Multi-hazard disaster financing and decision making for shelter and reconstruction in the Philippines
This thesis project is connected to a project 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐇𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 funded by the collaboration between Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) and the University of Twente (UT), awarded to the impact coalition Responsible Societies, Sophie Buijs (VU Amsterdam) and Eefje Hendriks (UT)
Disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, placing growing pressure on disaster financing systems. Especially when regions experience repeated or consecutive disasters, disaster financing often focuses strongly on short-term emergency response, rather than long-term resilience building. As a result, hazard-resistant housing reconstruction often remains underfunded. In multi-hazard contexts, where hazards may occur simultaneously, cascadingly, or cumulatively over time, this challenge becomes even more complex. In such situations, reconstruction decisions must consider multiple interacting risks, complicating the allocation of funding and the planning of resilient shelter and housing reconstruction.
Understanding how disaster funding is currently allocated in multi-hazard contexts, and how funding decisions can better incorporate multi-hazard risk, is therefore crucial for improving disaster recovery outcomes and building long-term resilience. In your thesis project, you can analyse disaster financing mechanisms for shelter and reconstruction in relation to multi-hazard risk. The Philippines will be used as a case study, as it commonly experiences multi-hazard events; communities in the Philippines are frequently exposed to multiple hazards, including tropical cyclones, floods, earthquakes, and landslides. Your study will contribute to a broader project that aims to improve funding decision-making for resilient post-disaster reconstruction.
We are open to defining the details of your thesis based on your interests and select tasks to which you wish to contribute. The project consists of two parts 1) a broader analysis of the current status of disaster financing for reconstruction and shelter in a multi-hazard context, 2) and an in-depth case study that focuses on the Philippines.
Part 1: Global analysis
- Assessment of how disaster funding related to shelter and housing reconstruction is currently allocated globally, considering different hazard types and multi-hazard contexts. This will involve analysing disaster funding datasets (e.g., IFRC disaster financing records) and linking these with multi-hazard event classifications to identify broader patterns in disaster financing.
Part 2: Philippines case-study
- Develop a baseline understanding of the decision-making frameworks used to allocate disaster funding for shelter and reconstruction in the Philippines.
- Identify key challenges, gaps, and decision-making constraints in current disaster financing approaches, particularly in relation to multi-hazard risk.
- In addition to a literature review, you will conduct stakeholder interviews and contribute to a workshop with key stakeholders related to disaster response and reconstruction.
- Contribute to the development of a decision-support framework that helps donors and practitioners incorporate multi-hazard risk into funding decisions for shelter and housing reconstruction.
Your study can include fieldwork in the Philippines (3–5 weeks) to conduct stakeholder interviews and the stakeholder workshop. For thesis students, travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the project in addition to other funding resources. For full time internships, we can provide a monthly internship allowance. We will also closely collaborate with the 510 Data & Digital Team of the Netherlands Red Cross.
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Carrasco, S., Ochiai, C., & Okazaki, K. (2016). Disaster induced resettlement: multi-stakeholder interactions and decision making following tropical storm Washi in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 218, 35-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.04.008
Lin, K. H. E., Acosta, L., Olanya, D., Alaniz, R., & Khan, S. (2015). Communication Influences on Decision Making in Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction: Implications for RIA framework.
Hadlos, A., Opdyke, A., Hadigheh, S. A., & Gato, C. (2024). Pathways of multi-hazard post-disaster housing reconstruction among Ivatan Indigenous households. Journal of Building Engineering, 91, 109636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.109636
- Hendriks E, Opdyke A (2020) Knowledge adoption in post-disaster housing self-recovery. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-01-2020-0025
- Hendriks E, Opdyke A (2022) The influence of technical assistance and funding on perceptions of post-disaster housing safety after the 2015 Gorkha earthquakes in Nepal. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 73:102906. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJDRR.2022.102906
- Hendriks E, Stokmans M (2023) Developing strategic targeted interaction design to enhance disaster resilience of vulnerable communities. Natural Hazards 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11069-023-06224-2
- Saputra APG, Schwarz N, Hendriks E (2026) Identifying factors influencing housing safety in post-earthquake reconstruction by households in Nepal. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 133:105913. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJDRR.2025.105913
- Hendriks E, Stokmans M (2020) Drivers and barriers for the adoption of hazard-resistant construction knowledge in Nepal: Applying the motivation, ability, opportunity (MAO) theory. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 51:. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101778