In this publication, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) provides what has been called Knowledge Notes to the Government of Haitian in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake that has devastated the country. Basically, these notes are a set of recommendations made by GFDRR experts for the recovery and reconstruction of Haiti. The GFDRR experts’ recommendations, assumed to be endorsed by the Haitian government, address ten issue areas related to the reconstruction and recovery process. These include: building seismic safety assessment; debris management; environmental and social assessment; experience with post disaster income support programs; land tenure; management of recovery managing post-disaster aid; rebuild or relocate; transitional shelter; and helping women and children to recover and build resilient communities. Along with these more sector specific recommendations, the GFDRR has also called on the Haitian government to outline plans for managing the recovery process, monitoring the money contributed, and for tracking progress. It urges the government to meet monthly with international stakeholders, and to put in place a Multi-Donor Trust Fund to better coordinate international assistance. Also, the GFDRR experts argue that the Haitian government can either create a new entity to manage the recovery process or reinforce the current Ministries. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the recommendations is the debate it provokes regarding whether or not the Haitian government should rebuild or relocate Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince, which was significantly damaged by the earthquake, and still rather vulnerable to disaster. This publication essentially underscores a set of measures proposed by GFDRR experts to the Haitian government, which are intended to ensure the speedy and effective recovery of Haiti from the devastating January 2010 earthquake. A particular emphasis of the notes is the need for the Haitian government to mainstream disaster risk reduction (DRR) into the reconstruction and recovery process to ensure a shift towards long-term sustainable development rather than the reconstruction of risk.
Disaster Risk Reduction
Reconstruction