Extreme disasters catch the public eye, often resulting in massive infusions of aid that affect not just individual well-being but the fabric of societies. In developing countries, this typically involves foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGO) massing to deliver aid in remote and unfamiliar areas, a difficult task. Donor NGOs raise money from the public for general purposes and specific causes such as alleviating the devastation from a particular natural disaster. Local village pressure, including intervention by village and district officials, may offer some enforcement and dispute resolution. But the potential for contract hazards is high. Construction is site and use specific, meaning the dwelling units cannot be moved once started and cannot readily be put to other uses.

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1 July 2015

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Economic Development and Cultural Change 63(4) , pp.617-664, 2015

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DOI: 10.1086/681277

http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/681277

This Journal article is published under the centre's Urban programme.