Improving supportive ways for enhancing recovery from natural disaster: From "Get ready to get help" to "Do-It-Yourself Recovery"

The world is facing risks caused by not only local conflicts but also natural disasters. The mission of the United Nations is also striving for global economic stability, human rights, education, and preservation of cultural... [ view full abstract ]

The world is facing risks caused by not only local conflicts but also natural disasters. The mission of the United Nations is also striving for global economic stability, human rights, education, and preservation of cultural heritage. Official funds for development and aids from developed countries are distributed through the organization under the United Nations. According to the World Bank, 176 countries are receiving as of 2013 while 39 countries did not receive the official development and/or aid funds. Only three countries were newly added to receive this fund after 2000. In the case of Haiti, the official fund is gradually increasing and it has marked the highest in 2011 which is the year after the Haiti Earthquake in 2010, with more than 3 billion dollars. Japanese government also announced food donation of US 4.2 million dollars (as of 21 January 2016). For the Philippines, one year after the typhoon Haiyan, a number of local people have been expressing their emotional feelings against their own municipality and federal government, and also keep requesting to get support from outside. In Nepal, implementation of the official fund by Nepali government is much less transparent than expected, and the construction to develop infrastructures is very lagging, consider the volume of fund and supporting period even before the earthquake in 2015. It seems this supporting system does not function effectively in many underdeveloped countries and it needs reconsideration of its effectiveness in long-term support to recover from natural disasters. Developed countries require pursuing more effective ways for sustainable development and support which is not one-way. Also, it is important to remember that care must be provided without any political agenda for humanitarian aid. Nevertheless, the methods to support the development fund on the first stage of recovery is now a considerable issue. It seems that some poor countries are tending to receive the international official fund as if they deserve to receive it. Newly develop infrastructures, or recovering the system, should function even in the normal stage as well. Hence, underdeveloped countries have to find their own effective ways that they can implement by themselves for long-term sustainable development.