participatory resettlement planning in a post-disaster ... · introduction supertyphoon haiyan...

People-Driven Resettlement Planning in a Post-Disaster Coastal City in the

Philippines

Prof. Carmeli Marie C. Chaves, EnPand

Rocelyn C. De Vera, EnP

School of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Philippines

Funding support for this study was provided by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development,University of the Philippines Diliman

ICURP 2018 - International Conference on Planning for Sustainability and ResilienceCentury Park Hotel, Manila, Philippines March 14-15, 2018

Outline

• Introduction: Background, Objectives

• Conceptual Framework

• Methodology

• Results

• Conclusion

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINESSCHOOL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING

Introduction

World Risk Index 2015

1. Vanuatu2. Tonga3. Philippines4. Guatemala5. Bangladesh

(171 countries)

Source: http://www.irdrinternational.org/2016/03/01/word-risk-index/


IntroductionPhilippines

• 4th most disaster-prone

• 274 disasters (1995 to 2015)

1. USA (472)

2. China (441)

3. India (288)

– United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-05/typhoon-haiyan-timeline/5435156


Introduction

Supertyphoon Haiyan (Philippine name: Yolanda)

wreaked havoc on the Visayas region in 2013

• Storm strength: Equivalent of Category 5, the highest — and the strongest tropical cyclone to ever make landfall

• Sustained wind speed at landfall: 195 mph or 314 kph —( breaking the previous highest record of 190 mph)

• Wind gusts: Up to 235 mph or 378 kph

• Surge in sea level during the storm: 13 feet

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Haiyan


IntroductionSuper typhoon Haiyan

Impact:

– People affected: More than 16 million

– Death toll: More than 10,000

– People injured: More than 27,000

– People displaced: 4.1 million

– Amount of area destroyed in the storm's path:

70 to 80 percent

– Homes damaged or destroyed: 1.2 million

(over half of which were completely destroyed)

– Amount of homes lost in hardest-hit areas: 90 percent

– destroyed Php 420 B worth of property

– devastated sources of livelihood

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Haiyan


Introduction

Study site: Tacloban City

-

Source: http://www.ideacenter.org/stuff/contentmgr/files/52357190b7ab4242c71bacdab81f9086/image1/tacloban_map.jpg


Tacloban City

-Six to eight-meter tall waves lashed the city and inundated it

-the highest number of lives lost during super typhoon Haiyan

-2,496 deaths of the reported total 6,300 casualties

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/philippines/10804117/Typhoon-Haiyan-aerial-footage-shows-how-Tacloban-has-recovered-six-months-on-from-the-natural-disaster.html

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-08/typhoon-haiyan-zoe-daniel-six-months-on/5432374 Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/09/world/asia/philippines-tacloban/


Tacloban City: before and after Haiyan

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/11/14/244996256/images-of-tacloban-before-and-after-typhoon-haiyan


Anibong, Tacloban: before and after Haiyan

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/11/14/244996256/images-of-tacloban-before-and-after-typhoon-haiyan


Study Objectives• Describe the post-Haiyan resettlement of the affected fishing communities in

Tacloban City since 2013

• Assess the extent and nature of participation of the affected families in therecovery activities

• Evaluate the Tacloban Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan, especially the siteselection of the resettlement projects and the effectiveness of addressing theneeds of the displaced families

• Investigate whether people’s planning can be integrated in the local resettlementprocess, especially in the Comprehensive Development Plan, Comprehensive LandUse Plan, and Zoning


Conceptual Framework

Post-Yolandarese lementprocess:• Consulta onwithdisplacedfis

h

e rfolks• Responsivenessofrehabilita onefforts

• Socialacceptabilityofrese lementsite

TaclobanRecoveryandRehabilita on

PlanImplementa on

People’sPlanning

Par cipa oninlocaldevelopmentplanning:• LocalShelterPlan• ComprehensiveLandUsePlan

• ZoningOrdinance

Strategiesforsustainablepost-disasterrese lementplanning


Methodology• Review of secondary reports

• Focus group discussions with 25 affected fisherfolks in Tacloban City

• Key informant interviews with decision makers and local and national government officials, NGOs

• Direct observation / rapid assessment


Results1. Post-Haiyan resettlement of the affected fishing

communities in Tacloban City since 2013

1. Extent and nature of participation of the affectedfamilies in the recovery activities

2. Considerations in post-disaster resettlement planning

3. Integration of people’s planning in the local resettlementprocess


Results 1• Post-Haiyan resettlement of the affected fishing communities in

Tacloban City since 2013


Results 1: Post-Haiyan resettlement of the affectedfishing communities in Tacloban City since 2013

Housing

• In total, the total shelter demand was 205,128 houses, costing 61.262 billion pesos.

• Administrative Order No. 44 in 2014 :

all departments and agencies to “render fullassistance and to fast track the process andrequirements for the issuance of permits,certifications, clearances and licenses forhousing and resettlement projects in theYolanda-affected areas.”

• As of May 2017: only 14 percent or 29,661 of205,128 resettlement housing units werecompleted

Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/typhoon-haiyan-anniversary-40-powerful-photos-storm-that-devastated-philippines-1473294#slideshow/1377582


Housing• 2 years or more in

temporary shelter

Source: http://philippineresponse.iom.int/blog/unhcr-iom-provide-emergency-shelter-haiyan-survivors




Housing

• “Tacloban North” was identified as the main off-site permanent relocation area for the families displaced by Typhoon Haiyan.

• 15 kilometers away from the existing residence of the affected households

North Coast: satellite urban center

Mid Coast: urban expansion and trading area

South Coast: redevelopment with urban expansion in lower risk inland areas

Upland: conservation and protection area

• As of May 2017: about 7,000 of the target 15,000 families have been relocated


Tacloban North


Tacloban North

• identified by the contractors of the housing projects• based on the availability and

affordability of the land

• Located away from the city center with limited access to basic services

• many of the units were of shoddy standards



Housing

• “Those who transferred to Tacloban Northare in a worse state: they transferred to anunfinished house, with no electricity andno window.”

-Mr. Losanto Castillo Jr., President, fisherfolks association

• His expenses will double because he stillhas to spend on transportation fromTacloban North to the fish cages in themariculture zone which need to bemonitored daily.

• Fisherfolks want to transfer to a safe place where they will still have access to their fishing area.



Housing: 40-meter “No Build Zone”

• President Aquino directed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources “to keep coastlines off limits to homes” while the Department of Public Works and Highways put up signs advising the public of the 40-meter easement, citing Presidential Decree 1067, or the Water Code of the Philippines.

Source: http://re-charge.ph/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-taclobans-no-build-zone-but-are-afraid-to-ask/



Housing: 40-meter “No Dwelling Zone”

• In Tacloban City, markers similar tokilometer markers delineate areaswithin which no dwelling units can bebuilt.

• Although the proclamation aims to protect coastal communities, it led to the displacement of 14,433 families.

• The pronouncement was carried out without consulting the affected communities.



Livelihood

• Prior to the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan, thefisherfolks caught 10 kilos of marine fish, onthe average.

• Because of the debris left by the typhoon inthe fishing grounds, their catch became scarceand fisherfolks had to resort to aquaculture.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/photography/2013/11/super_typhoon_haiyan_devastates_philippines_photos.html

Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/typhoon-haiyan-anniversary-40-powerful-photos-storm-that-devastated-philippines-1473294#slideshow/1377582



Livelihood

• Various international non-governmentorganizations immediately extendedlivelihood assistance to affected families inTacloban City.

• OXFAM International gave fiberglass fishingboats and fishcages to the Taclobanfisherfolks urban association.

• USAID provided additional fish cages, cropsand feeds.

• The fisherfolks association constructed atemporary fish landing using salvagedmaterials such as ropes and wood fromboats destroyed by the super typhoon.


Mariculture Park


Results 1: Post-Haiyan resettlement of the affected fishing communities in Tacloban City since 2013

Livelihood



Livelihood

• Despite the outpour of support from international NGOs, some cooperativesor groups failed to sustain the livelihood activity due to mismanaged fundsand selling of fishing equipment and boats for short-term gain.


Results 2• The extent and nature of participation of the affected families in the

recovery activities


Results 2: Extent and nature of participation of the affected families in the recovery activities

Housing

• Three years after Haiyan, some families prefer to stay in their old settlements despite the poor housing condition such as living in makeshift units made of tarpaulin and other light materials than to move to Tacloban North.

“How many disasters are there in a year? Twenty? When these disasters happen, we can evacuate. But if we live in the permanent housing with no water supply or source of income, every day will be a disaster.”

“It does not mean I am anti-development. I support development. But we should be allowed to transfer to a site that has basic utilities and near our livelihood. We are fishermen. We seek access to the sea for our means of living.”

- Jun Castillo, fisherman



Housing

• The fisher folks were lukewarm to transferring to the resettlement site

• Proposed an on-site relocation instead

• They identified a two-hectare property and envisioned a five-storey housing project in which the lower levels will not be for residential use.

• But because the identified area is within the 40-meter No Dwelling Zone and is zoned as commercial, the fisher folks’ plan was set aside.



Housing

• The recovery process in Tacloban was slow and lacked consultation of the affectedcommunities

– land use re-classification from agricultural and residential commercial– 40-meter easement– relocation of Haiyan survivors to Tacloban North– Lack of appropriate livelihood opportunities

• Recovery would have been more sustainable if decision-making, planning, or planimplementation involved the people.

• In terms of resettlement, the communities are familiar with their city and they canchoose better areas that are feasible and acceptable for permanent housing.


Results 2: The extent and nature of participation of the affected families in the recovery activities

Livelihood

• Fisherfolks in Tacloban could not go back to fishing because of the debris that covered CancabatoBay.

• In order to clear the debris, the fisher folks association requested for cash for work assistance from the local government. For three months, 100 members of the association received a minimum wage for the debris cleanup.

• This was a good alternative source of income and a means of clearing their fishing grounds.

Source: http://www.gettyimages.fi/photos/typhoon-haiyan-stricken?excludenudity=false&mediatype=photography&page=7&phrase=typhoon%20haiyan%20stricken&sort=mostpopular



Livelihood

• The group actively participated in the recovery activities and managed to turn to aquaculture as their livelihood activity.

• Through proposals for funding submitted by the fisherfolks association to international NGOs– OXFAM provided two months worth

of salary for clearing operations and mangrove rehabilitation, and provided fiberglass boats and fish cages for bangus, or milkfish

– USAID, meanwhile, awarded fish cages, crops and feeds to the association.



Livelihood

• As of February 2018, the fisherfolks association has successfully managed seven fish cages and are planning to expand aquaculture operations through rehabilitating empty fish cages in the mariculture zone and setting up Lapu-lapu, or grouper, breeding cages.


Results 3

• Considerations in Post-Disaster Resettlement Planning


Results 3: Considerations in post-disaster resettlementplanning

• The national government andTacloban City government led theformulation of the TaclobanRecovery and Rehabilitation Planwith support from UN Habitat andUN Development Programme.



• The Office of the PresidentialAssistant for Recovery andRehabilitation established a 40-meter No Build Zone, which isreckoned from the shoreline.

• The national government, however,later realized that implementing thisNo Build Zone is impractical andmay not address all safety issues.

• Thus, the zone was revised into thedelineation of areas into safe zones,unsafe zones, and, within unsafezones, the no-dwelling zones basedon the level of risk.

Source: https-//josephcataan.wordpress.com/tag/no-build-zone/



• Both the Tacloban Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan and the TaclobanComprehensive Land Use Plan agree on the soundness of choosing Tacloban North as a permanent resettlement site.

– relatively not built up

– affordable

– not susceptible to storm surge, tsunami, and landslides.

Source: Tacloban CLUP 2017-2025


Results 3: Considerations in post-disaster resettlementplanningA quick assessment of the area reveals that Tacloban North is not a planned resettlement location.

– lacks site development by the government

– its accessibility to employment and livelihood sources is difficult

– the entire area has no piped water supply. Various pre-feasibility studies have concluded that installing a Level III water system is too expensive at 4.4 billion pesos


Results 3: Considerations in post-disaster resettlementplanning• Development in the site seems to depend on the efforts of individual donors or

sponsors, or even contractors of the National Housing Authority. There is nounified plan for a sustainable settlement.

• That this settlement is unplanned will pose challenges in the short and long term,given that Tacloban North is Intended for 13,000 housing units in at least 14subdivision projects,

• In terms of population, the size is similar to that of a new town of 140,000-150,000 persons. Thus , the demand for social and economic infrastructure willbe huge as well.



• Lack of coordination between the national government and the localgovernment of Tacloban.

The post-Haiyan mass housing construction was led by the National HousingAuthority. The Tacloban City government facilitated the transactions, but had noreal decision making power. According the city planner, they were hardlyconsulted in the efforts to plan the new settlement. The funds were notdownloaded to the local government unit.

• Since the National Housing Authority was focused on meeting housingconstruction targets after Haiyan, there was no construction and post-construction monitoring, either by NHA or by the local government unit.

It is feared some housing projects may not be sustainable in terms of compliancewith the National Building Code and in terms of economic activities for theresettled households.



The scenario is a repeat what has been going on in poorlyplanned and implemented resettlement projects in thePhilippines: either the new housing units were notoccupied, or the families trooped back to their originalsettlement because their source of income was in thatarea.


Results 3: Considerations in post-disaster resettlementplanningIn spite of this bleak scenario, there are signs of hope for the displaced families inTacloban North.

1. Tacloban North area has been proposed in the 2017-2025 ComprehensiveLand Use Plan as a Socialized Housing Zone. This implies that housing projectslocated here are expected to be affordable to poor families.

1. In the mean time that government is still figuring out how to sustain thelivelihood activities in Tacloban North, the city government allows fisherfolksto fish in Cancabato Bay.

1. The local planner is also open to mixed use activities in the area just outsidethe 40-meter No Dwelling Zone, and not be restricted to commercial orecotourism activities. Mixed use is, in fact, encouraged in the National UrbanDevelopment and Housing Framework because of the limitations of single-usezones and strict zoning.


Results 3: Considerations in post-disaster resettlementplanningTo prepare for the next storm surge, plans areunderway to rehabilitate mangrove areas alongthe shoreline of Leyte and Samar provinces.This will be spearheaded by the Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources.

• The Department of Public Works andHighways has announced that it willproceed with the planned tideembankment, which will traverse urbanareas as well as the shore areas.

• While the effectiveness of this costlyinfrastructure project is yet to be proven,already there are diverging opinions aboutit. The affected communities prefermangrove rehabilitation and plantation ofbeach species, as well as the establishmentof evacuation centers, rather than a tideembankment.

Source: http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/89163-unscientific-mangrove-rehabilitation-yolanda

Source: http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/03/03/17/tide-embankment-kontra-storm-surge-itatayo-sa-tacloban


Results 4: Integration of people’s planning in the local resettlement process



a. Consider land in the issue of housing

• The issue of housing will always be connected to the availability and location ofland.

In 1992, the Urban Development and Housing Act has put the responsibility ofsocialized housing to local government units. Hence, local governments can beproactive in meeting shelter demand, even for resettlement, by land banking. Inthis manner, resettlement sites can be planned ahead of any disaster.

• This will give communities a chance to choose an acceptable location that will notdeprive them of accessibility to sources of livelihood and to economic activities.

• This will also enable the local government to integrate the development ofresettlement projects in the long-term land use plan and development plan of thetown.


Results 4: Integration of people’s planning in the local resettlement processb. Galvanize communities through

organizations or associations

• Strengthen the households into organizations orassociations, either based on occupation orlivelihood (e.g., an association of fisherfolksliving in a common area) or based on residence(e.g., residents of a particular neighborhood orsitio). As an organized group, they have a betterleverage in negotiating with the government,contractors, banks, and non-governmentorganizations.

• They will be eligible for skills trainingopportunities on, say carpentry, masonry,bookkeeping, and procurement of supplies andmaterials.

• Funds can be downloaded directly to anorganized association rather than anunorganized one. It has been shown thatorganized groups can be tapped to monitor fishcages and clean Post-Yolanda debris in the bay. Source: UN Habitat


Results 4: Integration of people’s planning in the local resettlement processb. Galvanize communities through

organizations or associations

• Even the resettlement of households shouldbe by association, not by individual families.In this way, they are already familiar with theirneighbors and will likely cooperate withpeople they already know.

• The leadership of the association is importantto the success of the group. It has happenedin many cooperatives in the Philippines thatan officer or leader mismanages the funds orignores initiatives for organizationaldevelopment.

• All members of the association should beinvolved, and not just the leaders. The moreengaged the members are, the moresupportive they will be of the goals of theorganization. They will also expecttransparency of transactions. Source: UN Habitat



c. Offer options to affected households and let them decide

• The underlying value in offeringchoices to the displaced householdsis respect for their human rights,especially the right to shelter. Afterall, resettlement is a life-changingexperience that should be made outof free choice and with respect forhuman rights.

• Whenever feasible, families shouldbe allowed to choose where toresettle, with minimal displacementfrom their original residence. If theycan be made to choose in-city andnear-city resettlement, the impact ofdisplacement will be lesser.

Source: UN Habitat



c. Offer options to affected households and let them decide

• When site selection is made by the families, this will lead to their acceptance andparticipation in the relocation and even in housing construction. After all, if theymake a free choice in the location of their abode, then they are likely to monitorthe construction and make sure that the houses are within established standards.

• In the search for available and affordable land for resettlement housing, theaffected households are more knowledgeable of their options and their needs, asthey are the major stakeholder in this situation, not government or non-government organizations.


Results 4: Integration of people’s planning in the local resettlement process• Approach used in a post-Haiyan resettlement

project supported by UN-Habitat in Capizand Iloilo provinces: “people’s process,” inwhich the community leads and managesprojects with technical assistance andmonitoring of UN-Habitat. Projects areimplemented through communitycontracting with legitimate homeowners’associations.

• Five stages in the people’s process:

1. Socialization and integration2. Community project identification

and prioritization3. Community strengthening4. Project implementation and

monitoring5. Participatory project evaluation

Source: UN Habitat



The perspective in people’s process is to treat housing beneficiaries as paying clients;thus, their preferences are a primary consideration.

“if one is going to pay for something, one might as well be allowed to choose the land or the resettlement location and to specify the house design.”

-Warren Ubongen, UN-Habitat Program Officer


Results 4: Integration of people’s planning in the local resettlement processd. Work with government

• While the local government units arerequired by the Urban Development andHousing Act to identify lands for socializedhousing, this does not preempt thecommunity to do its own land research toidentify potential land for socializedhousing. It is important to strategize suchthat government becomes an ally.

• Dialogue should be enabled between theaffected families and the local government,particularly the housing and planning office.Conducting a genuine dialogue, while easiersaid than done, is possible with assistancefrom a pro-community governmentorganization or from a non-governmentorganization involved in community shelterimplementation.



d. Work with government

• Neither the community nor local government should feel it has been bypassed inthe entire process. The local government, in particular, is more likely to support aninitiative that has been shown to be socially acceptable as well as legally,technically and financially viable.

• A massive post-disaster resettlement project entails national government agenciesand local government units working together. However, site selection and thebidding for house construction should be done in the affected city by localstakeholders.



e. Mainstream people’s planning in the Relocation and Resettlement Action Plan

• Housing policies can be amended to require a Relocation and ResettlementAction Plan for all resettlement projects, regardless of size. The process ofpeople’s planning can be mainstreamed in the plan, including social preparationand community organization and community building, prior to resettlement.

• The resettlement action plan can be done by the affected householdsthemselves, with technical guidance from government agencies and non-government organizations.

• It is time for the National Housing Authority and the local government units toconsider people’s planning as a participatory approach in resettlement. Perhapsit is opportune for these entities to be unbound from numerical targets of housingunits and go beyond doing “business as usual”.


Conclusion: Building resilient coastal communitiesIn view of building disaster resilient communitiesin the Philippines, especially in coastal areassusceptible to flooding and storm surge, manyactivities can be planned even before a disasterstrikes.

• Crop insurance can be extended to theaquaculture sector, covering the fisher folks aswell as their boats, fish cages, and aquacultureproducts.

• To mitigate the impact of a storm surge, it istime to rethink resilient housing. Forinstance, an option would be to requirehousing units to have a second floor while theground floor will not be used as a living space.


• Resettlement areas should be part of acomprehensive development plan or shelterplan, which should be shared widely with theresidents. When a site is planned, it is likely tohave access to livelihood and have the basicfacilities such as road network, water,wastewater, and power.

• For ongoing recovery and resettlementactivities, government authorities shouldshare the rehabilitation plan with the affectedhouseholds.

At the end of the day, it is the people’spreparedness (knowing what to do and where togo), not the housing unit or structure, that willsave their lives. That makes for a resilientcommunity.


Conclusion: Building resilient coastal communities

Thank you

Salamat

Carmeli Marie C. Chaves

[email protected]

Rocelyn C. De Vera

[email protected]

participatory resettlement planning in a post-disaster ... · introduction supertyphoon haiyan...

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