Post Occupancy Evaluation of Housing Reconstruction After Cyclone Sidr

Abstract

Post occupancy evaluation of housing reconstruction after a disaster is imperative for every nation that pushes ahead the idea of resilient housing, which is obligatory for the social, cultural, and economic growth of a society or a country. Cyclone SIDR is the most dreadful of all catastrophes that have struck Bangladesh and aftermath of this catastrophe, a number of donor organizations stepped up to help victims by providing housing solutions. The aim of this study is to effectiveness analysis of the housing reconstruction programs from planning and construction standpoints with a post occupancy framework. Based on three months of detailed field survey at the mostly devastated location of cyclone SIDR, Southkhali Union (small rural area) of Sarankhola Upazila (sub-district) of Bagerhat District, this research infers that the donor organizations didn’t pay much attention in terms of choice, need and decision-making role to provide reconstructed houses for the target beneficiaries. The study found that about 78% of the reconstructed houses hold dissatisfaction of the beneficiaries. As a result, people prompt to transform or modify 54% of the ‘Donor Driven’ houses according to their choice and need soon after completion of the project. Another 16% donor driven house remained abandoned and rest 8% demolished. On the other hand, owner driven houses are functionally perfect, affordable, use locally available natural materials with resilient planning and construction features which reduces disaster vulnerability and sustains for long time in comparison with donor driven houses.