Safer Homes, Stronger Communities: A Handbook for Reconstructing after Natural Disasters

Best practices in post-disaster housing and community reconstruction are constantly evolving. The frequency and severity of disasters are increasing and technology is changing how reconstruction is done. Reconstruction projects must increasingly focus on the need to reduce future risks by ensuring that what is rebuilt is safer and more disaster-resilient than what was there before. The expanding role of communities in managing community reconstruction, with financial and technical assistance from government, is another way reconstruction is changing.
Safer Homes, Stronger Communities is a handbook that gives policy makers and project managers the information they need to plan and carry out housing and community reconstruction projects that empower communities affected by disasters and that reduce their vulnerability to future disasters.
The handbook includes nearly 100 case studies collected from global experts with recent experience in housing reconstruction that illustrate how the policies and practical approaches recommended in the handbook have been used on the ground. It also includes links to extensive technical information on the topics covered by the handbook and is complemented by a Web site for practitioners in the field (http: //www. housingreconstruction. org).
Designed to provide immediate guidance in post-disaster reconstruction settings, Safer Homes, Stronger Communities is a vital resource for policy makers and project managers, and for all practitioners involved in postdisaster housing and community reconstruction and disaster risk management.

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Front Matter (Title Page, Acknowledgements, Authors, Notes, Table of Contents)
(976 KB)

Note to the Policy Maker Section
(450 KB)

Note to the Project Manager Section
(504 KB)

Handbook Guiding Principles
(707 KB)

PART 1
Reconstruction Tasks and How to Undertake Them

Section 1
Assessing Impact and Defining Reconstruction Policy

Chapter 1
Early Recovery: The Context for Housing and Community Reconstruction
(2. 98 MB)

Chapter 2
Assessing Damage and Setting Reconstruction Policy
(3. 8 MB)

Chapter 3
Communication in Post-Disaster Reconstruction
(2. 41 MB)

Chapter 4
Who Gets a House? The Social Dimension of Housing Reconstruction
(2. 41 MB)

Chapter 5
To Relocate or Not to Relocate
(3. 45 MB)

Chapter 6
Reconstruction Approaches
(2. 87 MB)

Section 2
Planning Reconstruction

Chapter 7
Land Use and Physical Planning
(3. 69 MB)

Chapter 8
Infrastructure and Services Delivery
(3. 07 MB)

Chapter 9
Environmental Planning
(2. 67 MB)

Chapter 10
Housing Design and Construction Technology
(2. 31 MB)

Chapter 11
Cultural Heritage Conservation
(2. 53 MB)

Section 3
Project Implementation

Chapter 12
Community Organizing and Participation
(2. 41 MB)

Chapter 13
Institutional Options for Reconstruction Management
(2. 4 MB)

Chapter 14
International, National, and Local Partnerships in Reconstruction
(3. 21 MB)

Chapter 15
Mobilizing Financial Resources and Other Reconstruction Assistance
(4. 9 MB)

Chapter 16
Training Requirements in Reconstruction
(3. 13 MB)

PART 2
Monitoring and Information Management

Chapter 17
Information and Communications Technology in Reconstruction
(4. 33 MB)

Chapter 18
Monitoring and Evaluation
(2. 48 MB)

Chapter 19
Mitigating the Risk of Corruption
(2. 22 MB)

PART 3
Information on World Bank Projects and Policies

Chapter 20
World Bank Response to Crises and Emergencies
(846 KB)

Chapter 21
Safeguard Policies for World Bank Reconstruction Projects
(453 KB)

Chapter 22
Financial Management in World Bank Reconstruction Projects
(445 KB)

Chapter 23
Procurement in World Bank Reconstruction Projects
(440 KB)

PART 4
Technical References

Disaster Types and Impacts
(655 KB)

Disaster Risk Management in Reconstruction
(1. 12 MB)

Matrix of Disaster Project Features
(517 KB)

Glossary
(914 KB)

Index
(588 KB)

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