Assessment of long-term residential satisfaction of post-disaster resettled communities in the northern province of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Millions of people are being displaced worldwide for several reasons, including natural disasters, conflicts and various development projects. Disaster is one of the key reasons for internal displacement which result in losses surpassing a community's ability to manage independently, necessitating external aid. The important recovery efforts afterwards a disaster is permanent housing reconstruction and resettlement. The resettlement is considered as complex and multidimensional process which is potential to cause negative impacts if not adequately planned and implemented. In most cases, the resettlements have been criticized for its in capabilities of attaining the long-term aspirations of the affected people. Hence, this study aims to assess the long-term residential satisfaction of the post-disaster resettled communities. A case study method using household questionnaire survey and semi structured interviews as the data collection tool was adopted in investigating the research phenomena. Three resettlement sites functioning over ten years from the Northern Province of Sri Lanka have been selected. Thirty questionnaire surveys and two semi structured interviews from the households of each resettlement sites were conducted. Furthermore, expert interviews were conducted to seek the strategies to improve the long-term satisfaction of post-disaster resettled communities. Statistical methods such as mean weighted average and Pearson correlation; and content analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the satisfaction levels of the resettled communities vary in terms of different aspects across the study sites. Quality of the workmanship, quality of the building materials used and the ability of the house to withstand to adverse weather conditions are the main factors received the lowest weighted average across the study sites indicating the lowest satisfaction levels of the resettled communities. Among the factors analysed, Quality of the workmanship, access to schools and community cohesiveness and corporation are the factors most positively correlated with the overall satisfaction of the resettled communities. The strategies that proposed to enhance the long term1residential satisfaction of the post-disaster resettled communities are i) strengthening the legal frameworks and regulations for reliable and suitable housing delivery, ii) promote meaningful community engagement and participation in the resettlement process, iii) ensuring prompt and uninterrupted basic amenities and services for resettled communities, iv) providing sustainable livelihood and economic opportunities to resettled communities, v) community empowerment and capacity building and vi) fostering a sense of community among resettled populations. Key words – Post-disaster resettlement, long-term satisfaction, resettled communities