From relief to development Geneva, 17.11.2005

1. From relief to developmentGeneva, 17.11.2005 Transforming crisis into opportunities for sustainable development UN-HABITAT

2. Human Settlements in Crisis • When conflicts occur or hazards turn into disasters, human settlements are always affected; • Increasing number of natural and human made disasters perpetuate poverty and often makes sustainable development in the affected areas impossible; • Crisis in general, tend to have disproportionate impacts in less developed countries causing much greater losses.

3. Cities @ risk • Poverty and lack of resources increases vulnerability, weakens coping strategies and delays the recovery process. • Poor people everywhere, especially in urban areas, are most at risk – due to deficient urban management practices; inadequate planning, inappropriate construction, population density, ecological imbalance, absence of secure tenure, etc. • As the nature of disasters in cities becomes more complex, re-visioning of traditional approaches to recovery assistance is needed.

4. From Relief to Reconstruction and Recovery ‘’Development begins at the beginning’’ • UN-HABITAT in its work of bridging the gap between relief and development is providing expertise on shelter and housing as well as in other infrastructure and human settlements needs immediately after a disaster occurs. • UN-HABITAT acknowledges the fact that disasters can provide opportunities for sustainable development. Relief and reconstruction phases require that rehabilitation and recovery efforts need to be integrated into long-term development strategies. Mobilizing more sustainable oriented relief and reconstruction - transforming disasters into opportunities for sustainable development – initiating the development trajectory at the earliest stages through environmental remediation, restoration of critical infrastructure, transition shelter, land use planning and tenure, and intermediate livelihood support activities which are linked to longer term settlements recovery programming including vulnerability/risk reduction.

5. Towards more Sustainable and Resilient Future • Integration of the principles of both sustainability and disaster risk reduction from the earliest stages of recovery – promoting culture of prevention. • UN-HABITAT has developed a detailed typology for its interventions in emergency situations, simultaneously taking into account the transition and longer-term recovery.

6. 1. Long-term Shelter Strategies • Implementation of realistic and permanent reconstruction plans for housing and infrastructure; • Promoting community confidence through participatory planning and implementation of reconstruction activities; • Vulnerability reduction - Disaster resistant housing; • Right to ownership and security of tenure.

7. 2. Economic recovery and restoration of livelihoods • Independent and sustainable recovery begins with a home and a job; • Utilising local resources for rehabilitation activities – both material and human resources; • Creating employment and small scale production – capital distribution within the communities.

8. 3. Land and Property Administration Conflict provoking characteristics – sometimes also resulting secondary conflicts in post-crisis situations; • Lack of land policy • Dysfunctional LA system • Land grabbing/invasions • Break down law & order (inc. land-use planning) • Over-lapping rights & claims • Destruction of houses • Ambiguous laws

9. 4. Good local governance and inclusiveness • Public participation and Inclusive decision-making – with all stakeholders; • Community organisation and civil empowerment for disaster mitigation and sustainable reconstruction; • Gender issues; • Capacity building and Institutional development at local level; • Principles of Good Governance are critical in disaster management and sustainable recovery.

10. 5. Vulnerability Reduction and Disaster Mitigation • Disasters can act as opportunities - - to change the Status Quo; - to build self-reliance of communities; - to strengthen local organisational/institutional capacities; - to demonstrate new ways to network and collaborate – enhance political will and inclusiveness; - to introduce new mitigation measures, such as building regulations and techniques, better land-use and planning Vulnerability reduction plans and disaster risk considerations should be integrated more effectively into sustainable development policies, planning and programming at all levels. Thank you.