Transformable Living

• Name: Buddhika Prasad Wijewardhene
• Year: 2019
• Studio: Level V
• University: University of Moratuwa

Post Disaster Resettlement Program for displaced people due to natural disasters

The nature of the project

Providing a staged development program within a singular special and constructional stages for displaced people due to any natural disaster scenario.

Formulation of theoretical position (concept)

Natural disasters are a common scenario which affects any living creature since the beginning of life on earth. Due to the human activities rate of disaster incidents are increased and it has become a major global issue lately. Generally when a disaster occurs, preliminary actions are taken to provide emergency medical affection to the affected people and they were be transferred in to secure locations such as evacuation camps. But in some occasions (specific natural disasters) those people won’t be able to return their dwellings as their dwellings are inhabitable due to the disasters. In such occasions they have to be provided with new settlements as per their requirements.

General post disaster approach

General post disaster resettlement is a common procedure for any disaster incident and it can be basically considered under two stages as,

Any resettlement program can be adjustable and flexible as per user requirements.  But still they ends up with a dead end due to the lack of linkage between the stages and future response. Therefor resettlement process needs to be a linked and a program with a defined final output to achieve its success. Stages for a proper resettlement can be as follows,

Theoretical position

Staged development of post-disaster re-settlement within a singular spatial and constructional strategy.

Normally in Sri Lankan context, local schools, religious spaces, public buildings and temporary huts or tents are being used as evacuation centers with government oversight and they are provided with basic human requirements until the effects and consequences of natural disaster perish.

It is true that government take all the responsibility of the people and take action to provide basic requirements of the victims instantly. But other than most developed countries, in Sri Lanka it takes a considerable time to confirm the status of disaster and to take necessary actions such as providing re-settlements, infrastructure and ransoms for the victims. Which automatically causes for people to stay on evacuation centers for a long time period and that affects to the socio cultural and economic activities on that particular area for a long time period. Eventually it becomes a major social issue within the recent community.

What need to be happen after a natural disaster

What actually happens on a country like Sri Lanka after a natural disaster

Need of the project

As point out in above current process of resettling affected people takes a considerable time and that causes for huge social, cultural and economic problems to the affected community and to the outer societies. There for a proper program and system of re-settlements is required to overcome the above issues.

Aims and objectives

• Introduce viable capacity building strategies
• Adopt local construction practices as much as possible.
• Encourage user participation.
• Allow for future transformations in the re-settlements.
• Uplift and enhance the post disaster living status of users.

Project description

Scope of the project has divided in to major two sectors as a short term solution and long term solution. Short term solution consist with a temporary solution for the displaced people who are transferred in to initial evacuation centers which is the most common scenario to any natural hazard in Sri Lanka. Long term solution is the most important phase in facilitating victims as it directly influence to their future. Basically long term solution consist with the re-settlements and its process toward future.

Staging of resettlement program

Both short term and long term solution are considered as two stages of programs for the project. Stage one consist with the process of temporary evacuation center and stage two consist with the resettlement program and neighborhood growth.

• Immediate settlement (phase one) is the initial solution which consist with hosing and basic essential community buildings for any resettlement project.
• Spatial expansions (phase two) consist with different optional space expansions for the given immediate re-settlements.
• Growth of neighborhoods (phase three) includes the different structural and material expansions as per the development of neighborhoods.

Specific disaster incident – Aranayaka landslide incident as a model project

Landslide incident is occurred in large magnitude at Aranayaka Divisional Secretariat on 17^th May 2016. Two more were followed the next day early morning. This incident causes for about 150 deaths and thousands of people to be permanently evacuated from their settlements. Currently they have been resettled on 8 different locations around Aranayaka area and most of those villages / houses were abounded by the people due to various issues. Therefor one of the existing village provided by the government have been used as a reference to evaluate the program which I have formulated throughout my study.

Text description provided by the project author.