un-habitat lessons learnt from past disaster david evans chief technical advisor sri lanka

UN-HABITATLessons Learnt from Past Disaster

David EvansChief Technical Advisor

Sri Lanka

The last ten disasters up to Haiti (not comprehensive list)……

India: GujaratIran: BamAsian Tsunami: Indonesia; Sri Lanka; Thailand; India;

etcUSA: KatrinaPakistan: 30,000 sq km of destruction/inhospitable

terrainIndonesia: JogyakartaMyanmar (Burma): NargisChina: SichuanItaly: L’AquilarHaiti(Chili)

How quickly we start to forget…..

First photos

Pakistan

Pakistan

Contractor built houses that nobody wants (roof?)

Integrate housing + drainage/WASH

New urban apartments Sri Lanka

Home Owner Driven houses Sri Lanka: UN-HABITAT/IFRC

International Response Sri Lanka US$10,000 per Family

International Response Myanmar US$23 per family (thatch repair)

Myanmar One Year after! 26th March 2009

Tin sheets (‘Flying razor blades’) waiting to be missiles in the first storm

HOW TO GET INTO TROUBLE

Not listening to the affected people

Not knowing the right things to do

Lacking experience

Underestimating technical difficulty

Confusion over who has Authority/Responsibility

Not getting or developing clear statements of requirements (How many, where?)

Too many changes in personnel in Governmnet ‘Project Managementteam and Ad Hoc institutions

Things to knowConsultation with families. Bottom upStrong committed engagement from government

essential to coordination mechanism, particularly around data collection and enforcement of standards.

Shelter Cluster should be chaired by government and supported by co-chairs made up of a UN-Agency and a NGO (continuity ensured between UN and NGO).

Strong coordination at hub or township level required. The ‘Centre’ must be responsive to the issues raised from the hubs. Danger that the centre just ‘takes’ and does not ‘give’.

Unambiguous shelter standards are required. There should be no confusion between emergency standards and ER Shelter standards

Compliance with standards, agreed by the Shelter Cluster Technical Working Group, is essential. Donors have influence over their implementing partners. Shelter Coordinator should brief donors to ensure that donors insist on compliance.

Donors should be aware that shelter coordination requires funding for approximately two years after a major disaster to ensure best practices are followed and value for money is achieved.

Shelter provision is one of the most effective direct and indirect livelihood generators and shelter provision should feature in donor livelihoods strategies.

There is no ‘one-fit’ shelter solution. Cash grants, materials provision, full construction are all valid initiatives. However, using large contractors has globally and locally resulted in less consultation, less engagement of affected families and more expensive construction.

Focus on funding must be maintained through the transition from Humanitarian response to Early Recovery. The transition is a ‘danger period’ for loss of focus and momentum and once lost, it may not be possible to regain.

There is a clear need for Public Information campaigns to explain eligibility. This is essential to avoid frustration, jealousy and negative rumours spreading which can result in equity related social conflict.

Grievance/Dispute mechanism requiredPolicy uncertainty = Loss of momentumNGOs and Donors driven by large budgets. Not

good programmatic sense. Beware, the relationship can quickly deteriorate!

Absence of integrated planning and land allocation led to almost 20% non-occupation of contractor built

Promote low-cost insurance

Last slide

Reconstruction takes time. Not just about money more about ‘absorbative’ capacity

Disaster as Opportunity: Design-out Vulnerability and Design-in Sustainability

Local Solutions and Foreign Architects -Not ‘listening’= Inappropriate design

Training artisans essential: invest in training

National policy issues need to be developed quickly and consultatively

Provide what people need, not what your agency has to offer!

Get people out of camps ASAP . Reduce dependency increase self –help/sustainability

HLP/ Land Titles: mechanism to resolve disputes/blockages

Owner Driven Versus Contractor driven: Speed; Cost; Quality; Satisfaction levels

Learn from past: TEC and Clinton NGO Initiative - READ(at least the exec summaries)!!!

End

Thank You

David Evans UN-HABITAT

Email: david@unhabitat.lkTel:+94722265003 June 4th 2010