After the Tsunami: sustainable building guidelines for South-East Asia

Sustainable reconstruction is an integrated approach to reconstruction. Environmental, technical, economic, social, and institutional concerns are considered in each stage and activity of reconstruction. To ensure the best long-term result, not only house design and construction activities, but also in the provision of related infrastructure such as water supply and sanitation systems are taken into consideration.

This document provides guidance on sustainable reconstruction for building project managers.The main objective is to help improve the design and reconstruction of houses after the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in December 2004, and to minimise the negative impacts of poorly constructed houses on the environment. It explains how the choice of appropriate design and construction methods, and sustainable materials and technologies, during the planning, implementation and maintenance phases of reconstruction can protect natural resources and reduce energy consumption and pollution.

The document addresses the following aspects of sustainable reconstruction:

• environmental – looking at environmental impacts such as: the characteristics of construction material (safe, durable, and not from sources that are overexploited or threatened like unsustainably harvested wood); resistance of the house construction to natural disaster; low waste generation during production and construction; potential for recycling; use of sustainable energy supplies; suitability of house design to local climate
• technical – looking at practical, robust and technically feasible solutions such as: field-tested construction technologies; safety of house design: compliance with building codes, awareness about safe building and quality of construction
• economic – looking at cost-effective solutions such as: low-cost building design; effect on local economy (community involvement in production and construction, support and strengthening of local skills, enterprise development); economic feasibility (building costs and overall affordability)
• social – looking at health and safety issues; user-friendliness; flexible house design/adaptability to the users’ needs and living conditions; social and cultural relevance of house design, village planning and capacity building of communities; employment creation; vocational training; home-based income generation
• institutional – looking at laws and regulations and their enforcement; environmental governance; environmental impact assessment; comprehensive building codes and their enforcement; reliable local authorities with efficient provision of building permits and planning permissions; clear land ownership