Tsunami Rehabilitation Project In Tranquebar

December 31, 2007, 6:30:00 PM

What happens when housing developments are planned in other parts of the world and developing countries? Rachael Toms, a British intern who worked on the post-tsunami reconstruction project with Dr Benny Kuriakose, writes about her 'humanitarian' journey down Tarangambadi on RUDI.net (Research for Urban Design Information). Situated close to the sea and on low-lying land, a large proportion of the homes of fishing families were destroyed or damaged in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. The paper explains the rehabilitation project in detail and describes how the socio-economic situation of the families sets the context for the reconstruction of homes.

Over 90 NGOs were actively involved in education programmes, health initiatives, financial support and construction, including the South Indian Federation of Fishermen’s Societies (SIFFS). The concept was that of a participatory approach, wherein contrast with most government and NGO-led housing projects, families contributed to the design of their homes and had a sense of ownership from the outcome. She concludes by stating that she gained an understanding of the realities of poverty, international aid, and housing in one region of a developing country, as well as experience with post-disaster rehabilitation and the obstacles that it entails. Read the full paper here for more details!