ABSTRACT
The catastrophic effect of global disasters and climate change has had dire consequences within social, economic, and ecological environments at individual, family, and community levels. Disasters continue to threaten environmental justice in both developing and developed nations. Sustainable development requires that economic, social, and environmental dimensions are equally addressed. Transdisciplinary approaches are advocated by green social work. Using the post-Lushan earthquake reconstruction as an example, this chapter considers the collaborative efforts of two professional groups: the social recovery group of social work practitioners; and the built environment reconstruction group of architects and planners, who concentrated on the reconstruction of the built environment, including housing, public buildings, and infrastructural systems. It reveals how these professionals took advantage of this post-disaster reconstruction to create opportunities to practice social justice and social equity by embedding social protection and social resilience into the reconstruction of the built environment.
