SEVAI: Shelter construction to the disaster affected victims

Construction of Tsunami Response shelters in Poompuhar by SEVAI

SEVAI a Trichy based NGO is involved since 1984 in constructing shelters to the disaster affected. These assistance methods vary greatly depending on the contexts, type of disaster, local capacities, scale and resources. The goal of humanitarian shelter solutions provided in the aftermath of a disaster, are to be life-saving but also to set the path for sustainable reconstruction. The emergency or relief phase should be instrumental to orient the recovery phase, and integrate risk reduction as a key aspect of reducing housing vulnerabilities. To achieve this, people’s needs and preferences are driving the process, as the main objective is to build safer and more resilient communities. Following a disaster, shelter activities immediately focuses on saving lives. This is particularly urgent where the affected people are exposed to harsh climatic conditions such as extreme cold or heat.

SEVAI ensures key points such as people’s unity, as the construction is in

Tsunami Resonse houses are maintained well -12 years later

progress, the local youth are trained, promotion of livelihood, encouraging participatory leadership, optimum use of local construction material and stability and security of the shelter while construction of shelter for disaster victims as the construction phase is in progress. SEVAI also ensures active participation of the victims in the construction phase with continued effort with innovation approach with better mental attitude for the efficient use of the shelter after the construction.Beyond survival, the key considerations are: providing protection from the climate, ensuring privacy and dignity, providing personal safety and security. Shelter assistance needs to be flexible and appropriate to the context, it needs to take the type of damage caused by the disaster into account and consider what is required to complement existing or damaged homes and structures. Additional important factors are social and climatic conditions and the scale of the disaster. The

Tsunami response settlement in Poompuhar by SEVAI

resources invested in reconstruction programmes need to result in new income generating activities, which favours the local economy and development. The overarching goal is to promote local building cultures to improve the impact and efficiency of housing programmes. Successful shelter construction are to be designed finding solutions for a number of other issues such as water and sanitation, fuel for cooking and heating, waste management and settlement planning. At the same time communal facilities such as schools, play areas and health clinics have to be available to affected people. Post disaster reconstruction activities provide opportunities for men and women to learn new skills related to construction, planning and related issues such as managing natural environmental resources and local project management.-Govin