UN shows need for building back better in post-earthquake reconstruction17 July 2008, Beijng - Recovering from a disaster like an 8.0 magnitude earthquake has many challenges, but in reconstructing lives and communities, it is crucial to build back better, concluded a two-day United Nations workshop in Beijing on post-disaster reconstruction practices.
"No one will question the ability of the Government of China and the international community to transform the disaster-stricken areas in Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi into an area of natural beauty and economic prosperity," said Zhang Kening, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of China's Ministry of Commerce, in his closing remarks yesterday.
Co-hosted with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the meeting brought together 22 leading experts from India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka who shared their own experiences and lessons learned in recovering from disasters in their own countries with some 200 participants from the United Nations, Chinese ministries and academic institutions as well as the international community.
According to the leading experts, the experiences and expertise accumulated from past recovery and reconstruction efforts illustrate how disaster-hit communities have been built back better to be resilient and sustainable for future generations. Key features of previous efforts included:
- The need for a clear vision on what building back requires;
- No gaps between relief, recovery, and reconstruction;
- Reconstruction structures in support of inter-agency coordination and partnerships;
- Planning guided by comprehensive damage and risk assessments;
- Financial management that considers speed of delivery, flexibility, and accountability;
- Enabling organizations to deliver with appropriate procedures, resources and expertise;
- Active involvement of the affected communities in all steps of the rebuilding efforts;
- Transparency and building trust through regular updates, technical and social monitoring, and complaint mechanisms, and ;
- Integration of gender, environmental concerns and disaster-risk reduction into all aspects of recovery and reconstruction for better reconstruction with a culture of safety and preparedness;
- Creating programmatic linkages in the provision of employment, water, sanitation, hygiene, safe infrastructure, and education;
"Using the lessons from one disaster to another, we can help reduce the need for disaster response in the future," said Constance Thomas, Director of the International Labour Organization, speaking on behalf of the United Nations in her closing remarks. "The discussion in the past two-days assists the United Nations to support the Government of China in a coordinated way," she added.
The UN has considerable experience in disaster relief, recovery and reconstruction, and is already using the lessons learned from major disasters like the Pakistan earthquake in 2005 and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 to assist China in its recovery from this tragedy.
The United Nations also launched yesterday a US$33.5 million UN China Appeal for Early Recovery Support. The Appeal addresses the needs of the poor and vulnerable among the survivors who have received basic assistance but will require more comprehensive aid over the next six months as reconstruction gets underway and before winter sets in.
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Contact: Mia Turner, UN Resident Coordinator's Office/Beijing, Email: Mia.Turner@undp.org, Tel. +86-10-8532-0910, Mobile: +86-13552761922