Seismic Mitigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Seismic Mitigation - Essay Example Recovery is sometimes defined as a return to pre-disaster conditions; or the term may refer to a community resembling its own characteristics in the absence of the disaster occurrence, in terms of population size or economic output. Another definition of ‘recovery’ â€Å"recognises that after a disaster, a community often undergoes significant change, so that it may never return to either the pre-disaster or without-disaster states† (Olshansky and Chang, 2009, p.201). This approach defnes ‘recovery’ as the post-disaster attainment of a stable state or condition. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate seismic mitigation, post-disaster recovery, and reconstruction in regions devastated by earthquakes. Reconstruction and Recovery after Earthquakes The ‘Disaster Life Cycle’ model refers to the five time periods that comprise the life cycle of a disaster. These include the â€Å"pre-impact period, the impact period, the immediate post-impact period, the short-term recovery period, and the long-range recovery period† (Fischer, 1998, p.7). ... t-disaster recovery is a critical component of the disaster cycle, because also provides significant opportunities for mitigation† (Olshansky and Chang, 2009, p.201), and consequently helps to break the cycle. The reasons include the requirement for new construction, the flow of post-disaster funding, and the ‘window of opportunity’ of increased awareness created by the disaster. Smith and Wenger (2007) emphasize on the importance of developing an ethic of sustainable recovery. Stakeholders and their Role in Seismic Mitigation In present times, city planners prepare plans related to emergency response and preparedness issues, which were conventionally undertaken by civil defense or municipal emergency officers, states Edgington (2011). On the other hand, Meyer et al. (2010) and Sandnik and Fuller (2009) argue that planners do not take into consideration the likelihood of a major disaster, and that none of the stakeholders plan longer-term recovery and reconstructio n procedures. Although planning for urgent emergency response and short-term repairs to housing and infrastructure following earthquakes, floods, and other disasters is important, longer term building of cities and regions subsequent to catastrophic disasters raises a completely different set of problems. In contemporary disaster recovery practices, the emphasis is on complex problems regarding decision-making by the stakeholders involved in long term recovery, which include households, different levels of governmental and international agencies, businesses and the broader community. Planning professionals work towards rebuilding the regions and communities affected by seismic devastation. They aim to reduce the losses, to accelerate the process, and to assist communities in becoming more resilient to