Disaster Resilience Samples

Transcription

1 Disaster Resilience Samples TALKING POINTS: THE FACTS Disasters affect about 188 million people each year (UNISDR). Informal settlements are often located in areas that are prone to disasters such as steep slopes or floodplains. The UN estimates that only 30 percent of land worldwide is registered in a formal system. January 12, 2017 marks the 7 th anniversary of Haiti s most devastating earthquake in 50 years. One of the greatest impacts of the earthquake was the loss of homes, which left more than 1.6 million people displaced or homeless. Before the earthquake, less than 38 percent of all property in the metropolitan area of Port-au- Prince had properly registered titles (UN-Habitat 2007). Just prior to the earthquake of 2010, Haiti ranked 145th in the UN s Human Development Index; in 2013 it ranked 168th. The earthquake cost the equivalent of 120 percent of Haiti s GDP and set back decades of development of investments (IFRC 2015) estimates in Port-au-Prince suggest that up to 80% of land is informally held (IFRC). THE PROBLEM Overview When a disaster strikes, communities that lack secure tenure of their homes are among the most vulnerable. People who live with the threat of eviction are less likely to invest in home improvements that are conducive to disaster mitigation. Houses built in informal settlements often lack construction and safety standards, leaving them weak and unable to withstand forces of nature. Prior to the earthquake, land tenure issues presented one of the biggest roadblocks to investing and rebuilding in Haiti. This was exacerbated by the earthquake. Impediments of Development Since influxes of people move to cities in search of a better life, urban informal settlements are often comprised of homes that are roughly patched together, making it difficult for governments to formally track land ownership. In the wake of a disaster, personal documents, physical boundary markers, and even the institutions attempting to track tenure rights can be severely damaged or ruined if proper disaster management processes are not established. When disaster strikes, there is often a need to quickly purchase land for resettlement and families who build on land without secure tenure rights face increased vulnerability.

2 Uncertainty and lack of transparency relating to land issues and procedures slowed the pace of shelter development and stifled economic development and the creation of jobs in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Housing Insecurity Because families living in poverty often lack documented tenure rights to land, natural disasters bring new threats from land grabbing and rural-urban migration. In fear of eviction or permanent displacement, families living in poverty may refuse to evacuate high-risk areas during natural disasters. Building, whether it is for shelter or commercial development, is risky when one is unable to ascertain who owns the land or who will have rights to the building when it is finished. Re-establishing residencies without security of tenure following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti put Haitians at the same risk for evictions and above-market rents that existed before the earthquake. Loss of Assets among Vulnerable Groups Women are at increased risk of losing their land or home when disasters strike in regions with gender-based discriminatory laws that prohibit women from inheriting land from male members of their family. When home damage caused by a disaster exposes a woman s tenure insecurity, the risk of her losing assets increases. In the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the fact that the majority of rights exist in the informal/customary sphere made determining ownership of both private and public land difficult, and laid the way for disputes over ownership of land assigned for shelter provision. In the wake of the 2010 Haiti, earthquake, the lack of a transparent and effective system of title registration combined with weak implementation of laws on eviction helped contribute to forced evictions from emergency and transitional shelter sites (IFRC 2015). OUR RESPONSE Resilience is the ability of a community exposed to hazards to resist and recover from the shock, determined by both the degree of foreseen risks that might impact that community and the available resources for combating and dealing with that risk. Cities must incorporate resilience strategies in their planning policies. Because disasters have sudden and destructive impacts on housing, it is important improve and maintain decent housing conditions. Incorporating disaster resilience into housing before a disaster strikes can mitigate potential damage to people, housing, and infrastructure. A lack of land ownership records or an unclear legal framework for land transfers can delay or prevent assistance to the poorest displaced residents. Solutions to unclear land tenure should be identified and implemented at the beginning of the reconstruction process. If land tenure problems exist before a disaster, flexible approaches such as community enumeration should be used to establish owner ship before rebuilding. Secured land tenure should be reinforced. Short of a viable government plan for quickly resolving land tenure issues, community-led mapping should be used to identify land ownership, resolve land disputes and provide a more secure form of ownership to protect residents from eviction and allow them to receive assistance. The rights of women should be given special consideration in the design of housing assistance programs. Unmarried or widowed women are often overlooked in disaster assistance because they are not included on land titles. Solid Ground, a global advocacy campaign of Habitat for Humanity, is strengthening land rights to form resilient and responsive communities.

3 Habitat for Humanity helped with the establishment of the Haiti Property Law Working Group, made up of roughly 100 experts, practitioners, donors and government officials, working to clarify Haiti s land law in an inclusive and transparent manner. Over the past six years, the Haiti Property Law Working Group has written two innovative manuals on how to properly and legally buy and sell land. It has also trained diverse groups from across the country to translate the lessons from the manuals into concrete policy recommendations. In Simon-Pelé in Port-au-Prince, Habitat for Humanity employed the expertise of local university architecture students, who helped with training, and verifying and compiling data to document local land plots after the 2010 earthquake. The information collected through this collaborative initiative should help individuals and families return to their homes without the fear of eviction, should disaster strike again.

4 SAMPLE SOCIAL MEDIA: Hashtags #DisasterResilience and Handles: #SecureTenure #LandRights #GenderEquality Sample Posts: Twitter Disasters affect about 188 million people each is strengthening communities through #DisasterResilience. The UN estimates that only 30 percent of land is formally registered. #LandMapping allows locals to assist in registering land plots. When a disaster strikes communities that lack secure tenure are among the most vulnerable. #SecureTenture increases #DisasterResilience. Security of tenure can improve post-disaster shelter assistance in numerous ways. Learn more at in supporting incorporating #DisasterResilience into housing before a disaster to mitigate potential damage. Disasters have sudden and destructive impacts on advocates for #DisasterResilience to help communities prepare. When home damage caused by a disaster exposes a woman s tenure insecurity, her risk of eviction increases. Advocate 4 #GenderEquality Families without #SecureTenure often refuse to evacuate during a disaster in fear of losing their home or land. The devastating earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010 left more than 1.6 million people displaced or homeless. Support #DisasterResilience. #SecureTenure issues presented one of the biggest roadblocks to investing and rebuilding in Haiti following the Jan 12, 2010 earthquake. Housing renovations including #DisasterResilience increase as tenure is advocates for #SecureTenure. Issues surrounding housing, land and property rights have been the greatest regulatory barriers to shelter faced in

5 2015 estimates in Port-au-Prince suggest that up to 80% of land is informally held, increasing risk of postdisaster Facebook Below are five sample Facebook messages you can use and adapt throughout the month. Women are at increased risk of losing their land or home when disasters strike in regions with genderbased discriminatory property laws exist. Can you imagine losing your husband or father to a disaster and then being forced to leave because you are prohibited from inheriting the land or home? Join us in advocating for #GenderEquality and #SecureTenure at solidgroundcampaign.org/get-involved. January 12, 2017 marks the 7th anniversary Haiti s most devastating earthquake in 50 years, which left more than 1.6 million people displaced or homeless. Uncertainty and lack of transparency relating to land issues and procedures slowed the pace of shelter development and stifled economic development and the creation of jobs in Haiti. Solid Ground, a global advocacy campaign of Habitat for Humanity, is strengthening land rights to form resilient and responsive communities. Solidgroundcampaign.org/blog Insecure tenure undermines investment in agricultural modernization, industrial, and tourism projects. Improving land tenure laws can boost local economies, while creating more stability for homeowners. #SecureTenure #SustainableDevelopment According to the IFRC, up to 80% of land in Port-au-Prince is informally held. To better prepare for future disasters, international actors moved relatively quickly to address the myriad of land rights and tenure issues that they faced in Haiti. In Simon-Pelé in Port-au-Prince, Habitat for Humanity also employed the expertise of local university architecture students, who helped with training, and verifying and compiling data to document local land plots. The information collected through this collaborative initiative should help individuals and families return to their homes without the fear of eviction, should disaster strike again. #DisasterResilience #SecureTenure As we recognize the anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti January 12, 2017, we highlight the need for integration of land use planning and disaster resilience. Haiti possesses a relatively long list of land use planning laws relevant to the environment, but in common with most of the rest of the world, none of its environmental regulations have been drafted with post-disaster settings in mind. #DisasterResilience Learn more at: Share Graphics

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7 SAMPLE NEWSLETTER CONTENT: PROMOTING DISASTER RESILIENCE January 12, 2017 marks the 7th anniversary Haiti s most devastating earthquake in 50 years, which left more than 1.6 million people displaced or homeless. Uncertainty and lack of transparency relating to land issues and procedures slowed the pace of shelter development and stifled economic development and the creation of jobs in Haiti. As the rate of disasters continues to rise, communities must learn to better engage in emergency management practices to improve disaster resilience. Families without secure land tenure are at increased risk for becoming homeless in the wake of a disaster. Solid Ground, a global advocacy campaign of Habitat for Humanity, is strengthening land rights to form resilient and responsive communities. Find out why secure tenure is critical for disaster resilience and how you can be a part of the solution.