Launching RE-PLAN: Reconstruction Expert Network for Development of Resilient Plans.

RE-PLAN Reconstruction Expert Network for Development of Resilient Plans is an iniciative organized by Microenergia and its allies, to support reconstruction process in cities and regions affected by man-made and natural disasters. Climate change and global tensions lead the world towards growing insecurity demanding special expertise in terms of reconstruction caused by disasters. The network seek to put together profesional planners, architects, humanitarian and development worker from different disciplines meet to work out potential plans to overcome man-made and natural disasters trhough a resilient approach. Link to UN Publications on Resilience

Resilience is a concept that proposes to build back better. That means to have evidence-based response plan to reconstruction incorporating design, techniques and materials shaping projects whose performance is higher compared to business as usual. But, this knowledge is scarcely available at municipalities in general, and especially those suffering humanitarian crisis. Considering this reality, REPLAN develop tailor-made resilient plans bringing international experience working together with local planners.  The international experience shows that massive reconstruction plans are elaborated far-away from the disaster scenarios without enough public participation eroding significantly its contents and scope.  

Microenergia, is a non-lucrative association have the capacity to mobilize human and financial resurces to support project preparation through remote research and technical meetings, collecting and disseminating information with the purpose to develop urban reconstruction plans incorporating resilient approaches. Along its history acting in different countries, regions and cultures has acquired strategic skills to work together with communities in pain to overcome suffering and build up a look forward plan based on a realistic diagnosis of the situation. Its contribution to global peace and development must be understand based on the energy generated by the free association and collaborative work of people and professionals from different cultures. 

When crisis happens, media and the United Nation Organizations deploy personnel to carry out plans mostly focussed in short term actions. However such plan requires a long term vision to be sustainable. RE-PLAN intention is to fill the gap between short term response to disaster with long term reconstruction providing visionary and realistic options validated by participatory approaches.

The idea is to build up a practitioner platform dedicated to three key objectives: a) Mapping and identifying risks per region, calling for a geo-strategical discusion on how to protect vulnerable groups and territories; b) Developing focused strategies to deal with specific risks particularly in the area of housing and micro-business, such as flooding, etc. This includes prototypes on housing and neighborhoods designs and social networking. c)  Setting up resilient plans for reconstruction, in which participatory planning provides practical responses to complex challanges associated with social and climatic dimensions. Each of these objectives have been developed in different circumstances to support countries and cities facing crisis, since Latinamerican countries, such as México, Panamá, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina to African countries, includingSudan and South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Mozambique, etc. until middle east countries, including Palestine, Egypt, Siria, etc. till Asian countries, including East Timor, China, Korea, among many others.   

This tripple objectives were achieved in the case of Buenos Aires in which a research integrate a geo-strategic vision of development introduced in the approach to promote micro-business neighborhoods hosting initiative of families and networks generating employment and income generation opportunities utilizing unused habitat facilities like garages, wasted public places for production and commercializattion of products produced by low income groups.  From these research, finding practical solutions  to the problems of poverty and marginalization, the country acquired an unique experience to support vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner. Different experiences within the Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia provides an excelent learning plataform to generate skills and approaches to carry out scale up solutions based on evidences. Research programs from the University of Buenos Aires has developed multiple experiences whose results provides critical elements to support actions in different contexts. Link to participatory planning experiences  

Another experiences, mostly from the United Nations, has provided multiples solutions to deal with specific problems related to the shortage of habitat, especially in the field of shelters and housing. The use of local materials, like stabilized soil blocks, bamboo, mud, etc. combined with innovative forms adaptable to different climates and environmental challenges open the opportunity for new and suitable solutions. Several African countries has carried out valuable experiences of clustering micro and small business even in humanitarian crisis laying the foundation to support the reconstruction of national states. The use of suitable technologies to create affordable housing solutions for reconstruction. Finding participatory solutions to deal with massive need of shelters in the context of humanitarian crisis, gives chance to build up sustainable solutions. Urban Planning and GIS in Gaza. White Helmets Initiative  Within these experiences, the work of some of Microenergia memebers working as United Nations Volunteers (UNVs) White Helmets Initiative Link to White Helmets initiative    cover a broad range of countries and humanitarian situation.  A White Helmet project that was particularly relevant in Palestine focus on urban planning and geographic information system as a way forward to guide reconstruction in a sustainable manner. Link to urban planning in Palestine Later on, UNRWA carry out a housing project in Khan Younis and Rafah whose design was carried out through a participatory approach providing practical examples on how to put in practice resilience ideas. These ideas are summarized in a paper whose principles are expected to provide guidance for the practitioner network Link to participatory housing project

RE-PLAN have scheduled a series of meetings to set up reconstruction plans for resilient in different countries based on the experience of the network in different countries, starting with a Plan for Reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. A first preparatory task have been done collecting data from the field measuring the damage caused by the recent military incursion. Palestinians tecnical people are especially invited to attend a meeting for open discussion on reconstruction.  The date is July 30thin which a brief diagnosis of the damaged produced and scenarios for reconstruction will be presented opening a first dialogue for building a road map for reconstruction based on participation of different stakeholders. Preliminar actors leading the process includes the municipalities together with RE-PLAN organizing commitee, integrating by a multidisciplinary team, including architects, sociologist, geographers, economist, etc.  

All those interested in participating in these efforts are welcome to write to Email coordination quoting name, contact details and thematic interest including: a) Urban planning, b) Transport; c) Infrastructure (water and sanitation), d) Social protection; e) Employment and micro-business clustering.