Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
'I never nail down the iron sheets that I use for roofing my house so that I
can sell them if I want; if I need some money, like after Hurricane Mitch.'
(Wamsler 2014:212)
People with limited financial resources sometimes decide not to invest too
much in their housing, as losses can then be replaced more cheaply (Moser et
al. 2010). Nevertheless, legal home ownership is often seen as city dwellers'
most important strategy for 'self-insurance': the house can be sold or sub-let if
funds are needed, and ownership provides access to formal assistance for on-site
reconstruction and bank credits.
Formal employment is another individualistic strategy that city dwellers
use to become less vulnerable and better prepared for recovery. A formal
job usually means a more secure income (even when disasters lead to loss
of working days); access to insurance (life, health, unemployment, disaster);
pension after retirement; direct post-disaster assistance or post-disaster credits
from employers; and other workers' benefits. Many people in the Rio and San
Salvador case-study areas who have formal employment say that they are less at
risk and better prepared to recover after disasters than those who must depend
on informal structures and services. In San Salvador, some people have even
made deals with entrepreneurs to obtain (illegally) certificates of employment,
so they can access health insurance policies and formal credits without being
formally employed.
Both legal tenure and a formal job can help to ensure sources of income and
ultimately speed up recovery, especially when alternative informal systems are
weak or non-existent. However, being fully reliant on hierarchical structures
for social protection also has shortcomings, especially in the context of climate
change. Insurance - if available to the poorest - is not always reliable as loss
payments are often not made as expected (Esdahl 2011).
In addition to measures aimed at securing necessary financial resources,
urban residents depend on non-financial assistance to recover quickly after
disasters, like a woman from the Mafalala settlement in Maputo, Mozambique:
'During the 2000 floods, I lost everything. […]. Because of my age and
being without a husband, I couldn't remove my goods and leave the area.
[...] I survive because of family support.'
(Douglas et al. 2008:198)
Non-financial assistance is often based on communitarian patterns of social
behaviour. It may include help in looking after or fostering children; labour
work to repair damage and reconstruct houses; or clean-up of disaster impacts,
as efficient and safe removal of debris, mud and other disaster impacts is crucial
for quick recovery. Social cohesion, family and community support networks,
as well as good relations with organizations giving assistance (governmental
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