Post-disaster reconstruction and ethics: the power of social capital

Buddhinie Ubesingha; George Ofori; George Agyekum-Mensah; Daniel Frings

doi:10.5334/bc.704

Abstract

The rising frequency of disasters devastates human settlements, making ethical post-disaster reconstruction (PDR) vital. While disaster scholarship engages with ethics and social capital, the built-environment literature remains focused on technical approaches, leaving the ethical role of social capital unexplored. This study investigates the influence of social capital on ethical PDR, drawing on interviews (n = 33) with professionals in Italy, Mozambique, Nepal, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Findings reveal the duality of social capital, identifying seven ethical challenges, including socially embedded corruption, gender disparity and dependency, and six measures to strengthen ethical practice, such as building social trust, community empowerment and leveraging emotional connections. It also reveals how networks within social capital and the cognitive dimension affect ethical PDR. This research contributes to the built-environment literature by highlighting its interdisciplinarity with social capital theory, dependency theory and gender studies. Furthermore, it offers insights for policy and practice.

POLICY RELEVANCE

Findings of this study revealed the duality of social capital in ethical PDR. It identified seven key challenges and six measures for strengthening ethical PDR practices through social capital. It also revealed how networks within social capital and the cognitive dimension contribute to ethical PDR. Accordingly, this research offers policymakers a framework for harnessing social capital to advance ethical PDR, advocating for five targeted interventions: mandating social capital audits in PDR planning to identify ethical risks and opportunities; strengthening governance linkages through formal accountability mechanisms; mainstreaming gender equity via enforced ethical codes and whistleblowing channels; funding trauma-informed capacity-building to foster resilient community partnerships; and codifying inclusive co-production to ensure marginalised groups shape decisions. For practitioners, this necessitates adopting empathetic engagement and continuous social auditing to translate policy into ethical practice.

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Post-disaster reconstruction and ethics: the power of social capital

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