Decisions, Planning Processes, and Outcomes of Resettlement After Disasters

REDEFINING A PLACE TO LIVE: DECISIONS, PLANNING PROCESSES, AND OUTCOMES OF RESETTLEMENT AFTER DISASTERS BY KANAKO IUCHI DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Regional Planning in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2010 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Robert B. Olshansky, Chair Professor Faranak Miraftab Professor Stacy Harwood Professor Ann-Margaret Esnard ABSTRACT Little is known about resettlement after disasters, although research on broader types of resettlement is not new. Despite there being some studies on post-disaster resettlement, the majority of them focus on short-term response, but not long-term recovery. Meanwhile, the number of people displaced due to environmental change, best exemplified by disasters, continues to rise. This dissertation introduces the concept of post-disaster “resettlement” as the process of permanent relocation following initial post-disaster displacement. Such displacements make communities face decisions over restoration of their livelihoods. One of the major decisions that communities encounter is between relocation and return – a decision between the opportunity of starting a new life in a new location or sustaining their pre-disaster livelihood. In disaster-affected areas, local governments also face a similar dilemma: whether to support relocation or repopulation, based on consideration of future vulnerabilities and inefficiencies of communities and regions. This dissertation targets two districts in the Nijumurago area of Japan that was devastated by the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake, to understand resettlement dynamics after large disasters. The target area provided a unique opportunity to study post-disaster resettlement comparatively, as two similar districts governed by different cities were provided with distinctive resettlement programs – one to relocate and the other to return. For in-depth study, five communities were selected to represent relocated, returned, and disintegrated communities for each. By observing these districts and communities, I aimed at unpacking the complex dynamics of resettlement from three conceptual dimensions of resettlement decisions, influence of planning processes on the resettlement decisions, and post-resettlement outcomes. I sought to identify key planning elements that lead to successful resettlement, by assessing the findings of three conceptual dimensions on decisions, planning processes, and outcomes. This study identifies several notable characteristics of post-disaster resettlement. First, post-disaster resettlement is a dynamic that develops based on the inherent characteristics of the affected areas. Because of this, plans and policies provided to communities by the governments or planners are often disregarded. In particular, resettlement programs designed to achieve their ii aim primarily by means of financial incentives are not always likely to succeed, because households have other competing goals; financial incentives are most influential for those who are most in need. Communities and households are therefore the key players that determine the decisions and outcomes of post-disaster resettlement. Second, however, actions by local government that set the speed of resettlement planning have a large influence on resettlement decisions and outcomes. For example, slower actions involving more deliberate decisions, despite increasing stresses and anxiety during displacement, seem to achieve better results and increased satisfaction in the communities after resettlement. Lastly, although neither relocation or return is inherently the best answer for all cases, collective community resettlement is likely to be more sustainable than disintegrated resettlement, in which community households all come to different resettlement decisions. Furthermore, careful deliberation under a longer-term vision seems critical to achieving resettlement outcomes that are sustainable. Overall, this research also has made several contributions toward a theoretical understanding of post-disaster resettlement. First, the research suggests a new notion of “event-triggered resettlement” that has characteristics distinctive from both forced and voluntary resettlement. Second, it contributes to add details to two well-known models of post-disaster housing and resettlement. And finally, the research suggests thinking about the second generation of households in recovered communities, in order to assess the sustainability of resettlement. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is of paramount importance that I express my appreciation to those who supported me to make this dissertation possible. My sincere gratitude goes to the members of my dissertation advisory committee: Dr. Robert B. Olshansky, Dr. Faranak Miraftab, Dr. Stacy Harwood, and Dr. Ann-Margaret Esnard. Deepest appreciation goes to my advisor, Rob, who has guided me through these years in the PhD program, with abundant advice, patience, understanding, encouragement, and friendship. Outside the university, he provided me the opportunities to interact and build my professional networks with domestic and international scholars active in disaster research. Opportunities to share thoughts on international disaster research after a conference attendance in Kobe and encounters in Jakarta after the Aceh visit were also precious. I also want to thank him for reading, commenting, and editing this long dissertation. I was just fortunate to have him as a mentor and advisor at an important stage of my life and career. The support of the other committee members has also been invaluable. Faranak taught me the way of approaching international planning issues freely yet critically. She has also given me a special heartfelt care when I initially found it difficult to fit into the American classroom culture, sharing her own experience as an international student. Stacy provided me with such unfailing encouragement in pursing this research; her insightful comments as well as excitement and interest toward this project just pushed me to go beyond my capacity. Finally, Ann-Margaret, who had guided me during my years in the masters program, continued to support me in my doctoral dissertation. She knew the best timing for inputs – she provided much advice and cheerful encouragement in the form needed whenever I was most in need. My additional special thank you goes to Dr. Lewis D. Hopkins, for the numerous conversations and consultations in figuring out the way to put together pieces of a puzzle to form a picture. His thoughts and approach to planning had always enlightened me to think less traditionally and formally, which opened up opportunities for new interpretations and ideas. I received a lot of support on this research while I was in Chuetsu region, Japan. I am indebted to Dr. Masahiro Sawada for providing assistance and for his friendship while I was there, even from the very first time. He drove me around the areas affected by the earthquake and provided abundant information together with his experience of recovery in the region. I iv extend my appreciation to Mr. Fumihiko Inagaki of Chuetsu Fuuko Shimin Kaigi, and his junior colleagues working on the recovery from the Chuetsu earthquake. They kindly provided me a space to work in their office and opportunity to talk about many interesting issues that emerged during hands-on work on recovery. Further appreciation goes to numerous government officers who tirelessly worked for the recovery of the region after the earthquake. These include former mayors of Ojiya City, Mr. Koichi Seki, and Yamakoshi Village, Mr. Tadayoshi Nagashima, and government officers from Ojiya City, Higashiyama district office (Ojiya City), Yamakoshi Village, Nagaoka City, and Niigata Prefecture. I additionally appreciate the people of the Nijumurago area who kindly accepted my presence and spared time for a researcher who is asking them to talk about their bitter experiences of the earthquake and beyond. Ryuta and Ikuko Suzuki kindly offered me a place to stay in Nagaoka when I was conducting the field work. Their home was always filled with friends and warmth, and without their hospitality, I would not be able to finish the fieldwork as to the quality that I wanted. Thank you all! Walking this journey together with Divya Chandrasekhar as a member of our disaster research group, DURP friends, and Arch 316 peers, made the learning process much more enjoyable and meaningful. I could not have completed this research work without their companionship. My appreciation also extends to my many dear friends at the University of Illinois, in Japan, in Boston, and in other places of the world who gave me abundant psychological support throughout the four years of my study. With their reliable friendships, I was able to truly devote myself to this research. I additionally thank Ms. Elen Yam for her long-time friendship and support, and for editing this long text in a professional manner. Most important, none of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family. I thank my beloved parents, Shiro and Kayo Iuchi, for their unconditional support and trust in me. I especially feel these days that I have inherited a personal character from my father, a scientist, who continues to work on a single issue for hours, if the results are not satisfactory. To my sister Miki and her husband Haydn, thank you for always being there when I needed you. I also want to say a heartfelt thanks to Ryo for

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