1.) Eight months after the earthquake in Haiti, what are the main difficulties for aid organizations in preparing the population to better face future disasters?
For a country which has short cycles of multiple types of natural disasters, trying to integrate disaster-risk-reduction into either emergency responses or into long-term development programming has always, for some reason, been an uphill challenge. The first report on DRR in Haiti post-disaster, was written by Fred Cuny in 1982. For instance, it clearly mentions the need for hurricane strapping (short pieces of galvanised metal which bind the joints of houses together). However, 28 years later, this cheap and effective material is still difficult to find in the markets in Haiti – even though it is a standard construction material in north America (you can even order it on www.amazon.com!).
At the same time, it is obvious that families who can construct something – anything – will not wait around for the NGOs, so even in the first weeks, you could see people not only constructing non-permanent shelters, but also permanent houses – and there are more and more roadside stands selling bags of cement or concrete blocks in Port-au-Prince. In a way, this choice of materials (concrete blocks, cement) was done by individual families themselves, to give better protection against cyclones and hurricanes. The problem is that construction was done with very poor-quality materials, and with little understanding of the principles of safe construction using these new, ‘modern’ materials, and this combination (of poor materials and poor design) was what contributed so much to the level of destruction during the earthquake.
So, the main challenge is and will continue to be how to make sure that the families who are constructing their own houses, or who will be constructing their own houses (and that will be how the majority of the housing is reconstructed in the end) are able to do so with an understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different materials and designs, and the risks posed by different types of natural disasters – and that these families will have the resources to use that information sustainably as well.
2.) What are the most important features of the temporary shelters currently being built in Haiti?
The transitional (not temporary!) shelters do many things. Firstly and foremost, they provide dignity and privacy to families who have gone through the trauma of losing their houses, and many of whom have also suffered the deaths or injuries of loved ones. As the shelters are ‘transitional’ they can be used in some cases as the ‘core’ frame for permanent reconstruction, or they can be lived in for a number of years whilst a family builds something else in other materials. The shelters can also be moved from one place to another, and can be adapted, or have extra spaces added on to them. In terms of DRR specifically, the shelters try to achieve two things. Firstly, they do have many hazard-resistance features – bracing, strapping, etc, and have been tested for hazard resistance by the UN. But secondly, the hazard-resistance features are very visible – so we hope that this may also offer examples to people who wish to do any construction themselves as well.
3.) What is the process of setting up these shelters? (fabrication of material, how many construction workers are needed, how do you choose the grounds etc.)
The transitional shelters are partly pre-fabricated by local Haitian companies. So they arrive in the earthquake-affected communities as panels on the back of a truck. The panels and other materials are distributed to the beneficiary families, who take them away to the plots of land where they intend to build. On the next days, the families are visited by carpenters and technicians (supervised by engineers), who help the families put the pieces together, and who ensure that the shelters are put together in a way which is as strong and as hazard-resistant as possible. Usually, the carpenters work in teams of 2, and the families are asked to provide 5 able-bodied people to take part in the construction as well.
The sites are identified by the beneficiaries themselves, although there is a complex, multi-step process involving the beneficiaries, other community members, and the local authorities, to verify whether the beneficiaries do indeed have permission or access to build on the land. The CARE engineers also are very careful to assess whether in fact the land is safe enough to construct a shelter – we can not let a shelter be constructed in a river bed, or where there would be a high risk of landslide, for instance. The CARE staff then work with each family, before the delivery of the materials, to ensure that there is enough space to construct the shelters (including the removal of debris or rubble).
4.) How can people protect themselves against earthquakes and hurricanes with regard to their shelters?
The shelters are hazard resistant but not 100% hazard-proof: no shelter can withstand the most devastating of hurricanes. For those families who have built their own shelters, or who have received shelters from other organisations which do not include enough bracing, or strapping, these are very important features to add. CARE Haiti has worked with other humanitarian partners and with a local Haitian artist, to provide posters, trainings and other outreach materials, to show people how to make their homes, transitional shelters, or self-built shelters, stronger against cyclones, hurricanes and earthquakes. CARE sees this as part of an integrated approach which also very importantly looks at hazard not just for the shelters or houses, but for entire communities – working with communities to map areas which are prone to floods or landslides for instance, and giving support for drainage or other practical measures where possible.
5.) Last week there was a major storm hitting Port-au-Prince. How could people be better prepared for a disaster like this?
This is probably a good point to bring in one of CARE Haiti’s other main current shelter projects. We realise that only a minority of earthquake-affected families will be able to access transitional shelters before the end of the cyclone season, and many families are still stuck in self-built shelters in spontaneous camps. These shelters are very vulnerable, but the families often do not have any other choice. CARE is being funded by ECHO to distribute reinforcement kits – kits of construction materials – to 20 000 families. These kits are designed to provide structural strength to self-built shelters. The distribution of the materials is accompanied by trainings, and the distribution of posters and other forms of information about how to use the materials. The materials were also chosen so that most of them could be re-used by the families when they finally are able to leave the camps, and take the next steps towards more sustainable solutions.