Dealing with Disasters Conference 2011 Theme 4 Risk

Dealing with Disasters Conference 2011 Theme 4: Risk, vulnerability, poverty and development: The inter-relationships Towards Disaster Resilient Habitat: Process vs. Product Fuad H Mallick Professor and Director Postgraduate Programs in Disaster Management (PPDM) BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Outline • Why disaster resilient habitat? • Process Vs. Product • The Satkhira experience

Why disaster resilient habitat? • The concept of disaster resilient habitat develops on the concept of cyclone shelters in use in Bangladesh. • Cyclone shelters have been playing a great role in saving lives.

Why disaster resilient habitat? • While the term ‘Cyclone Shelter’ refers only to the physical structure itself, there is a number of other issues associated to streamline the purpose (providing refuge to people at risk); these include: – – – Early warning Evacuation Accommodation Emergency services Maintenance of the shelters

Why disaster resilient habitat? • There is an acute shortage of cyclone shelters compared to the need, besides, the ‘issues associated’ make it difficult to ensure optimum use of cyclone shelters: – Effective early warning is not available in all parts of the coastal areas; – Evacuation of people and mobilizing them to cyclone shelters is difficult since they tend to be unwilling to leave behind whatever physical assets they have.

Why disaster resilient habitat? – Overcrowding in cyclone shelters (2 square feet/person) discourages some people from moving to those shelters; – Some shelters do not have required number of toilets and the provision of water necessary considering the high concentration of shelters seekers over a short period of time; – One particular cyclone shelter may be used once in a fiveto ten-year time; hence, regular maintenance of the shelter is necessary to keep it useable in time of emergency which is considered as a major challenge;

Why disaster resilient habitat? • The concept of disaster resilient habitat is based on the idea that people don’t have to leave their homes to seek refuge; rather the home is made structurally strong so that – it can withstand the impact to a considerable scale if not hundred percent; – total destruction could be avoided and the damage is quickly recoverable; – livelihood security could be ensured to a significant level; – cases of displacement could be reduced.

Why disaster resilient habitat? • This bypasses the issues that hinder the optimum use of cyclone shelters. • Moreover, strong houses symbolize strong communities. Can we provide all the people at risk with cyclone resilient houses?

cyclone shelter (CS) stronger house (SH) Cost: US$ 215, 000 Cost: US$ 1800 (1 CS = 120 SH) Capacity: 1800 people 4 sft/person Capacity: 30 people/house (including neighbors) (30 people x 120 houses = 3600 people) Can be used as a community facility at normal times Is a house for the owners at normal times Strong Protected from storm surges Not totally protected from storm surges Can accommodate livestock Can accommodate limited livestock Requires people to leave their homes (reluctant) People can stay at home (especially differently abled, elderly, children) Used for 3 to 4 days Used always Top-down design and construction process, highly engineered Design and construct through participatory process. Owners know how to change or improve upon the house Back to destruction Needs a big investment at a time Permanent accommodation Can be incremental with initial seed investment (i. g. in noakhali 1/5 of total house cost was provided for strengthening and owners built the rest)

Why disaster resilient habitat? • It might sound too ambitious to provide all the people at risk with cyclone resilient houses. • The idea is to build a number of cyclone resilient houses in a community where other people can seek refuge in time of emergency. • There will be a central facility (e. g. school) to be used as shelter. • Initially, cyclone resilient houses will complement the cyclone shelters.

cyclone shelter stronger houses

Process vs. Product

Process vs. Product When we take care of the process, appropriate product happens.

Participation Trust

Participation Trust

Our objective is to build “trust” before building houses.

Our challenge is to build trust among all partners Funding organization Implementing organization Local builders Suppliers User groups ++++++

Our challenge is to build trust among all partners Funding organization Implementing organization Local builders Suppliers User groups ++++++

trust = speed cost

trust = speed cost

trust = speed cost “our distrust is very expensive”. “technique and technology are important, but adding trust is the issue of the decade. ” (Stephen M R Covey, The speed of Trust)

Cyclone Aila hit the Bangladesh on Monday 25 May 2009 _substantial damage across areas of southern Bangladesh and West Bengal. _massive flooding _contaminated drinking water sources with seawater _killed the fish that people rear in the freshwater ponds _most houses, latrines have been washed away _the threat of water-borne diseases satkhira

The location of site satkhira

Steps of the process Initial contact Study Design workshops Demonstration house construction Construction of other houses Transition

Steps of the process Initial contact Study Design workshops Demonstration house construction Construction of other houses Transition / exit

Initial contact A case in rural Satkhira after Cyclone AILA, 2009: Disaster Resilient Habitat, UNDP, BRAC and the Department of Architecture, BRAC University

Study Strengths Of People • Survival Skills • Hard Working • Fishing Skills • Boat Making Skills • Expert Mud Walkers Of Place • Easy Water Transportation • Availability of Wood and Golpatta

Study Weaknesses Of People • Critical Minded • Complex (Back Talking) • No Sharing • Relief Minded Of Place • Salt Water • Soil Quality • Lack of Sweet Water • Cyclone Prone Area • Transportation

Design workshop 1: dream houses

Design workshop 2: options of real houses At the Department of Architecture, BRAC University Participants: Masons, carpenters, poet, singer, mud-workers, house-owners, engineers, architects, disaster managers, students of architecture.

Lets build a demonstration house “The outsiders”: animator, architects, engineers, disaster manager, poet and singer

Construction Committee ‘Matbors’ Tuesday and Friday meeting Conflict management Notice/information boards

Make Intelligent Compromise Preconceived Idea + Irrational Judgment ‘Listen to ideas and opinions but we should be rational and not conclusive’

55 to 43

Hands-on construction Sharing of Knowledge Technical + Traditional Working Together Sharing resources

Demonstration houses using building-for –safety options.

Basic Design Considerations

Reduce use of materials which have high embodied energy Flexibility

Respect local climate: orientation, lighting and ventilation Flexibility

To get disaster resilient community we need disaster resilient attitude. Fresh graduates of BRAC University are with the students of the school

Respect users’ and craft-people’s participation in design and construction Design of school

Respect local needs as well as aspirations. Design of school

Respect local ecology and landscape. Respect local building culture and local perception of aesthetics.

And don’t forget to have fun during design and construction Happy stories of building and construction can make a building more sustainable.

Outcomes of the process • Decide on type of house they prefer • Imparting knowledge and skills into communities and new professionals • Level of vulnerability reduced

Challenge is to integrate this process in the mainstream development strategy.