Organising Post-Disaster Reconstruction Processes by Fatemeh Farnaz Arefian

Author:Fatemeh Farnaz Arefian
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

4.11 Recovery Approach

The literature review showed reconstruction as an agent for physical recovery is an important platform that potentially can be beneficial for psychological and economic recovery and people’s livelihood (Davis 2007). Reconstruction also creates an economic boost for the area. Thus, depending on the extent of destruction and intensity of construction and developmental projects and programmes are undertaken, thus it provides an opportunity for blending and addressing people’s livelihood and economic recovery (Alexander 2002). The Bam case provides an example of how that opportunity was used or missed to assist the economic recovery.

From early days steps were taken for the stimulating economic recovery in already-recognised sectors and to boost the local businesses. Bam also became a great marketplace for construction workers, contractors and service-based businesses. For the longer-term physical recovery the Steering Committee quickly divided the tasks of overall reconstruction with related organisations. With the financial help of government, international agencies, Iranian expats, local and international NGOs and foreign governments numerous projects on schools, hospitals, mosques, libraries, infrastructure, and recreational facilities and so on were carried out.

As the regional agricultural centre, one of the most important economic resources in the area was palm grove production. Recognising the importance of the palm gardens special attention to those gardens and repairing qanats became a major priority for various governmental organisations, non-governmental ones and international agencies. Reports show that, although the earthquake damaged the irrigation system the palm grove production was not stopped, thus creating hopes among many families who still could rely on their agricultural incomes. Before the earthquake, according to Tierney et al. (2005), 80% of palm garden irrigation system relied on 64 qanats, out of which 30 were damaged. It is reported that 22 qanats out of the 30 were repaired by May 2004. Many of the families (inside or outside the urban areas and villages) owned or worked in palm gardens while they might or might not have another formal job (e.g. Tierney et al. 2005; Khatam 2006; UNDP 2004).

The earthquake also, as Fallahi and Arzhangi (2011) report, destroyed 90% of small businesses and shopping centre structures, including the Bazaar. This affected the livelihood of people who relied on small businesses and services. Recovery of small businesses started quickly after the earthquake by fencing and allocating prefabricated units and containers with the help of the governor, municipality and reconstruction executive body, HFIR. Interestingly such prefabricated business units quickly spread throughout the city and mainly at the edge of main and/or commercial streets. They provided all services and shops, from clothes to beauty salon, from hairdresser to bakery, to electrical equipment and to lawyers’ offices. Real-time observations by me and others in 2004 and 2005 suggest ‘Life goes on for the residents of Bam. Shops and stalls have already started business’ (Lateef 2004, p. 164). Figure 4.12 shows an example of those small businesses.

Fig. 4.12Example of working small business and shops in 2005.

Photo Arefian 2005

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