How can we satisfy disaster victims for natural disaster response and recovery?

Abstract

This study examines disaster victims’ evaluations of government policies and programs during the response and recovery phases, focusing on sociodemographic factors, types of damage, and social support. Using data from the 2022 Disaster Victims Panel Survey in South Korea and hierarchical linear regression analysis, the study finds that government support and regional support play significant positive roles in shaping satisfaction in both the response (0.427 and 0.287, respectively) and recovery phases (0.258 and 0.255, respectively). In contrast, physical damage is negatively associated with recovery satisfaction (−0.053), whereas economic damage shows a positive relationship with recovery satisfaction (0.061), likely reflecting increased governmental assistance for victims experiencing greater economic losses. The findings also reveal that sociodemographic characteristics exert different influences across the response and recovery stages. For example, location significantly affects satisfaction during the response phase but does not exert a significant influence during the recovery phase. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of disaster policy effectiveness and emphasize the importance of targeted support strategies for diverse disaster victim groups.