Editorial: Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction to Enable Resilient Communities

Abstract

Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction to Enable Resilient Communities. A house is often the most valuable economic and social asset in most communities and its primary function is to provide a safe and secure habitat for its inhabitants. In many disasters, not only rapid onset events such as earthquakes and storms, where housing is usually the most visible component that is damaged or lost, but also in slow onset disasters such as floods and bushfires, people are often forced to abandon their homes. Displacement or loss of housing makes people vulnerable to possible aftershocks, as well as to the climate – rain, snow, heat, etc – thus compounding the effects of the disaster, and significantly impacting household and community health; therefore it is important to safeguard people from these disaster risks through adequate and resilient housing. This has been emphasised in a number of disasters and housing related publications (see for example ADPC, 2002; Coburn et al, 1995; HFHA, undated; IFRC, 2011; Seraj and Ahmed, 2004; UNNATI, 2006).