ABSTRACT

An estimated 2 billion people live in countries affected by fragility, conflict and violence. Extreme poverty is increasingly concentrated in these areas, and governments and international agencies seek avenues to enable socio-economic recovery and to support people as they try to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

People, Aid and Institutions in Socio-economic Recovery: Facing Fragilities provides an in-depth understanding of people’s strategies in the face of conflict and disaster-related fragility and examines how policies and aid interventions enable their socio-economic recovery – or fail to do so. Through field-based research, the book captures the complex and unfolding realities on the ground, exploring the interfaces between economic, social and institutional change. This provides a rich and unique vantage point from which to reflect on the impact of recovery policies.

The book provides a set of cross-cutting findings that aim to inform policy and practice. The detailed case studies of the book lay bare key dynamics of recovery. Set against the findings from two chapters that review the literature, the cases provide evidence-based lessons for socio-economic recovery.

The chapters combine qualitative and quantitative methodologies and form a valuable resource to researchers and postgraduate students of disaster management, conflict, humanitarian aid and social reconstruction, and development management.

chapter 1|18 pages

Facing Fragilities

The socially embedded nature of socio-economic recovery

chapter 2|19 pages

Recovering from Conflict

What matters for livelihoods, economic activity and growth?

chapter 3|25 pages

International Policies in the Field of Socio-Economic Development in Fragile Settings

Converging trends and contentious themes

chapter 4|19 pages

Precarious Itineraries

The ‘longue durée’ of recovery and livelihoods in a post-war Salvadoran village

chapter 5|17 pages

Emergency or Durable Solution?

Coltan mining and cooperatives in northern Katanga (DRC)

chapter 7|19 pages

Blind Spots

Domestic entrepreneurship and private-sector development in South Sudan

chapter 8|18 pages

Labour Mobilisation

The case of Tushiriki (DRC)

chapter 9|17 pages

Aid under Contestation

Public works, labour and community-based food security programming in post-conflict northern Uganda

chapter 10|18 pages

Risky Relations?

Aid, security and access for recovery in South Sudan

chapter 11|19 pages

From the Rubble to the Barricades

Social struggles around recovery and disaster risk management in Central America after Mitch

chapter 12|18 pages

Addressing Fragilities

The growth of cities and the challenges for the Red Cross/Red Crescent in assuming a resilience-building role

chapter 13|7 pages

Adding It All Up?

Doing development differently in conflict and in confronting disaster risk