Summary

There are several erroneous assumptions made regarding post-disaster situations. These are:

- political support will be available when needed
- funding will last as long as required
- all actors in the process will think alike
- all agencies concerned will be competent to carry out required tasks
- physical recovery must precede economic and social recovery
- there is no trade-off between speed and quality of reconstruction
- codes and controls will be rigidly followed
- reconstruction is an isolated process from pre-disaster planning

There are dilemmas and alternatives which face post-disaster planners. Some of these are:

- survey quickly or survey accurately
- repair or rebuild
- rebuild quickly or rebuild safely
- rebuild or relocate
- respond quickly or invite wide participation
- create new organizations or rely on existing ones
- rely on public or private investment
- pursue physical reconstruction or economic reconstruction
- use local resources or imported resources

There are several guiding principles that can be distilled from experiences in rehabilitation and reconstruction activities:

- recovery planning should be broad in scope and fully integrated.
- a balance must be reached between conservatism and reform
- reconstruction must not be delayed
- economic recovery will stimulate physical recovery
- reconstruction offers opportunities to introduce mitigation measures
- relocation of entire communities usually fails
- recovery efforts can be therapeutic for individuals as well as communities
- effective recovery depends on adequate cash and credit
- reconstruction is closely linked to land tenure issues
- maximize use of local resources
- physical recovery is dependent on local institutions, training, and leadership
- political commitment is vital to recovery