This text was written just after the October 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, Pakistan. The official final death toll rose to over 73,000. Reconstruction and rehabilitation is ongoing even now, two years later.
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The recent earthquake in Pakistan
killed over 57,000 people. Many more are likely to die
before conditions in the spring allow support now being provided for emergency
relief to shift into the long-term process of reconstructing devastated
livelihoods and infrastructure. The situation is further complicated not just by
the approaching winter but also by the complex cultural/religious situation and
the long history of conflict in the region. In this it is parallel to many so called “complex emergencies” where conflict, poverty and humanitarian crises
combine.
Immediate relief is clearly a priority. People need shelter, warmth, food, water and health care. They also need the psychological support that comes from returning to normal activities such as work and school.
Relief, however, needs to transition rapidly to rehabilitation – the long-term process of rebuilding livelihoods and infrastructure. People are already rebuilding homes, schools and other buildings using the same materials, stone, brick and cement that proved so deadly in the recent earthquake. Reconstruction of other infrastructure such as irrigation and water supply systems will start soon. Even before the earthquake much of this was poorly designed and constructed. In addition, it supported livelihood systems that were, at best, marginal. Long-term assistance to communities is required for reconstruction in ways that reduce risk from future earthquakes and encourage the evolution of new, more sustainable, livelihoods.
Ultimately society needs to learn how to use disasters as opportunities for creating sustainable livelihood systems. The last year has seen a string of disasters from the Asian Tsunami to Katrina and now the Pakistan Earthquake. This is nothing new and, in fact, the growing frequency of disaster reflects a trend that has been evident for more than a decade. Seventy percent of all disasters are climate related. As the impact of climate change grows, disaster frequency and impact are likely to grow as well. If human society is going to respond effectively to poverty and challenges such as climate change, we need to reduce the risk of future disasters and learn how to use disaster events as an opportunity for rebuilding in more sustainable ways.
Relief activities: We are providing direct support for immediate
work on water supply, sanitation, housing and education through our network of
contacts with field organizations in
Longer-term rehabilitation: In collaboration with local and regional partners, ISET is planning support for the longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction process. We have agreed to work with Nepal Water for Health, The National Society for Earthquake Technology, PIEDAR, LEAD-Pakistan, the UN and the Aga Khan Foundation to develop programs for rebuilding livelihoods and infrastructure in ways that are both sustainable and much less vulnerable to earthquake and other risks. A core goal in these programs will be to identify points where catalytic investments can create the demand for technological and other changes that reduce risk and promote more sustainable livelihoods. As a specific example of this, we will be working with the manufacturers of modern yurts to create a line of low-cost, earthquake safe buildings that can rapidly be assembled in affected areas. Yurts have major advantages over conventional buildings because they require far less wood and other materials to construct but can serve as permanent structures for housing and public uses. Ultimately, we hope to create local demand for yurts and support the development of local sector capacity to construct and maintain them. Similar approaches will also guide our longer-term work on water supply and sanitation.
Learning, analysis and advocacy: ISET and our partners in Pakistan and Nepal are documenting the relief process in order to identify specific points where changes in policies, programs and procedures could be changed to support sustainability and risk reduction as an integral part of the reconstruction process. At present, relief – the provision of emergency food, shelter, medical and other support – is completely separate from most rehabilitation and reconstruction. Although most communities begin to rebuild infrastructure and other systems immediately after disasters, international organizations lack mechanisms to support this or, more importantly, to go beyond support and promote activities that reduce risk exposure in long term. By documenting and analyzing the current relief process, ISET and our partners will be able to identify key points where policy and program changes could address this critical gap. Analysis of the relief and rehabilitation process on this will be used as a basis for targeted advocacy with Pakistan and also at a global level as part of global efforts to reduce the impact of disasters and respond to emerging global problems such as those likely to be associated with climate change.