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Not
too late to get island housing right
The December 26 2004 tsunami devastated lives and livelihoods and left hundreds of thousands of people without homes. Two years on, over 9,500 families in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are still living in inadequate temporary shelters.
Concerns over government reconstruction plans are mounting, with dozens injured in recent housing protests in Little Andaman. Important questions have been raised over location, design and cost of the proposed houses, as well as the construction process.
In-depth consultations with communities and close scrutiny of government plans reveal serious implications for livelihoods, culture, economy, environment and human rights.
Assessing Post-Tsunami Reconstruction In Andaman & Nicobar Islands: A People's Perspective looks into these critical issues and offers a way forward.
Findings from research on three islands – Great Nicobar, Little and South Andaman Islands – point to the need for far greater involvement of survivors in the reconstruction process and indicate that community-driven housing construction is possible, with the right support.
Successful reconstruction projects involve local communities at all stages – from deciding design and location of houses to monitoring the quality of building materials and construction work.
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