Vol :37 Issue No.1 2012 - Open House International

STR ATEGIC PLANNING OF POST-DIS-
A STER RECONSTRU CTION PR OJ EC TS
IN TURKEY
In order to understand the difference between the
top-down and bottom-up approaches adopted for
procuring post-disaster housing in Turkey, it is
essential to analyze them as part of a strategic plan
for post-disaster reconstruction projects. Figure 1
shows the various steps taken in the aftermath of a
disaster, beginning with a rapid initial assessment of
the situation followed by emergency aid consisting
of rescue operations and meeting immediate needs
of the disaster victims -- including the establishment
of communication networks and safety in the area.
Then, a detailed assessment of loss of life and
property is made and the number of homeless and
their housing needs are identified. The disaster area
is cleared of any dangerously damaged buildings
and reconstruction work begins, either in the same
area or at a different location depending on the situation
on the ground. Although reconstruction
work entails repair and rebuilding of both infrastructure
and buildings in the disaster area, this
paper focuses specifically on post-disaster housing
reconstruction in rural areas.
A post-disaster housing project is planned
according to the number of beneficiaries and their
requirements, and a decision is made as to its location
and the procurement method; i.e. top-down or
bottom-up. If a top-down approach is to be adopted
then the PDH design is selected from one of the
standard plans approved by the Ministry and the
construction work can be started by a turn-key contractor
or the funding agency. On the other hand,
a bottom-up approach delegates much of the
responsibility to the beneficiaries of the reconstruction
project. Detailed steps followed in either
approaches are presented in the abovementioned
flow chart, which was prepared according to information
gathered through interviews with the government
officials and the beneficiaries. This figure
also illustrates possible measures for improving
either approach by integrating the participatory
process, as recommended at the conclusion of this
study.
TOP-DOWN APPR OAC H TO POST-DIS-
E A S T E R HO U SI N G P R O C U R E M EN T :
THE CASE OF DINAR
An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 on the Richter
scale shook Dinar and neighboring districts of
Afyonkarahisar province, on the 1st of October
1995. Consequently, 2,473 houses were severely
damaged, 1,218 houses were moderately damaged
and 2,076 houses were slightly damaged.
In the aftermath of the disaster, initial damage
and needs were assessed and the disaster victims
were provided with tents, blankets and food,
accordingly. Later, the GDDA completed the
detailed damage assessment and identified the
number of heavily-, moderately- and slightly- damaged
properties and the number of beneficiaries of
the reconstruction project. The Ministry decided to
provide loans to repair the moderately damaged
houses and to construct new PDH for owners of
severely damaged houses. Meanwhile, all beneficiaries
were to be housed in temporary housing as
long as repair and reconstruction works continued.
The Ministry opted for a top-down contractordriven
approach and floated tenders for the procurement
of new PDH in the disaster area. Fourstorey
apartment buildings were to be constructed
for beneficiaries in the urban areas, while in rural
areas, where empty land was abundantly available,
detached houses more in keeping with the rural
lifestyle were to be built. It was also considered prudent
to relocate those rural settlements which had
suffered colossal damage due to their proximity to
the fault-line. The GDDA team scoured the area for
appropriate locations for new settlements near the
original villages and the village headmen were
consulted in this regard.
Earlier, in 1983, the Ministry had commissioned
standard PDH designs for urban and rural areas in
the four climatic regions of Turkey. Some of these
houses were designed as single and some as double-storied
structures with covered areas ranging
from 65 to 85m2 depending on the number of
bedrooms (2 or 3). Houses designed for rural areas
also incorporated barns under the house or next to
it (T.C. Bayindirlik ve Iskan Bakanligi, 1984). Only
one of these readymade standard PDH plans, consisting
of a single-story and having a covered area
of 76.61 m2, was chosen for construction in the vil-
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open house international Vol.37 No.1, March 2012 Comparison Of Post-Disaster Housing... Nese Dikmen, Soofia Tahira Elias-Ozkan, Colin Davidson