Reconstruction and rehabilitation

This is an excellent article on things that went wrong in establishing temporary housing shelters for the tsunami victims, and guidelines that should be followed for subsequent disaster relief efforts. Some of the things that went wrong were:

- Inadequate attention paid to sanitation
- Use of tar sheeting, even though it was neither durable, waterproof nor heat-resistant.
- Improper choice of land for building shelters. Easily got flooded during rains, and drainage was poor.
- Inadequate medical facilities available to the victims.

Some guidelines identified for handling such situations in the future:

- Involve the community. Don’t go with fixed models. Follow government guidelines, but also take the local community’s expertise and needs into consideration. Remember, panchayats are not always true representatives of the entire community.

- Space is important. These houses are for large families, and working class families have to store gear and equipment in their houses. Generally, the profession decides the design, while differences in the need and size of the family should determine the space.

- Build where people want to live. People have always gravitated towards locations that are best suited for their occupation.

- Transparency in budgeting, planning and design and community participation at all levels is necessary.

- Construction shouldn’t be contracted out to agents. A serious engagement with the community has to be taken up.

- Taluk-level quality committees should be formed to look into the quality of material used and check other discrepancies like commission and graft.

The Institute of Design of the Illinois Institute of Technology has a research group working things including sustainable housing: Design for the Bottom of the Pyramid. A book by C. Sinclair and K. Stohr is also available: Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises.