Technical and Training Support for the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority
Background and Objective
The earthquake that struck Pakistan on 8 October 2005 had a devastating impact, killing an estimated 80,000 people and making some three million people homeless. The earthquake destroyed or damaged an estimated 630,000 houses. UN-HABITAT's major contribution has been to promote the innovative housing reconstruction policy, which it has been practicing in the recovery and reconstruction of major disasters in several countries. The two aspects that make this policy innovative are:
* a uniform application of low-cost standards ensuring equity; and
* the application of an "owner-driven approach", or supporting the people's process of housing.
The goal of the project is to contribute to the earthquake-resistant reconstruction of private rural housing in the nine earthquake-affected districts in Kashmir and North West Frontier Province. The objective is to strengthen the capacity of the Government, civil society organisations and citizens to understand and apply earthquake-resistant housing reconstruction policies, principles and techniques.
Activities
The main activities include:
- Strengthened government strategy and policy making capacity.
•Technical advice to ERRA for the development of housing reconstruction standards, including conventional and local technologies, remedial and repair guidance.
•Technical advocacy and support including conservation policies, strategies to address non compliance and vulnerability issues including refugee, tenant, urban and other housing protection cases.
- Strengthened capacity of government to coordinate and manage the housing reconstruction process.
•Staff and resources provided to ERRA through the direct operation of 9 Housing Reconstruction Centres (HRCs) and 21 field bases.
•Training of all master trainer technical staff for the housing programme implementing partners.
•UN-HABITAT MIS developed and implemented the ERRA Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation RME system consolidating all data streams.
•HRCs provided coordination support and monitoring of field reconstruction progress and problems, feedback, analysis and reporting to ERRA.
- Strengthened capacity, level of training and technical assistance in earthquake-resistant construction.
•Training of master trainer technical staff for the housing programme implementing partners.
•Training of engineers in building vulnerability and damage assessment.
•Basic technical training for earthquake resistant design and construction training for masons.
•Development of technical guidelines and training for improved earth construction.
- Increased public awareness and technical understanding of earthquake resistant construction principles and techniques
Results
*90,000 houses inspected and reported by UN-HABITAT teams
*48,700 community queries answered.
*6,350 grievance cases investigated and resolved.
*63,354 persons participate in earthquake resistant training.
*13,283 persons were given training of trainers (ToT).
*The team provided around 226,181 door to door technical assistance for construction of houses
*Assistance was provided to UNESCO curricula development of hazard resistant design and construction
*4,250 persons participated in urban earthquake training and awareness activities.
*130 engineers and architects participated in training.
*Over 60 technical trainings, guidelines and information products have been developed
*Handing over of training manuals and other technical material is currently underway..
*12 joint research initiatives for hazard resistant construction underway.
•Environmentally sustainable housing improvement measures developed in 5 districts.
•Mainstreaming of hazard resistant design and construction into national technical curricula.
•Institutionalization of rural housing programme outcomes.
Development Partners / Partners
Development Partners: SIDA, DFID, ERRA
Partners: ERRA, NESPAK, SDC, WB, NGOs.
