Equity, participation, and planning for recovery in Puerto Rico

Based on a survey of stakeholders from 34 municipalitiesin Puerto Rico 1 year following HurricaneMaria, this study reports on progress and prioritiesfor longer-term recovery. Following a description ofthe storm and its impacts and an overview of recoveryprinciples, initial insights expressed after the stormare studied. Over 56 percent of respondents rankedthe need for equity considerations as the top recoverypriority, while 23 percent ranked building back faster,and 11 percent supported building back stronger as thetop priority. Building back greener was the top recoverygoal for 10 percent of the respondents. In addition tobroad recovery goals, specific actions and initiatives tosupport recovery are also investigated. While the needsfor more robust data collection and information sharingemerged, gaps in training and capacity buildingwere also reported. The analysis sheds light on the needfor more participatory, deliberative processes, and thechallenges of leadership, management, and inclusivegovernance following large-scale disasters. The findingsare relevant to other island communities and thedevelopment of effective systems for disaster recovery.