To Move Home or Move On? Investigating the Impact of Recovery Aid on Migration Status After Volcanic Eruptions in Merapi, Indonesia

Jonathan Muir , The Ohio State University
Michael Cope, Brigham Young University
Leslie Angeningsih, Institute of Community Development "AMPD"
Jorden Jackson, Brigham Young University

Disasters are associated strongly with forced migration. Indeed, migration is a standard survival strategy for those facing disruptions of this kind. Such is the case with Mt. Merapi, Indonesia, where a series of eruptions occurred in 2010. Mechanisms related to forced migration in such scenarios are fairly well understood, yet it remains less clear what factors may influence return migration. Herein we seek to better understand the extent to which recovery aid may increase the probability of moving home or moving on. We draw upon data collected from a pilot study in the aftermath of the 2010 eruptions and use multinomial logistic regression models to explore the influence of various forms of aid on migration status. Of the various forms of aid considered, only NGO recovery aid provided to villages was associated with moving home. Alternatively, financial aid provided to households was associated with moving on.

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 Presented in Session 7. Migration & Urbanization