Post-disaster reconstruction: lessons from Nagapattinam district, India

Abstract

As disaster losses continue to rise around the world, it has become increasingly important to understand the long-term outcomes of post-disaster recovery programmes. Often, disaster recovery projects have an abbreviated planning period, involve multiple NGOs, and lack long-term plans for evaluation. This article describes outcomes of the shelter reconstruction programme following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Nagapattinam, India. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess the effect of the programme on housing, community infrastructure, and livelihoods. The study provides useful lessons for future reconstruction programmes and demonstrates the importance of evaluating post-disaster recovery programmes after projects end.

Tandis que les pertes occasionnées par des catastrophes continuent d'augmenter de par le monde, il est devenu de plus en plus important de bien comprendre les résultats à long terme des programmes de relèvement post-catastrophe. Les projets de relèvement post-catastrophe ont souvent une période de planification écourtée, font intervenir de multiples ONG et manquent de plans à long terme pour l’évaluation. Cet article décrit les résultats du programme de reconstruction d'abris après le tsunami survenu en 2004 dans l'océan Indien, à Nagapattinam, en Inde. Des données quantitatives et qualitatives ont été recueillies pour évaluer l'effet du programme sur le logement, les infrastructures communautaires et les moyens de subsistance. Cette étude propose des enseignements utiles en vue de programmes de reconstruction futurs et démontre l'importance de l’évaluation de programmes de relèvement post-catastrophe après la fin des projets.

A nivel mundial siguen aumentando las pérdidas atribuidas a los desastres. Por ello, resulta de creciente importancia comprender los resultados de largo plazo correspondientes a la aplicación de programas de recuperación en el posdesastre. Al respecto, se constata que, en numerosas ocasiones, los proyectos de recuperación adolecen de poca planeación, involucran a numerosas ong y no tienen prevista una estrategia para efectuar una evaluación a largo plazo. El presente artículo analiza los resultados obtenidos a partir de la aplicación de un programa de reconstrucción de viviendas implementado en Nagapattinam, India, tras el tsunami ocurrido en el Océano Índico en 2004. En este sentido, se recopiló información cuantitativa y cualitativa que permitiera valorar los efectos del programa a nivel de la vivienda, la infraestructura comunitaria y los medios de vida. El estudio realizado arroja aprendizajes que resultan útiles para los programas de reconstrucción que se apliquen en el futuro, además de mostrar la importancia que adquiere el hecho de contar con mecanismos de evaluación de programas de recuperación en el posdesastre una vez finalizados los proyectos.

Keywords:

• Conflict and reconstruction
• Aid – Monitoring and Evaluation
• South Asia

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant No. 1200422. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The work was also funded in part by the Mortenson Center in Engineering for Developing Communities. The authors also thank our NGO partner, BEDROC, and translator for their support during their time in India.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth Jordan recently received her PhD in Civil Engineering, focusing on engineering in developing communities. Her dissertation evaluated causes of differing outcomes between communities affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. During that time she spent five months in India collecting data about the tsunami recovery. She is currently an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow working on issues related to water and sanitation in developing countries.

Amy Javernick-Will is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Construction Engineering and Management programme in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. Amy conducts research on project-based organisations in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. She received her PhD in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. Prior to entering academia, Amy worked for over six years in the construction and real estate development industry as a design-build project manager.

Bernard Amadei is a Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado. He received his PhD in Civil Engineering in 1982 from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the past Director of the Mortenson Center in Engineering for Developing Communities at CU Boulder and holds the Mortenson Endowed Chair in Global Engineering. He is also the Founding President of Engineers Without Borders – USA and the co-founder of the Engineers Without Borders – International network. Among other distinctions, Dr Amadei is the recipient of the 2008 ENR Award of Excellence, an elected member of the US National Academy of Engineering, and an Ashoka-Knight Fellow. Dr Amadei was appointed as a 2012 Science Envoy by the US Department of State.