Critical Disaster Studies and the Coloniality of Disaster
Yarimar Bonilla expands upon critical disaster studies by addressing what she terms "the coloniality of disaster." This concept explores how catastrophic events, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, along with various political and economic crises, exacerbate the divisions created by long-standing racial and colonial histories. Acknowledging the profound colonial foundations of disasters prompts her to pose pivotal questions: How can we formulate strategies for repair that recognize these broad historical contexts? How can we conceive recovery initiatives that do not simply revert to former states of inequity or brace populations for upcoming structural violence, but rather provide substantial transformation and redress?