Place and space tensions in post-disaster landscapes

Disasters caused by natural hazards and their subsequent recovery processes inevitably transform landscapes in varying degrees. This paper explores two Indonesian cases, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the 2010 Mt. Merapi eruption, to show how post-disaster spatial arrangements often reflect a classic dichotomy of space and place. This is evident in post-disaster spatial categorisations and human settlements. However, these spatial stances are not mutually exclusive and can interact to form new hybrids. Post-disaster spatial categorisation is marked by tensions between the government's top-down disaster zoning and the local responses based on their daily sensory and bodily experiences. Post-disaster human settlements reflect a dynamic tension between restoring the former distribution of taskscapes and the sole focus on restoring spaces for living, which in turn leads to complex cultural changes and multiple-distracted landscapes. This analysis of post-disaster landscape change can inform post-disaster management by rethinking vulnerability and resilience and promoting a bottom-up approach alongside the common top-down approach practiced by the government.