The document summarizes lessons learned from post-disaster housing projects in Honduras and Nicaragua following Hurricane Mitch in 1998. It finds that (1) relocation housing projects in La Betania, Honduras and Malacatoya, Nicaragua provided durable housing that is still inhabited over a decade later, though maintenance varies; and (2) both projects established social organizations that continue advocating for community improvements, though unemployment remains high. It recommends a focus on permanent, durable solutions; meaningful community participation; and livelihood development to address the "permanent disaster" of poverty.

1. Lessons from Central America
1998 - 2013
revisiting post disaster projects
in Honduras and Nicaragua
Kurt Rhyner

2. Central America is the subcontinent with most natural disasters

3. October 1998, Hurricane Mitch ravages through Nicaragua,
Honduras and Guatemala
Inundations and landslides killed some 20,000 people, more
than 1 million people were left homeless

4. La Betania, Honduras
Relocation of an urban neighbourhood to a new satellite town
217 houses built through assisted self help
With concrete blocks and micro concrete tiles
Aided self-help

5. 2013....the houses are lived in, many families have added rooms,
some have built second floors
The community is well organized and fights for improvements
Violence is lower than in other areas, in spite of lack of jobs

6. Malacatoya, Rural resettlement in Nicaragua
135 houses built with beneficiaries from 7 villages
Participatory decision making:
What house to build
How many houses at what standard, how to spread the available funds
Innovative design concept

7. Malacatoya is remote, acces only by ferry
The only local available materials are stones, gravel and sand
Decision to build with cyclope concrete and micro concrete tiles
construction in aided self-help

8. In 2013 most houses are inhabited, but maintenance level varies
People have learned to take advantage of the social organization to
lobby with NGO's and political parties for sport installations, street
lights etc

9. Results and lessons after 12 years
User satisfaction
Houses are lived in and mostly in good
conditions, maintenance is satisfactory
(some exceptions in Malacatoya),
no structural problems have been found.
In Betania many people have made
additions, some second floors and even a
third one, in Malacatoya there are fewer
and smaller additions.
Several families run small grocery shops
or workshops

10. Results and lessons after 12 years
Beneficiary targeting
In both communities a few people have sold
their house (< 5%) and in Betania some
are rented out, mostly because of economic
migration.
In both communities the social organization
is active and they have managed to make
significant improvements to the neighbourhood,
in Betania which is part of a satellite town there
is good transport and civil services, the houses
have accrued good value.
Malacatoya is a remote location and life is
much simpler, but they have now schools,
clinic, playgrounds and sport fields

11. Results and lessons after 12 years
Replication
Both projects are relocations and there is no
land available at affordable prices nearby.
Next to Betania there are unused plots as
other projects stopped short and there is
soft invasion, building provisional structures
or adobe houses
Families expand within their
properties. In Malacatoya
another project has bought some
land and built a small housing
project, some squatters have
settled nearby

12. Results and lessons after 12 years
Technical performance
In Betania the walls were built with
reinforced masonry and designed to accept
a second level, in response to the small
plots. Several families have made this
addition, no problems are reported.
In Malacatoya the walls were made of
cyclope concrete, using locally available
materials, including lime-puzzolana
cement.
All roofs were covered with locally made
micro-concrete tiles. Poor people are used
to GCI and some families would have
preferred them, sporadic quality problems
in the production contributed to critique.

13. Results and lessons after 12 years
Livelihoods
Betania is an urban community and
several of the trained masons are
working as such. However political and
social unrest has virtually stopped
construction activities for several
years. Unemployment is similar to
the country in general.
Malacatoya is a rural community,
families are subsistence farmers or
farmworkers. Their income situation
has not improved.
In both communities, women have
taken on responsibility in the social
organization.

14. Reflections
The permanent disaster: poverty and inadequate housing
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Natural events become disaster when the people are poor
Generally they are left alone to resolve their problem
Funds are only available after extraordinary disaster
Provisional shelters consume those funds.....and the permanent
disaster goes on....
Recommendations
● No provisional shelters.....solid and durable shelters
● Housing funds for permanent actions, lowering vulnerability
● Faster decision making and locally based reconstruction

15. Reflections
Community building...beyond house construction
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Take local actors seriously and give them real roles
Incorporate local materials and skills
Involve beneficiaries, even if professional action would be
cheaper,
Consider social and political realities
Recommendations
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Base action on a reliable local partner
The project manager is directly on the ground
The project manager has operative decision power

16. Reflections
Disaster preventive design
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Local conditions require different designs
Prevailing construction technologies are not necessarily
appropriate
Imported solutions often create new vulnerabilities
Recommendations
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Look at the broad picture, not just at the specific situation
Analyze local availability of materials and skills
Consult with experiences, there is a wide range of them
available

17. Reflections
Replicability
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Replication can only occur with patient investment and education,
this is not primary concern of disaster response
Commercial loans are not available to the poorest segments of the
population nor for traditional or alternative technologies
Cost and availability of land is a decisive factor
Creation of livelihoods
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On site training has to be enhanced with theory (dual education)
It is difficult to create livelihoods other than construction
This is a different task...a program to attack the permanent
disaster with patient investment

18. We are open – source
and always prepared to share our
knowledge and experience
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