Against the trend: evaluation of Nepal’s owner-driven reconstruction program

Abstract

Currently, owner-driven reconstruction (ODR) has become a default large-scale post-disaster housing strategy and particularly in resource-poor countries. The latest example is the 2015 Nepal earthquake reconstruction effort. Although an impressive amount of house rebuilding did occur, more and more families have rebuilt their homes as one-room or one-storey earthquake-safe abodes that barely fulfil family needs. In this paper, inspired by Lefebvre’s ‘production of space’ concept, I discuss how ODR has changed building construction in rural Nepal. I also argue that ODR followed a ‘trendy’ donor-preferred housing reconstruction strategy without seriously taking into account the implementation issues, particularly the paucity of effective approaches to mobilize people to rebuild their houses. Through a critical review of previous ODR cases and my ethnographic study of the Nepal earthquake, I find that five key elements of successful ODR practices are missing. These are organizational structure of reconstruction institution, technical support, public-private partnerships, policy communication, and support for vulnerable groups.