Following the devastation caused by April’s Nepal earthquake the Architects Foundation (AF) – an arm of the American Institute of Architects – has outlined plans to rebuild parts of the Himalayan nation, with like-for-like earthquake-resilient design principles being implemented.
The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action, sees the AF partner with disaster relief NPO All Hands Volunteers (AHV), to execute the replicable US$3m (€2.8m, £1.9m) reconstruction plan for Nepal, which relies strongly on its heritage and tourism as a source of income.
Working with local architects, who will be trained in disaster-resilient design principles and construction before working with an assigned community and volunteer labour force, the two-year plan will be carried out in three phases.
In phase one, development pilot areas will be selected and then restored to their former glory with the additional construction of 75 homes. Development will conclude in May 2017, with 10 locations having implemented the reconstruction plan.
“An often-cited flaw in the disaster relief area is the significant lag time between the stabilisation of a disaster-stricken area through emergency humanitarian response and the implementation of viable recovery programmes which return affected populations to a sense of normality,” said Sherry-Lea Bloodworth-Botop, executive director of the AF.
“By beginning now, while the humanitarian response is underway, this programme can begin to return people to their communities in an accelerated, but still appropriate manner.”
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 9,000 people in Nepal and injured at least 23,000, affecting in excess of eight million people and destroying around 70,000 homes. Since the incident, the quake-hit country has appealed to foreign governments to lift travel advisories as it seeks to revive its tourism industry. The government has also allocated US$31m (€28.7m, £20m) over the next fiscal year to restore archeological structures damaged in the quake.
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