Barriers to equitable disaster recovery: A scoping literature review

Abstract

Historically marginalized communities continue to face several barriers when trying to access disaster finances and resources. This scoping review aims to synthesize the existing literature in order to clarify the barriers populations, specifically Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Latine, limited English proficiency (LEP), differently abled, and undocumented populations, face during the disaster recovery process in the United States. Members of the research team independently reviewed the literature (n=108 articles) and used thematic analysis to find, examine, interpret, and report repeated patterns. Five main interconnected themes emerged with high inter-rater reliability throughout the analysis, which were: 1) the process is confusing and difficult to navigate; 2) exclusion from or lack of access to political power and recovery decision-making processes; 3) exclusion due to discrimination in its many forms; 4) issues in the funding aid ecosystem; and 5) politicians and media having an inordinate amount of control over the flow of resources and recovery processes. Findings point to a need for greater inclusion of historically marginalized populations throughout the pre-disaster planning and recovery process. These findings provide the basis for actionable recommendations for governments, relief organizations, and other stakeholders on how to address recovery barriers and meet the needs of diverse populations.