RESETTLEMENT AND POST EARTHQUAKE MITIGATION

The aftermath of an earthquake often poses a monumental challenge to the locals of the affected country in terms of recovery and restoration. Resettlement affected communities' social and human capital presents different challenges, as the immediate crisis gives way to longer term considerations of issues such as collective psychological trauma, unemployment, displacement and homelessness, and violence. Homeless citizens need replacement housing; water, sewage and other public services must be restored to maintain public health and support other recovery activities; and the process of reconstruction of damaged infrastructure such as dams, bridges, electric poles, and schools need immediate attention. An earthquake also pose challenges to the economy and resources of developed as well as developing countries; however their effect on developing countries is perhaps more severe because of these countries' limited ability and resources to cope with their own losses. Researchers have correctly pointed out that it is the poor who primarily bear post earthquake losses, tending as they do to live in areas most exposed to hazards and in fragile structures offering little protection. It is well known fact that resettlement (after an earthquake) is often accompanied by the creation of ghettos and ensuing problems in the provision of infrastructure and employment. Post earthquake mitigation is concerned with incorporating the best hazard-resistant design available into the reconstruction and repair of business, housing and other facilities. The main theme of this paper is to consider few issues associated with resettlement and post-earthquake mitigation, all of which are significant to communities who have faced this natural catastrophe. Few of them are: 1) What are the support systems during post earthquake recovery? 2) What are the causes of failure in post earthquake resettlement? 3) What are the Criteria for success in post earthquake resettlement? 4) What are the important programmings required during post earthquake resettlement? 5) How post earthquake planning is done for community recovery? 6) What are the activities that take place while planning is underway? 7) How mitigation takes place during two stages of recovery? 8) How mitigation in post earthquake housing can be made using appropriate repair, restoration and strengthening concepts?