Sustainable Housing Reconstruction

Esther Charlesworth is Associate Professor and the Director of the Humanitarian Architecture Research Bureau (HARB) in the School of Architecture and Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Esther is the Founding Director of Architects Without Frontiers (AWF). Her most recent book, Humanitarian Architecture: 15 Stories of Architects Working after Disaster, was published by Routledge in 2014.Iftekhar Ahmed is a Research Fellow in the Humanitarian Architecture Research Bureau (HARB), School of Architecture and Design, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. His research interests span the areas of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, urbanisation and community development.

• Foreword: Learning from the Shelter Sector Graham Saunders Part 1: More than a Roof Overhead Part 2: Achievements in Housing Reconstruction Despite Mounting Odds Bushfires: Australia Cyclone: Bangladesh Earthquake: Haiti Tsunami: Sri Lanka Hurricane: USA Typhoon: Vietnam Conclusion: What is Sustainable Reconstruction after Natural Disaster? Bibliography Index

The daunting task of rebuilding after disaster requires strong inclusion of affected people and governments, and after decades of such programmes, Esther Charlesworth and Iftekhar Ahmed have added significantly to the debate with Sustainable Housing Reconstruction. This detailed and colourful book is essential reading for those involved, covering a range of disasters, typologies and program approaches, putting the interests of affected people at the centre of the debate. - Brett Moore, Global Shelter, Infrastructure and Reconstruction Advisor, World Vision InternationalPost disaster politicians always say, "We shall rebuild here now". What rubbish. The disaster struck accidentally but the damage is no accident. Damaged buildings and housing are the result of hastily and poorly [built] structures that could not sustain the forces of nature. So, rebuilding has to be carefully thought out and well executed so there is not a repeat of the catastrophe that occurred. Sustainable Housing Reconstruction is a timely antidote to the rush to rebuild by laying out with cases how human and physical repair has to occur for the reconstructed post disaster community to be fit for the future. - Edward J Blakely, Honorary Professor of Urban Policy, United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and Director of Recovery post Katrina for the City of New Orleans 2007-2009Far too many disaster reconstruction projects regard the efficient delivery of rows of faceless houses as the measure of success. However, in this vital study Esther Charlesworth and Iftekhar Ahmed move well beyond this notion. They claim, in twelve well-chosen international case studies, that housing reconstruction can be sustainable, delivering ‘added-value’. This can include newly acquired building skills that strengthen livelihoods, safety from hazard forces, community resilience and a close identification of users with their creation. The book is a joy to read, aided by a splendid layout and delightful illustrations and must qualify as the best looking book on disaster recovery ever published! - Ian Davis, Visiting Professor in Disaster Risk Management in Copenhagen, Lund, Kyoto and Oxford Brookes Universities