5th i-Rec conference & workshop

Post disaster reconstruction allows people to reconsider safer planning, building design and technology to improve the resilience of communities from the next natural disaster that will inevitably strike in the future.

However the choice of what are appropriate design and technology for reconstruction is dependent on various factors that are embedded in the very fabric of the communities where the reconstruction is to be carried out. Past experiences from disasters have shown that attempts at introducing different types of disaster resistant design and technology have met with different levels of successes and failures for a number of reasons.

While some of these interventions may be state-of-the-art, others are based on traditional design and construction practices. Moreover the very process of developing and implementing these options; have also influenced the effectiveness of interventions. While some of the interventions are only designed by professionals and implemented by contractors, others evolve through collaborative processes by engagement of various stakeholders including home owners and local craftsmen.

Therefore, no single approaches for shelter reconstruction can be considered merely as rigid packages to be transported to the victims. Rather these should be seen as processes where appropriateness of design and technology is dependent on a range of social, cultural, geographical, climatic and economic factors that need to be assessed for their effectiveness over time.

Evaluation of the success or failure of these interventions requires considering the following questions:
-What kind of design and technology is more appropriate and why?
-How should this design and technology be introduced to maximize its effectiveness?
-Who are the key actors that need to be engaged in this process?
-How do we assess the performance of design and technology vis-à-vis the on-the-ground realities rooted in local contexts?

The 2001 Gujarat earthquake caused devastating impacts on lives and property. According to the official figures (on 1st April, 2001), the total population affected by it was a staggering 16.04 million. The numbers of dead and injured were placed at 20,083 and 166,836 respectively. 7633 out of 18,356 villages were affected, of these some 450 were completely destroyed. Official figures put the total number of houses damaged to be around 1.2 million, out of which 370,000 were totally destroyed and 650,000 partially destroyed

The reconstruction process was initiated on a massive scale following the earthquake. In fact, for the first time, the government encouraged “owner-driven” reconstruction on a large scale through public private partnerships. Various governmental and non-governmental organizations initiated different approaches/solutions for the design and technology of the shelters.

More than nine years after the devastating earthquake, it is useful to revisit these initiatives and assess their performance taking advantage of a long-term perspective.

In this context, the 5th i-Rec conference aims to provide a platform to share experience among academics, practitioners, government and civil society organizations and lessons learnt about various approaches of design and technology for long term disaster risk reduction.

This conference is organized with the support of CIB TG63.