Sheltering emergencies: Design development process of temporary housing in post-disaster settlement by community participation

Abstract

The growing number of disasters have drawn attention to the need to provide housing for the displaced population. From the field study of flood-Affected settlements in the Brahmaputra Valley in India, we realise that there is a need for emergency shelters which are comfortable, durable and affordable by the affected community. This paper discusses the design process of developing an emergency shelter for the displaced people in the post-flood settlements of the Brahmaputra Valley. The morphological records of the Brahmaputra River make it a unique geographical area that gets flooded annually. We carried out an exploratory investigation to analyse the various aspects of shelter development. The built culture of the affected community was documented by a selective study of flood-Affected settlements to understand their lifestyle and the socio-cultural environment. Community consultation meeting and activity were planned and carried out to arrive at spatial design brief following the humanitarian standards. We considered an iterative approach to develop a Bamboo Kit Shelter, made with continuous consultation with the community. The full-scale prototype is then provided to a family to understand its ease of assembly and installation. The experience of using the shelter kit gives direction for further modification. We found that the shelter was appropriate for use in the post-flood situation. The community participation at each step of the design process has made it culturally appropriate and socially relevant. Further, explorations to make it transportable and material durability forms part of the findings of the study.