Questioning the hazard map-based rebuilding process: learning from the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake in Indonesia

To reduce hazards in post-disaster rebuilding, governments often first revise existing hazard maps to update land use plans and regulations. This sequence assumes that the disaster event immediately improves knowledge of the hazard. To learn from an actual case, we document PASIGALA’s rebuilding process following the 2018 Central Sulawesi earthquake. We reviewed public documents in-depth, assessed coastal hazards with new information, and reflected on our field observations. We documented the 3.5-year situation in detail and developed recovery narratives. We also found that the actual post-disaster development does not fully incorporate the planned goals of hazard risk reduction. Reasons include: i) the need to create a hazard map before knowing the hazard’s mechanism; ii) the scale of hazard mapping does not correspond to that of individual building parcels; iii) residents, out of necessity, restart their lives in the prohibited areas, and iv) relocation plans do not attract affected residents when rebuilding their lives. Governments may create simplified hazard maps to facilitate timely rebuilding, but this overlooks nuanced problems residents face, further complicating their situation. Although the hazard maps show the region’s potential hazards, the next disaster could be different. We conclude the current practice of hazard map-based rebuilding needs more deliberation.