Post-disaster reconstruction: A current analysis of Gujarat's response after the 2001 earthquake

Post-disaster reconstruction is a complex process that involves the interaction of social, technological and economic factors. The most important goal of any post-disaster reconstruction programme must be to reduce the long-term vulnerability of affected communities through the construction of multi-hazard proof housing and appropriate knowledge transfer. Post-disaster reconstruction is an ever-evolving process and there is by no means a perfect solution that will apply to every disaster. It is essential that academics, governments and humanitarian agencies learn from previous applications of this process in order to not only implement programmes that reduce the current vulnerability but also to establish a legacy of disaster-risk reduction. This paper examines the current structural vulnerabilities of different post-disaster reconstruction approaches implemented after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. Field research involved visual surveys and questionnaires. This research highlighted a number of issues that would affect the current vulnerability of the buildings' stock in the event of further earthquakes. The paper highlights that there was a high level of technical knowledge transfer in Gujarat after the earthquake, but unfortunately this knowledge transfer did not shape a legacy of disaster-risk reduction. There were also a number of significant issues that were the result of inadequate policies implemented by the Indian Government. The issues established through this paper are ones that need to be recognized by academics, governments and implementation agencies, and considered in the implementation of post-disaster reconstruction programmes in the future.