Post-disaster affordable and sustainable house design and delivery: An international non-governmental organisation (INGO) perspective

The frequency and devastation of disasters, both natural and manmade, are becoming, both more common and extreme, resulting in large numbers of displaced populations throughout the world. Combined with population growth, housing shortages in many regions continue to escalate beyond previous records and based on current trends, are set to increase further in the coming years. In the context of least developed and middle-income countries, these are often the worst effected, due to their inherent vulnerabilities. The built environment, and housing in particular, is often worst effected by disasters, resulting in large numbers of displaced populations in these countries. In this context, the permanent reconstruction phase of recovery following disasters can be viewed as an opportunity to rebuild, in a more sustainable manner, with beneficiaries and communities central to the process, to help build resilience against future disasters. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are often tasked with the design and delivery of post disaster housing in many of these contexts. The purpose of this study is to explore the approach of an international NGO in the design and delivery of post disaster housing. A case study approach from Sri Lanka with a leading international NGO is used to explore this complex area. Data collection utilised included semi-structured, documentation reviews from the organisation and observation studies form the field. The research findings outline the various design and project management stages and considerations the NGO undertakes, from inception to completion of the project. This research offers a unique evidence-based insight into the real-life practice and decision-making process of an INGO, working in a challenging post disaster context and contributes to both the theory and practice in this field.