Building better communities: Advancing rural habitat development

The 2001 earthquake in Bhuj (Gujarat) saw a devastating impact that exposed vulnerability in the built environment around the region. This required remodelling of building typologies that were better suited to the vulnerabilities of the landscape. AKAH actively participated in understanding the impact and topography, building awareness within communities for the requirement of safe housing, and designing a safe house which started a reconstruction and repair process. 

Methodology

Participation was a key parameter for success. It was important that the identified communities were aware of the vulnerabilities of their region, to be convinced of the need of safe and resilient housing. An assessment methodology was developed with the help of experts to identify structural risks and incorporated into a rapid diagnostic tool. This facilitated rapid assessment of structural vulnerabilities in the physical habitats and classification of the structures into three categories of vulnerability – high, medium, and low, before planning. Eventually, over a 219 housing structures were identified as moderately or highly vulnerable structures in the three villages and the Rural Habitat Development Program was initiated.

AKAH India engaged with policy think tanks and research groups to define a disaster-resilient housing construction and repair methodology for rural housing which adapted to the local risks and natural hazards, practices, preferences, and availability of materials.

To ensure scalability of the project it was also important to ensure affordability of the house. To leverage on people’s affordability, based on the socio-economic evaluation of the beneficiaries identified, AKAH India facilitated access to housing loans and other philanthropic funding sources. AKAH India introduced the concept of group housing with shared resources to improve access for very marginalized sections.

Specific case of the intervention

Houses are designed bio-climatically, with a focus concentrated on maximizing natural light and air ventilation, reducing heat gain and maximizing material and resource optimization. Verandas are built into plans to factor in traditional construction practices which help in maintaining thermal comfort.

The design used debris from demolished house for plinth filling and plinth protection. Stones from demolished houses were used in the construction of boundary walls. Locally available stones were used for building walls. Ductile reinforcement in cornerstones with overlap is structured to optimize use of reinforced concrete.

Outcomes

Consciousness is built within children, elders, and community leaders towards the environment and the ecosystem through folk plays, competitions in schools, campaigns and tree plantation drives and developing cadres, champions, and advocates of the environment and has helped in developing environmental stewardship within the community at large. This has led to an awareness towards the ecosystem and the environment which the community lives in and a movement towards sustainable living. Moreover, a safe house has also helped strengthen the dignity of individuals residing in it.

Inspiration

The Rural Housing Development Program has been in action from 2004, with the first pilot house built in 2012. Since then, over __ houses have been built and repaired. The program has also evolved to incorporate rising issues with time. The target villages being closely placed around the forest of Gir, and expanding in area with time, had started facing issues of man-animal conflict resulting in loss of both property and life. To address this, the Integrated Rural Housing Development Program (IRHDP) was initiated across 15 villages. This included soft interventions like farmland fencing, well covering, machan and solar streetlights to ensure that human and wildlife thrive safely.