The devastating impact of disasters on the world's population is on the increase, influenced by climate change, urbanization, and persistent high levels of poverty, among other factors. There is a growing demand for reconstruction at scale. This book asks whether large-scale reconstruction can be participatory and developmental; can rebuilding be truly people-centered, contributing to breaking the cycle of poverty and dependence? Can reconstruction reduce people's vulnerability to disasters and other shocks?

Building Back Better examines the context for reconstruction, and...