Unpacking unequal disaster recovery in the Americas: insights from Afro-Ecuadorian communities in northwestern Ecuador

How do the legacies of colonisation, cultures of exploitation and marginalisation undermine the needs of historically marginalised populations across geographies? There is a growing interest in investigating the influence of race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, gender, income, and several other determinants on disproportionate disaster impacts. However, limited research has been done to understand unequal recovery impacts after a major disaster. Addressing the challenges of the Afro-Ecuadorian populations in Ecuador, this study examines how “race” played a role in the post-disaster recovery following the April 16, 2016, MW 7.8 earthquake in northwestern Ecuador. The findings, which are based on extensive secondary research, show that Afro-Ecuadorians experienced unequal disaster impacts and diminished recovery due to a racialized social system that placed them in a severely disadvantaged position. Even though this study has a geographical focus, the findings are relevant to other regions, where historically marginalised racial, ethnic, Indigenous, and tribal populations face similar social, environmental, and economic challenges.