Housing recovery in the aftermath of a catastrophe: Material resources perspective

• Understand housing recovery process after disaster from material resource viewpoint.
• System dynamics to study problem at reconstruction material supply level.
• Shows importance of timing in decision making for supplies in housing recovery.
• Results in anticipating demand requirements with uncertainties related to disaster.

Background/purposeThe occurrence of catastrophic events proves disastrous as they cause significant physical damages, both at the human and material levels. Depending on the magnitude of the event, a natural phenomenon can potentially lead to loss of life, home destruction and alter the economic and social structures of the affected community. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper insight into the housing recovery process following a catastrophic event from the material resources perspective.MethodA System Dynamics (SD) model is developed in this paper to study the problem at the reconstruction/repair material supply level in an affected area. The model describes the behavior of material resources in the housing reconstruction and recovery planning a catastrophic event.ResultsIt enables deeper understanding of the implications of the occurrence of a disaster on the housing material fluctuations. This model considers, due to the resources shortage created, the amount of material adjustments to make in the aftermath of a highly disruptive event. Theoretical results show satisfaction as the model displays expected results, reflecting the importance of timing in decision making for supplies, in the housing recovery progress.ContributionThe proposed model brings more insight into the types of the housing recovery and the material demands over time. It provides a means to anticipate the demand requirements and alleviate the population’s suffering, considering the uncertainties associated with disaster.