Participation in Disaster Recovery in Rural Communities: Comparison of the Haiti Earthquake and U.S. Hurricane Katrina

Background and Purpose: Both hurricane Katrina (2005) and the Haiti earthquake (2010) caused extensive damage to both urban and rural areas; however, attention to the unique experiences in rural areas has been given less attention. Of significant importance in any disaster setting is the capability of local people to participate in recovery projects and programs. Humanitarian actors and scholars agree that such participation is essential as it facilitates: the capability to accurately identify problems and needs; empowerment and capacity building of communities; and reduction of mental health risks. Understanding what factors facilitate or hinder participation of local actors and survivors is relevant to social work policy and practice in both the U.S. and in the developing world. Thus, this study seeks to contribute to the social work literature by comparing the predictors of participation in rural communities in disaster recovery in the developed and developing world.

Methods: The study examines non-random survey data collected by the authors focused on the predictors of disaster recovery participation, determining whether there are any meaningful differences between the two locations. The predictors include demographics, 9 items focused on disaster impacts, and social capital (social trust and civic engagement). The survey was conducted in 3 rural communities in Haiti (n=278) and 3 rural communities in the U.S. Gulf Coast (n=259). In the Haiti sample, the mean age of study participants was 38.65; 49.64% were male; 71.22% were married; 65.47% were homeowners; and 99.28% were Black. In the Gulf Coast sample, the mean age was 43.40; 39.77% were male; 52.90% were married; 67.95% were homeowners; and 80.69% were White or Caucasian. Using chi-square tests and t-tests, statistical differences in variables between Haiti and the Gulf Coast sample were obtained. To examine the predictors of disaster recovery participation, multivariate logistic regression models were used.

Results: About 21% of the Haiti and 54% of the Gulf Coast sample participated in disaster recovery projects after the disaster, which is a statistically significant difference (p<.001). The logistic regression results reveal that physical injuries, limited community mobility, and government trust increase the likelihood of disaster recovery participation in Haiti, while emotional distress and home ownership decrease it. On the Gulf Coast, physical injuries and higher civic engagement increase disaster recovery participation while home ownership and age decrease it.

Conclusion and Implications: Our findings are consistent with previous research that shows that the conditions of dire need and deprivation both motivate and hinder participation in disaster recovery. We find that physical injury was a positive predictor of participation in Haiti and the Gulf Coast, while emotional distress was significantly linked to non-participation in Haiti. These and other results suggest that in order to facilitate full human functioning capabilities and participation, it is necessary that there be adequate community-based disaster preparedness, culturally competent psychosocial support, and sufficient material and financial resources. Further research on the effects of types and stages of the disaster event, hazard impact severity, country and community contexts, and rural/urban context in motivating and shaping participation is warranted.