• Model 9 Probability/consequence risk assessment (p. 80)
• Model 10 Disaster 'crunch' model (p. 82)
• Model 11 Resilient communities and settlements (p. 87)
• Model 12 Disaster risk reduction measures (p. 88)
• Model 13 Development of a safety culture (p. 93)
• Organisation of recovery models (p. 98)
• Securing effective organisation (p. 98)
• Model 14 Project planning and implementation (p. 101)
• Model 15 The pendulum (after Charles Handy's trust-control dilemma) (p. 104)
• Model 16 Two- or three-stage shelter and housing recovery (p. 105)
• Model 17 Modes of shelter and housing (p. 107)
• Model 18 Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) (p. 109)
• Model 19 Edward de Bono's 'six hats' model for problem analysis (p. 112)
• Model 20 Organisational frameworks of government for recovery management (p. 114)
• Afterword: reality and realism (p. 120)
• 5 Recovering from what? The impact of disaster (p. 122)
• The impact, of disaster as a starting point for recovery (p. 122)
• Economic recovery and the question of livelihoods (p. 126)
• Roles and responses of government (p. 132)
• Psychosocial recovery (p. 133)
• Cultural recovery (p. 135)
• Environment (p. 137)
• Conclusion: disaster as a starting point for recovery (p. 138)
• 6 Some key elements of recovery (p. 140)
• Human rights and recovery from disaster (p. 140)
• Accountability (p. 143)
• Accountability in the sheltering and housing sector (p. 147)
• Genius loci and preservation of the identity of places and human settlements (p. 148)
• Conclusion: holistic and integrated perspectives (p. 154)
• 7 Dilemmas in recovery management (p. 157)
• First dilemma: reform, vs continuity (p. 157)
• Reform vs continuity in the reconstruction of Skopje, Yugoslavia (1963-90) following the earthquake of 1963 (p. 158)
• Second dilemma: use existing government line ministries vs create new organisations to plan and manage the recovery (p. 166)
• Third dilemma: reconstructing existing unsafe settlements vs relocation to safer sites (p. 166)
• Fourth dilemma: speed of reconstruction vs vital requirements in reconstruction planning (p. 169)
• Summary recommendation for resolving the dilemmas (p. 170)
• 8 Lessons relating to sheltering and housing (p. 172)
• HERR report on shelter (p. 172)
• Shelter and housing lessons: 1972-2015 (p. 173)
• Varied hats, varied perspectives (p. 174)
• Revisiting Shelter after Disaster (1978) (p. 174)
• First comparison between 1978 and 2015: the expanding shelter and housing problem (p. 175)
• Second comparison between 1978 and 2015: changes in vulnerability (p. 177)
• Third comparison between 1978 and 2015: evolving issues (p. 179)
• Fourth comparison between 1978 and 2015: who is concerned? (p. 180)
• Fifth comparison between 1978 and 2015: the impact of early decisions (p. 180)
• Eight dilemmas in the shelter and housing sector (p. 181)
• First dilemma: planning vs plans (p. 181)
• Second dilemma: process vs product (p. 182)
• Third dilemma: supply vs demand (p. 183)
• Fourth dilemma: universal shelter standards vs national standards (p. 184)
• Fifth dilemma: development vs welfare approaches (p. 185)
• Sixth dilemma: rvvo-stage vs three-stage sheltering (p. 187)
• Seventh dilemma: house vs home (p. 187)
• Eighth dilemma: professional vs lay knowledge and expertise (p. 188)
• Shelter preferences and functions (p. 191)
• Preferences of survivors for their shelter (p. 191)
• Functions of shelter (p. 192)
• Voices of survivors (p. 192)
• The foundations of sheltering and housing (p. 195)
• 9 Sheltering and housing options (p. 197)
• Options before disaster (p. 201)
• Option 1 Safe dwellings (p. 201)
• Option 2 Evacuation to safe shelter to escape impending hazards (p. 204)
• Option 3 Unsafe dwellings on unsafe site (p. 208)
• Options after disaster: provisional shelter (p. 210)
• Option 4 Repair of dwellings (improvised or contractor repairs) (p. 210)
• Option 5a Spontaneous shelter (p. 211)
• Option 5b Provided shelter (p. 220)
• Options after disaster: transitional shelter (p. 231)
• Option 6a Transitional shelter (temporary) (p. 231)
• Option 6b Transitional shelter (to evolve into permanence) (p. 238)
• Option 6c Move directly from provisional shelter to permanent dwelling (p. 238)
• Options after disaster: permanent dwelling (p. 238)
• Option 7a User-build permanent dwellings (p. 240)
• Option 7b Contractor-build permanent dwellings (p. 242)
• Option 8 Relocated dwellings in relocated settlement (p. 247)
• Summary and conclusions (p. 248)
• 10 Resilient recovery: what is resilience, and what is resilient recovery? (p. 253)
• Lessons from the past (p. 255)
• Risk reduction strategies (p. 257)
• Structural resilience (p. 258)
• Governance and participation (p. 260)
• Models of resilience (p. 264)
• Resilient recovery in Chile following the earthquake and tsunami of February 2010 (p. 264)
• Resilient international leadership of disaster recovery (p. 265)
• Summary (p. 269)
• 11 What makes recovery from disaster successful? A survey of expert opinion (p. 271)
• Background (p. 271)
• Long-term benefits of recovery (p. 272)
• Local ownership of recovery (p. 272)
• Holistic recovery (p. 273)
• Ethical recovery (p. 273)
• Cultural recovery (p. 274)
• Defining a strategy for recovery (p. 274)
• Gender and recovery (p. 275)
• Gaps in the survey (p. 275)
• The essence of effective recovery (p. 275)
• Summary (p. 276)
• 12 'Thinking hats' (p. 277)
• Edward de Bono's 'thinking hats' (p. 277)
• Black hat - discernment (p. 279)
• White hat - information (p. 282)
• Red hat - emotions (p. 286)
• Yellow hat - optimism (p. 294)
• Green hat - creativity (p. 298)
• Blue hat - management (p. 304)
• Valediction (p. 305)
• 13 Emerging principles of recovery (p. 308)
• Underlying principles (p. 308)
• Level 1 Core ethical principles (p. 309)
• Level 2 Strategic principles (p. 309)
• Level 3 Tactical principles (p. 310)
• Level 4 Implementation principles (p. 310)
• Level 5 Monitoring and evaluation principles (p. 311)
• Concluding observations (p. 312)
• Social dynamics of recovery (p. 312)
• Sharing information (p. 312)
• Developmental recovery (p. 313)
• Strengthening national governments (p. 313)
• Listening to survivors' voices (p. 314)
• Models (p. 314)
• Final words (p. 315)
• Appendix 1 Summary of models (p. 316)
• Appendix 2 Survey answers to the question: what in your view are the most important aspects of a successful recovery operation following a natural disaster? (p. 318)
• Appendix 3 Key books and websites on disaster recovery (p. 330)
• References (p. 334)
• Epilogue (p. 349)
• Index (p. 351)