52939 EAP DRM KnowledgeNotes Working Paper Series No. 3 disaster risk Management in east asia and the pacific General considerations for infrastructure planninG By Geoffrey Read introduction General considerations for the preparation of the infra- structure development plan, including communication, © The World Bank energy, transport, and water conservancy reconstruction are set out below. This note complements the more spe- cific recommendations provided in the Urban Develop- ment note. urban and rural infrastructure reconstruction planninG policies Planning for and implementation of the reconstruction of infrastructure should be based on recognizing the rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions in the province of Sichuan: (i) increasing urbanization and densification; (i) rising income levels and social aspirations; and, (iii) unpredictable extremes in climatic and geotechnical conditions. These changes are partially offset by improved technical knowledge and understanding of possible responses and outcomes. Natural disasters are occurring more frequently; hence reconstruction planning and programs should be firmly based on policies that have disaster mitigation and response at their core. Consideration of the following factors is of prime importance for infrastructure reconstruction planning and decision making: n Sociocultural values: Communities hold a strong sense of place, history, and emotional ties vis-ŕ-vis their immediate surroundings. Social assessment surveys are the best instrument to measure these values in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and continuously thereafter. This working paper series is produced by the East Asia and Pacific Disaster Risk Management Team of the World Bank, with support from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). This note was prepared for the Government of China as part of a series of good practice notes on post-disaster recovery following the Wenchuan Earthquake that struck on May 12, 2008. Content was coordinated by the China and Mongolia Sustainable Development and Country Management Units of the World Bank. The focus is on sector-specific lessons from past post- earthquake recovery programs in different countries around the world. 2 disaster risk Management in east asia and the pacific n Geophysical space: Geohazard, geological, and topo- Establish a process in which citizens can participate graphical features. in decision making and voice their concerns. This builds public trust in the process and thereby ensures n Logistics and finance: Geographical aspects and cost implementation. implications of decisions. 2005 earthquake in south asia n Timing and sequencing of decisions. (afghanistan, india, and pakistan) In the Azad Jammu and Kashmir region of Pakistan, n Social and economic sustainability: Livelihoods and post-earthquake response and reconstruction dealt with the abilities of and needs for economic regeneration. several key challenges. Poor construction was a major reason for the extensive damage to infrastructure, and international experience the consequent loss of life. The earthquake response was hampered by: (i) the absence of census data on buildings earthquake in Gujarat, india and people living in major cities; (ii) a shortage of equip- In Gujarat, India, the post-earthquake reconstruction ment to remove debris, clear roads, and establish tempo- plan adopted a build back better theme; the basic prin- rary bridges; (iii) a lack of backup systems for electricity, ciples were as follows: telecommunications, and water supply and purification; and, (iv) difficulties securing the property of the affected n Build the city back to higher standards by applying a population. policy of encouraging partial relocation and partial in situ reconstruction. The following were the key lessons in Pakistan: n Continue repairing and revamping the existing infra- n Maintain accurate records of land ownership, infra- structure, so that it is better managed and responds structure (e.g., communication, electricity, transport, better to future disasters. This approach would save the water supply, and sewage systems) so as to provide a government the considerable expenditure of rebuilding baseline for a sound damage and loss assessment when infrastructure in the aftermath of a future disaster. disaster strikes. n Improve building construction quality, incorporating n Measures should be implemented to minimize the loss earthquake-resistant technologies and adhering to reg- of communications in the event of a disaster. For ex- ulatory norms. ample, telecommunications equipment and essential facilities should be housed in prefabricated accom- n Assist people in the reconstruction process; help them modations or seismically sound buildings. Fixed-line understand statutory requirements in planning, build networks should be kept to a minimum with wider use consensus, and frame projects that respond to people's of GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) concerns and needs. and WLL (wireless loop) technologies. n Make the planning process as participatory as pos- n Provisions should be made to ensure effective com- sible by encouraging public­private partnerships. munications between the affected areas and those co- General considerations for infrastructure planning 3 and fast core house completions. However, completion of the infrastructure services lagged behind the housing. The challenge to make up the service deficits required unexpected additional resources and caused delays in house occupancy and livelihood improvement. The lack of coordination between the infrastructure sec- tors, specifically the reconstruction of major road net- works and housing, led to some residents remaining in temporary housing for years. In other cases, newly built houses had to be destroyed in order to construct roads. © The World Bank lessons learned A review of 10 post-earthquake reconstruction cases and other scholarly papers and reports identified the follow- ing key issues for planning infrastructure reconstruction: ordinating the disaster response. Portable GSM setups n Differentiate between urban and rural reconstruction should be maintained at the national level for speedy policy. deployment in disaster zones. Spare equipment (e.g., switches, satellite phones, and microwave links) should n Consider the (i) types of communities affected, (ii) de- be readily available to support emergency rescue and gree of self-reliance within the affected communities, relief efforts. In emergency conditions, detailed docu- and (iii) public expectation of living standards. mentation and everyday standard operating procedures should be relaxed to avoid unnecessary delays in relief n Enable clear delineation of authority to make executive operations. decisions to guide the recovery program. n The permanent disaster management authority (if one n Carrying out a comprehensive damage and loss assess- exists) should have a department dedicated to disaster ment and planning for recovery require many months communications, and a cadre of engineers and other or years: The required time is often underestimated by technical personnel should be identified and trained in the authorities, and delays have negative consequences. disaster response operations (e.g., road clearance and Delays often create uncertainty, reduce the psychologi- bridge reconstruction). Contingency plans should be cal momentum for reconstruction, and slow down the made for the restoration of communications, infrastruc- all-important economic recovery. ture, and other services in the event of a disaster. n Timely and publicized launch of the reconstruction 2004 tsunami in aceh, indonesia plan, combined with visible signs of progress, raises In Aceh, pressure to rapidly reconstruct housing mainly public awareness and diminishes further uncertainty through community-based methods achieved significant among communities. 4 disaster risk Management in east asia and the pacific Photos.com n Repair and restoration of urban services (e.g., cables, n Take disaster mitigation measures into account in the power lines, transformer stations, roads, bridges, pipe- reconstruction plan. work, communications, water supply, and sewerage sys- tems) as a first priority. n Calculate for negative effects of inflation on actual im- plementation of the reconstruction plan. n Reconstruction provides the opportunity for new urban design. With new urban design, intertwine complexities n Anticipate a surge in rent prices, and elucidate the gov- of land ownership and emotional ties by considering the ernment to its social and economic impact. "re-creation" of familiar locales in the community. recoMMendations n Relocation is very difficult and requires careful consid- Based on international experience, it is recommended eration of the public's willingness to move or stay. It is that the following challenges be reconciled in post-disas- easier for an urban planner to create a completely new ter reconstruction. city; however, this may not be the most socially accept- able solution. Speed: The importance of moving people into permanent settlements as soon as possible, thereby reducing emo- n Use existing master plans, and elements thereof, to the tional and interim financial costs of support for the home- extent possible. less and for temporary housing, has to be balanced with a concern about the speed of decisions for reconstruction. n Engage local stakeholders in the planning process to Reconciling the need to act quickly in reconstruction with make the plan acceptable, implementable, and sustain- allowing sufficient time for planning and consultation able. with those affected is a difficult task. An iterative process General considerations for infrastructure planning 5 of assessment, which allows continuing discussion with Human resource capacity and training needs: A ma- affected populations, is one possible solution. jor issue of reconstruction is the adequate availability of trained professional technical and managerial staff. Im- Opportunity to introduce improvements in infrastruc- plementing urban planning standards and building codes ture and civic amenities: If the proposed new housing requires experienced human resources and adequate fi- developments lie outside existing city boundaries, ad- nancial resources. ditional costs would be incurred, in particular associated with infrastructure development. (See Land Manage- Retrofitting and mitigation of existing facilities: A key ment note.) Specific attention should be given to incor- issue in relation to mitigation is the strengthening of ex- porate updated seismic design codes and design practices, isting buildings, in particular public buildings, to with- planning for retrofitting key infrastructure facilities and stand future earthquakes or other natural disasters, with public buildings, and providing guidance on the applica- costs being a major consideration. The willingness to tion of the updated design codes and construction prac- pay is not necessarily linked to perceived risks; the pub- tices to the general public. lic needs to be convinced of the merits of a disaster pre- paredness approach. Incentives for mitigation measures Generating private investment and economic activity: should be included in the reconstruction plan. Specific Reconstruction plans can include the provision for con- retrofitting plans and budget provisions should be made struction of facilities for small businesses, which are vital and included in the overall reconstruction program, in- for livelihood regeneration. cluding support (technical, and if possible, financial) to the non-government sector. n The importance of moving people into permanent settlements as soon as possible, thereby reducing emotional and interim financial costs of support for the homeless and for temporary housing, has to be balanced with a concern about the speed of decisions for reconstruction. east asia and the pacific region The World Bank 1818 H St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20433 http://www.worldbank.org/eap Special thanks to the partners who support GFDRR's work to protect livelihoods and improve lives: Australia, Canada, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, and the World Bank.