What is shelter? A tent, a tarpaulin, a few corrugated sheets, a simple shack, a blanket - these are the basic requirements for survival. In the aftermath of a disaster, TV screens are full of the immediate response: tents, water tanks, medical facilities, all vitally important. Now, in the wake of the Asian tsunami and the Pakistani earthquake, shelter has been added to the list – without a house people cannot get on with their lives.
But who provides the shelter? What agencies have a long and respected track record in housing and planning? The answer is very few! However, in the response to the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, many NGOs, national and international, have become involved in building shelters, some permanent, some ‘transitional’, some good, some downright irresponsible ...
Biff: (21-03-06)
RE: Shelter - survival and dignity
That was an interesting article that puts some of our problems into perpective. I'd be interested to know, Bill, more details about what has been achieved regarding building in the areas you visited. You mentioned the concrete/brick/timber debate. How is this debate developing? Around the time of the Pakistan earthquake Benazir Bhutto did an interview in which she criticised the prevalence of concrete beam construction, which was so difficult to deal with without heavy machinery.
Do yurts or gers feature in your armory of 'transitional shelters'? They are certainly not an 'untried idea' having been used across the Asian steppe for at least a couple of thousand years. If the covering can be supplied by emergency aid agencies, the frames can be made on site with local materials, hand tools and easily learnt skills. The result can be a dwelling much more permanent than the type of tent in your photo.
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