Caste, asset and disaster recovery: the problems of being asset-less in disaster compensation and recovery

Damage and loss assessment is the first step towards the bringing the disaster affected community back to mainstream life. The asset is the deciding factor; hence those who do not have assets are normally excluded from compensation. In India many Dalit victims are forced to remain outside the purview of formal disaster rehabilitation. Also, the value of assets of such asset-less communities seldom figures in a damage and loss assessment, which prevents the community from attaining sustainable resiliencethus exposing them to cumulative vulnerability.