Self-recovery is the process by which disaster-affected households repair, build, or rebuild through their own choices, labor, and resources, sometimes with outside support [@twigg2021; @ahmedparrack2022].
The term matters because it centers household and community agency in recovery instead of treating reconstruction as something wholly delivered from outside. In shelter practice, support for self-recovery usually means helping people help themselves while preserving choice and local control [@pathways2022].
Related terms
- Solidarity Not Charity - a principle that aligns with supporting people to shape their own recovery
- Post-Disaster Redevelopment and Grassroots Recovery - a text on conflicts over the terms of return and rebuilding
- Shelter Self-Recovery - a school page on the approach built around this term