Global Report on Human Settlements 2007 - PoA-ISS

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Natural and human-made disasters
The building-backbetter
agenda
crystallizes the
aim of building
development into
post-disaster work
the ground. This is especially the case in urban contexts
where many different sectoral actors are involved and disasters
have led to different scales of destruction in different
parts of a settlement or city. Consequently, some sectors or
areas of a city, or individual settlements, may be progressing
towards development-oriented reconstruction, while others
are still coping with relief work.
During large events, where response and reconstruction
involve international actors, it can be hard to retain
control over coordination, especially for local authorities
with limited capacity. Even where joint coordination systems
work, the myriad of smaller agencies (many of which may be
new to development and humanitarian work) are often not
identified and are not party to management and coordination
decisions. Loss of coordination through swamping from
international agencies, or as a result of the diversity of small
groups, can erode local self-reliance and hinder the integration
of development within reconstruction. Pre-disaster
planning that includes organizational structures to manage
joint action and, as far as possible, to decentralize decisionmaking
to sectoral, regional and community levels is the best
way to avoid loss of strategic control.
Building-back-better agenda
The building-back-better agenda crystallizes the aim of building
development into post-disaster work so that vulnerability
is reduced and life chances are enhanced as a result. The
tension between speed of delivery and the desire for inclusive
and participatory decision-making is a theme that runs
throughout the integration of development into response
and reconstruction. Established cultures of response privilege
speed and efficiency in delivery; but this has meant that
an opportunity has been lost for furthering development
aims through post-disaster action.
A continuum of actions from relief through response
to development and preparedness exists. Developmental and
emergency thinking and actions are needed at each stage.
The emphasis is different at each stage and, in practice, it is
proving difficult to integrate the right balance of humanitarian
and development actors and ideas; but progress is being
made. Innovative planning for shelter reconstruction in
Kashmir following the South Asian earthquake in 2005
included not only cash for work, where survivors were paid
to clear land, but also cash for shelter. Affected people were
provided with building materials and then paid for construction
work. The rush to build before the coming winter was
made sustainable through designs that could be upgraded to
more permanent structures over time. Through these two
mechanisms, reconstruction became developmental. 85
The challenge to ‘build back better’ confronts a
number of dominant practices in reconstruction work. These
are well exemplified in experiences that have arisen from
planned housing reconstruction in the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands after the Indian Ocean Tsunami. After the tsunami,
the Government of India offered to replace nearly 10,000
homes. But lack of participation led to inappropriate building
design and materials, as well as selection of settlement sites.
Moreover, a preference for external contractors missed an
opportunity to strengthen local livelihoods. The depth of
alienation felt by survivors in this project erupted in protests
that left more than 100 people injured. 86
Capitalizing on the opportunity that disaster presents
to build back better requires pre-disaster planning. From the
perspective of human settlements, land-use titling and the
granting of secure tenure before a disaster occurs make the
distribution of recovery support (potentially including
relocation or rebuilding) more transparent and efficient. The
rationalization of planning and building regulations and
administrative approaches that reach the poor will not only
reduce loss, but act as benchmarks for reconstruction building.
Without the enforcement of such guidelines, risk will be
built into new construction.
More generally, reconstruction after the Indian
Ocean Tsunami has provided much experience in attempts
to build back better. A number of lessons can be learned that
will have resonance for all housing and infrastructure reconstruction
projects, including: 87
• A clear policy framework that articulates objectives,
entitlements of affected families, decision-making criteria,
timetables and grievance-settling procedures helps
Local authority role Relief Reconstruction
Table 8.1
Local authority actions
during disaster relief
and reconstruction
Assessment for planning Undertake a rapid impact assessment to help judge Monitor human and economic impacts as they unfold. A dynamic approach to impact
the scale of response and rehabilitation to be assessment is particularly important to be able to track inflationary consequences of
undertaken.
reconstruction materials and any shortages in food supplies.
Coordination Coordinate administrative and technical aspects Bring together stakeholders to plan the transition from emergency to reconstruction
of disaster emergency response with emergency and from reconstruction to development. Consider to what extent development
services, the armed forces, the Red Cross/Red pathways led to the accumulation of risk and eventual disaster event, and the
Crescent and other civil society groups. This work opportunities for building risk reduction into reconstruction, rehabilitation and postshould
involve liaison with managers of critical disaster development.
infrastructure and services.
Liaise with national and Determine if national and international assistance Determine if national and international assistance is required for reconstruction and
international agencies is required for emergency response. rehabilitation.
Monitor progress Monitor and review the performance of Monitor and review the performance of reconstruction services.
emergency services.
Seek finance Facilitate access to finance through access to local Facilitate access to finance through emergency funds and private insurance. Enable
and national emergency funds.
private remittance flows.
Review performance Document decision-making for future analysis Review the performance of pre-disaster policy and organization for risk reduction,
and learning.
early warning, disaster response and reconstruction.
Document and evaluate the programmes.
Public information Keep the public informed at all times. Keep the public informed at all times.