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Geopolitics

L'Aquila, And The Global Challenge Of Disaster Recovery

L'Aquila after the 2009 earthquake
L'Aquila after the 2009 earthquake
Felicia Tapia

In L'Aquila, the new houses were supposed to withstand earthquakes, but "they didn't even withstand the rain." The grim reality from this central Italian city is laid out by La Stampaon Wednesday, the 7-year anniversary of the earthquake that killed more than 300 people and left nearly 40,000 without homes. The news now is that many of the structures put in place following the disaster have collapsed or been declared uninhabitable, and dozens of people — entrepreneurs, architects, technicians and community leaders — are under investigation for fraud-related charges.

From the outset, rebuilding efforts in L'Aquila moved at a glacial pace amid fears that criminal organizations had infiltrated reconstruction works. There is still an ongoing debate over how to preserve the town's historic buildings and fortify them to withstand damage from future disasters.

L'Aquila is not unique. Recovery from natural disasters is filled with unexpected challenges, and too often made worse by human shortcomings. Last year, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center reported that since 2008, an average of 26.4 million people per year have been displaced by natural disasters across the globe. Due to the unpredictability of these events, scientists are worried that with climate change, the number of weather-related calamities will only continue to rise.


Take 5: Natural Disaster Recovery Around the Worldpar Worldcrunch

The aftermath of large-scale catastrophes is felt wherever infrastructures are rebuilt and new social projects emerge in affected communities. After Hurricane Katrina, rebuilding efforts concentrated on New Orleans' French Quarter and popular tourist neighborhoods, while many of the residential areas are still damaged and uninhabited. The Haiti earthquake caused the collapse of the country's government and communication and transportation infrastructures. Even in less densely populated areas, a lack of resources, poor alternative housing and weak displacement policies have aggravated slow reconstruction projects. Around Cameroon's Lake Nyos, years after poisonous gas killed hundreds, fear of another unpredictable explosion is leading to a slow repopulation of fertile land around the lake.

Yet response to such events shines light on improved recovery projects and allows successful programs to be developed and implemented further. Musicians in New Orleans hope that artistic ventures will breath new life into the city's districts while youth programs in Haiti strive to invigorate young people's engagement in sports and community programs. New technology now allows scientists to better predict rising gas levels in Lake Nyos while in L'Aquila, architects are finding new ways to re-erect and preserve important historic structures.

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Who Will Save America? An Early Foreign Take On Trump 2024

Despite facing a growing number of charges, Donald Trump continues to rise in the 2024 presidential election polls. His most likely opponent, current President Joe Biden, is raising fears of a worst-case scenario due to his deteriorating health and old age, despite his solid economic record. A French political analyst weighs in from abroad, and from experience....

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He may be back indeed

Brian Cahn/ZUMA
Dominique Moïsi

-Analysis-

PARIS — It was February 2009 — almost 15 years ago. Barack Obama had just been inaugurated. I was teaching at Harvard University. In the main square of the campus, it was deeply disturbing to witness middle-class men and women panhandling for change, despite the bitter cold. They had lost their jobs, and many had lost their homes. The deep contrast between Obama’s exceptional speeches on the radio and the reality on the street was troubling to say the least.

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