Overview

Disasters and Economic Recovery provides perspectives on the economic issues that emerge before, during, and after natural disasters in an international context, by assessing the economic development patterns that emerge before and after disaster. This book will provide a historical overview of emergency management policy and previous responses to disasters in each country, as well as the policy learning that occurred in each case leading up to the disasters under analysis. The book highlights four cases: New Orleans; Christchurch, New Zealand; the Japan earthquake and tsunami; and Hurricane Sandy in the Northeastern United States. The book places important focus on the specific collaborative developments unique to the rebuilding of each place’s economy post-disaster. Using time-series data, the book shows the emergence of new industries and job hiring patterns in the immediate aftermath, as well as provides a picture of the economic performance of each country in the years following each event. Looking at the economic development policies pre- and post-disaster, readers will glean important lessons on how to build resilient economies within the disaster framework, highlighting the differences in approaches to rebuilding local economies in places with varying levels of governmental capacity post-disaster to inform policymakers, scholars, and the disaster relief community as they plan their response to future disasters.

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9780367258597

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Reviews

By taking the reader through vivid and concrete examples from around the globe, Davia Downey has produced a must-read text for understanding the complex interplay between political considerations, population impacts, racial disparities, and economic development in disaster planning and recovery. Jillian A. Girard, Senior Research and Evaluation Analyst, Multnomah County, USA Downey offers a well-crafted, smart, and accessible account of post-disaster responses across expertly-selected cases in the U.S., Japan, and New Zealand. Crucially, Downey focuses on the key connection between disaster management and economic development and asks critical questions about the impact of this nexus on disadvantaged groups. This timely book will be invaluable to scholars, students, and practitioners alike. Tim Weaver, Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Political Science, SUNY Albany, USA This book is essential reading for anyone interested in how local governments around the world use economic development policies to respond to disasters. Its cross-national, longitudinal, and highly-sophisticated methodological approaches make it unique as does its findings about the interconnection between disaster recovery and economic development. Peter Burns, Professor of Political Science, Soka University of America, USA Downey's work confronts important issues in disaster scholarship, many of which researchers and practitioners have yet to resolve. This book contributes to discussions on the ethical implications of disaster recovery and rebuilding initiatives, and raises new questions for policy, practice and research to consider. Gina Reinhardt, Reader/Senior Associate Professor, University of Essex, UK.

Author Information

Davia C. Downey is the MPA Program Coordinator and an Associate Professor of Public Administration at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in local politics, public policy, and public administration.

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