مسکن و محیط روستا (Jun 2021)
Ethical Considerations in Providing Post-disaster Shelter: the Case Study of Villages of Aqqala County after the 2019 Golestan Flood
Abstract
In recent decades, the occurrence of floods in human settlements has been one of the problems faced by human civilization; since floods cause irreversible physical, economic and social damage. Providing temporary shelters and permanent accommodations for disaster-affected populations is one of the most important measures to be undertaken after the flood. Disasters in their nature cause abnormalities. In situations where social norms can no longer regulate interpersonal behaviours or are not as effective as before, it is important to examine the moral aspects of the process of shelter supply for survivors. In the spring of 2019, after the flood and subsequent remained water in the city of Aqqala and surrounding villages, many residents were forced to evacuate their homes. Heavy and unprecedented rainfall, low slope and lack of soil permeability are some of the reasons leading to such disaster. The population living in the Aqqala region is composed of different religious, ethnic and cultural characteristics, which doubles the difficulty of the responsible organizations in responding to the disaster. In such circumstances, injustice, overlooking human dignity, and ultimately exacerbating the irritation and chaos in the affected society is more likely to occur. The research approach is the quantitative-qualitative and descriptive-analytical method. This research has been conducted through library studies and field surveys. The data has been collected by reviewing the available documents, books and articles, site visits, observing and photographing, conducting questionnaires with the affected communities and in-depth interviews with local people, officials and other organisations involved in providing shelter. The study concludes that by considering ethics as a platform for distinguishing between the wrong and right and formulating propositions of principles and values, a set of norms and finally the do's and don'ts can be achieved. By adopting these principles as a protocol and enforcing it to be followed by authorities, relief workers, and the survivors themselves, the long-term effects of moral abnormalities after a disaster can be mitigated.
