Post-war sustainable housing design strategies: the case of reconstruction in Iraq

Hala Ali Abdulrazaq,Manuel Correia Guedes,Ali Sayigh

doi:10.1051/rees/2021021

Hala Ali Abdulrazaq, Manuel Correia Guedes + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1051/rees/2021021

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Abstract

The damage of architecture in Iraq has been caused by a series of wars during the last four decades. The last conflict against the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017 caused severe destruction to the buildings in seven governorates, namely: Nineveh, Baghdad, Anbar, Babel, Kirkuk, Diyala, Salah Aldeen. three years after the Iraqi government has announced liberation, the cities are still covered by tons of rubble and thousands of people are still staying in camps. Several international humanitarian organizations are providing urgent assistance to help some local people to rebuild their homes. This paper presents initial results of an ongoing PhD research, which focuses on the role of architectural design in the postwar reconstruction in Iraq. It addresses an architectural damage assessment of the Post-War in the Old City of Mosul, after liberation from ISIS in 2017. The damage assessment focuses the residential buildings as it is the most affected sector and the most needed to start re-building. As rubble is the main obstacle for the residents besides that it's the first step for the recovery, this paper studies the scale of destruction to determine the quantity and quality of rubble in this historic city. Thus, it presents the current actions taken by locals and examines the government movements towards rubble management. Results show that, the unguided strategy of rebuilding is inefficient causing more damage to the environment and there is no comprehensive plan to protect historic buildings with a high heritage. The aim of this paper is to provide basic guidelines and recommendations for preventing further destruction to the heritage of the Old City.

Highlights

The damage of architecture in Iraq has been caused by a series of wars during the last four decades
Nineveh, Babylon and a few more cities in Iraq were greatest capitals of the ancient empires and enjoyed a golden age of architectural achievements. These cities have suffered as a result of continuous civil and international wars; dictatorship regime; economic sanctions; ethnic and religious conflicts after the fall of Baath regime; rampant corruption; dictatorship regime; economic sanctions; rampant corruption some thirty years before it was officially occupied by ISIL
In this paper we focus on defining rubble characterisation, quantification and distribution around the Old City in order to build a framework for the full recovery approach as the first step towards reconstruction of the city

Summary

Introduction: brief historical overview

Iraq has long been known as the ‘cradle of civilization’, home to more than 10 000 cultural sites ranging from the 5500 year old sites of Sumer, to archaeological remains of the Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Parthian cultures. Nineveh, Babylon and a few more cities in Iraq were greatest capitals of the ancient empires and enjoyed a golden age of architectural achievements These cities have suffered as a result of continuous civil and international wars; dictatorship regime; economic sanctions; ethnic and religious conflicts after the fall of Baath regime; rampant corruption; dictatorship regime; economic sanctions; rampant corruption some thirty years before it was officially occupied by ISIL. Professional organizations issued public warnings, reminding U.S leaders of their responsibilities under international law, notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Properties in the Event of Armed Conflict [3] They urged that protection of Iraq’s cultural sites and institutions be a high priority for the occupying forces. The recent regional ISIL created conflict in Iraq has resulted in a humanitarian crisis with the internal displacement of over 5 million Iraqis and the destruction of infrastructure and services in the former ISIS-occupied areas. Several months of armed conflict in the struggle to retake the city has left behind a devastated urban landscape, characterised by destroyed monuments, demolished houses, damaged buildings, destroyed infrastructure, extensive piles of rubble and areas contaminated by human bodies and unexploded ordnance

Case study

Main results and recommendations

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Conclusion