Developing Urban Areas for the Displaced Families of Iraq

Environmental Management (EM)

Developing Urban Areas for the Displaced Families of Iraq

Environmental Management (EM) Maastricht School of Management

BY

Othman A. I. Al-mashhadani

Supervised By

Mr. Guido Heijdra

2011

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Frist; I would like to thank the MENA organization for giving me the opportunity to participate in the 2011 annual short courses scholarship and for making it possible to join the (EM) course program at Maastricht School of Management (MsM) with its financial support, without its support it will be impossible for me to carry out a short course at MsM. And, my special thanks to Mr. Guido Heijdra, and for his continuous supervision, knowledge, support and encouragement which build my confidence and improved my knowledge and understanding about the environment and urban management.

I would like to thank all the professors whom lectured us during our stay at MsM for their time and knowledge and all staff members of MSM for their support and cooperation.

Also my gratitude goes to all my colleagues of EM – 2011, PM – 2011, MSD -2011 for their support and cooperation.

I would like to thank Mr. Peter khmu Head of Architecture division (ArchiLink for Art & Design Company) for giving me the opportunity to attend the Environmental Management course at MsM for that it made my dream come true.

Finally I would like to thank my family in Baghdad – Iraq for their continuous encouragement and support throughout my Career during these years.

For all of you thanks and take care.

Best regards, Othman Almashhadani Architect & Designer ArchiLink for Art & Design, Baghdad, Iraq Othmanelali@gmail.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents

Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

II

TABLE OF CONTENTS

III

LIST OF FIGURES

IV

ACRONYMS

V

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

V!

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION

1

1.1 Topic

1

1.2 Background

1

1.3 Practical Problem

2

1.4 Research Questions

2

1.5 Research Problem

2

1.6 Research Objectives

2

1.7 Problem Owner

3

1.8 Research Hypothesis

3

1.9 Research importance

3

1.10 Methodology

4

1.11 Research Structure

4 5

Chapter 2. Literature Review 2.1 Displaced parsons/ families

5

2.2 Iraqi Housing context

8

2.3 Iraqi urban management sector

9

2.4 Urban sustainable development

10

Chapter 3. (Case Study) The reconstruction of Bam, Iran

14

3.1 Project Description

14

3.2 Main elements

15

3.3 Reflections

16

3.4 lessons learned from Bam Reconstruction

18

3.5 What to do ?

19

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Table of Contents Contents

Page

Chapter 4. Implementation Strategy

22

4.1 Implementation Strategy

22

4.2 Vision

22

4.3 Implementation Approach

23

4.4 Implementation Priority Actions

23

4.5 Implementation financial Environmental

24

4.6 Local implementation and Performance indicators

24

4.7 The inter-agency Measurements

25

4.8 Strategic aim proposal for 2011-2016

25

Chapter 5. Conclusions and Recommendations

32

5.1 Conclusions

32

5.2 Recommendations

32 34

REFERENCES

LIST OF FIGURES Figure Title

Page

2.1 Iraqi IDPs status inside Iraq (source; UNHCR)

6

2.2 IDPs status map for Iraq (source; UNHCR)

7

3.1 The 2003 Earthquake of Bam, Iran

14

3.2 The city of Bam, Iran before and after the Earthquake of 2003

15

3.3 role of people and government in Bam reconstruction

18

3.4 The city of Bam, Iran after the earthquake of 2003 and the

21

reconstruction process 3.5 Pre-Implementation for housing project – Pilot phase.

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ACRONYMS

MsM EM NGOs DP IDPs SMEs UN-HABITAT UNHCR MoCH MoMD USGAO PPPs IDMC IOM - LG -

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Maastricht School Of Management Environmental Management Non-Governmental Organizations Displaced Person Internally Displaced Persons Small and Medium Enterprises United Nations Human Settlements Programme United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Ministry of Construction and Housing – Iraq Ministry of Migration and Displaced – Iraq United States Government Accountability Office Public Private partnerships Internal Displacement Monitoring centre International Organization for Migration Local Government

Othman Al-Mshhadani

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Executive summary Cities are probably the most complex things that human beings have ever created.

They are the wellsprings of culture, technology, wealth and power. People have a love-hate relationship with cities. We are torn between our needs for community and privacy and the conflicting attractions of urban and rural life.

Housing is a basic need for every human person. As a decisive factor in social cohesion, housing is a condition for access to employment and the realisation of fundamental human and social rights, housing represents one of the main areas of expenditure of Iraq households. In Iraq, city planning has always been a principal concern. Evidence of planning has been unearthed in the ruins of cities in Iraq, early examples of efforts towards planned urban development include orderly street systems; division of a city into specialised functional quarters; development of commanding central sites for palaces, temples and civic buildings; and advanced systems of fortification, water supply, and drainage. Often the central cities grew to substantial size before they achieved governments capable of imposing controls; so we ask who we are building the new housing areas in Baghdad for? And; whether the new development housing areas of Baghdad will be socially/ economically be a sustainable solution for displaced families.

This paper provides an analysis of the key issues for delivering and addressing housing needs in the future through larger scale housing development all over Iraq.

This will be achieved by learning the lessons from past mass housing solutions to gain a better understanding of the needs and interests of those displaced families who will live in these new developments housing areas and give a model can be used as solution for this problem and preventing it from happening in the future.

The Paper deals in its first chapter introduce

us to the research paper, explains

the purpose and the research problem and its methodology, The second chapter lists the information and previous research concerned managing the urban environment in Iraq and the problems that impede the establishment of governmental development and planning, Chapter three is for the discussion and analysis of important practical experience in how

to

solve housing

problems for

the

society

after

Bam

earthquake, southern Iran in 2003, Chapter four tries to propose a model to solve the displacement and housing problem of the Iraqi Families through the activation of their role as partners leading the building housing projects; and the fifth chapter was devoted to the conclusions followed up with a set of recommendations.

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Chapter one The introduction 1.1 Topic: Developing Urban areas for the displaced families of Iraq.

1.2 Background: Our future is becoming urban. In 2008, for the first time in history the rural and urban population sizes became equal, while estimates also show that by 2050 up to 70% of the world population (2011 is 7 billion) will be urban. Most of this urban growth will take place in Africa and Asia. However, the population expansion is affecting all continents. If we compare a classification of world cities according to their size and complexity it is evident that the continents are equally represented.

Yet the problem is not just urbanization itself but more the failure of some cities to afford the necessary infrastructure to keep pace with the rate of population change and the growth of consumption and Providing the inhabitants of the city with all the infrastructures they need for their everyday life is extremely difficult in such a large and high-density area.

Iraq after the war of 2003 had an unpleasant situation concerning the people of cities of Iraq which were forced to leave their homes, jobs and social community because of the Ethnic and racial conflict raging between the Iraqi emerging political parties after 2003, so more than 4 million Iraqi were conceder displaced inside and outside Iraq, the Iraqi government tried to Resettlement them in their original homes and cities but it was too late, a lot of national and international organizations tried to give them the better solution which will prevent it from repeating in the future but they found that the infrastructure, the urban policies need to be changed to address the new housing problems which Iraq is suffering from for the last 30 years.

Therefore; we need to act with a clear vision to find a better strategy for this major problem in a sustainable urban development in the future we have to ensure wide international co-operation and a good exchange of practical experience. To understand each other in this dialogue we must first establish what we are talking about. Which will help us prevent it in the future and that it will be an example for father studies concerning housing and urban management.

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1.3 Practical problem: The practical problem of the research is the need for new developing housing and urban areas papered for the displaced families of Iraq.

This paper describes the wider context of developing an urban area for the displaced families of Iraq after 2003, and outlines the existing related knowledge, research and experience. Which emphasis on the larger urban management context scale and the government’s housing policy, with particular reference to traditional examples, experiences and issues raised by recent urban design practice; and a review of the current technical and social aspects that are related to urban environmental issues.

1.4 Research questions: 1. What are the key issues that need to be taken into consideration to deliver large-scale housing developments in a way that meets the full range of housing needs in a sustainable way?

2. Are the current proposals for housing in Baghdad likely to meet the housing needs of the displaced families? If not, how might this be achieved?

3. Are the current proposals for housing in Baghdad likely to meet the aspirations of those families that are expected to live in the new housing areas?

4. In addition to housing, what other developments is necessary to ensure the social and economic viability of the displaced families of Baghdad?

5. What are the wider policy suggestions of the rapid and extensive process of urban development in Baghdad? Specifically, what does it tell us about the challenges of community for the new urban areas and surroundings?

1.5 Research problem: Lack in managing the implementation process of developing an urban area for displaced families of Iraq.

1.6 Research Objectives: The aim of this paper is to provide an understanding of the key issues that need to be considered in order to deliver new housing areas for the displaced families of Iraq which are need through a large-scale urban development, as an implementation plan; The suburban area of Baghdad is the largest and potentially challenging area of 2|P a g e

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the city. It’s to some extent expansions of communities but in its infrastructure is considerably less developed and there is a need for substantial regeneration in the existing communities. We have focussed on the need for an appropriate housing development to lessening the needs of inadequately households in the region. So In order to achieve these aims, the objectives are: 1. Review the evidence from previous mass housing developments, and how they were planned and designed to meet housing needs and achieve their objectives and compare it to the needs of the displaced families of Baghdad.

2. Examining the need for commercial development alongside with new housing areas, to ensure that communities benefit from different services, are economically viable and that there are local employment opportunities.

3. Reviewing the evidence on housing needs, and some guiding principles for urban development will be established, focusing on the issues of ensuring that the housing meets newly and rising housing needs of the displaced families.

1.7 Problem owner: The paper will draw research input to develop its networks across the housing sector and beyond. We need to work in a partnership with the wide range of organizations and NGOs for delivering new housing areas for Baghdad. Within the Government, there are a number of different government agencies and regional bodies have a key role in delivering the project, including International Partnerships, The project will also be of interest to the local authorities and the Urban Development Corporations in Baghdad. And it will also be of considerable interest to both private developers and housing associations who will be involved in the development of the urban areas.

Other stakeholders include the broad range of academics who focus on sustainable development, communities, neighbourhood issues, housing and urban policy.

1.8 Research hypothesis: Developing urban areas effect the environment positively and negatively.

1.9 Research importance: This paper describes the wider context of developing an urban area for the displaced families of Iraq, and outlines the existing related knowledge, research and experience. Which emphasis on the larger urban management context scale and 3|P a g e

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housing policy of the government of Iraq, with particular reference to traditional examples, experiences and issues raised by recent urban design practice; and a review of the current technical and social aspects that are related to urban environmental issues.

1.10

Research Methodology

Stage 1 – literature review: the first stage of the study was to carry out a literature review of housing developments to learn past lessons about meeting housing needs.

Stage 2 – housing needs analysis: the second stage of the study looked at evidence about existing housing needs in Iraq and using this information to make recommendations about the implications of the evidence or housing provision. This means assessing the economic, social, & policy factors which have created the need for the new urban development.

Stage 3 – sustainable development analysis: a key challenge for the new urban areas will be the balance between housing and employment growth by the balance between commercial and residential development and the relationship between the new urban areas and the regional economic development.

Stage 4 – analysis: the final stage is to bring together the lessons from the past, the quantitative evidence about housing needs and the qualitative evidence about the displaced people views for new urban areas. From this an assumption of the extent to which the proposals for the urban project are provide for the displaced families of Iraq. As a conclusion an implementation with be promoted, focusing on effectiveness in improving the needs of the displaced with a sustainability inclusion on the basis of these findings. it will enable us to compare the government’s view of “Settlement of the displaced families” with what people actually want, to ensure that communities will have access to facilities, services and local employment opportunities.

The research will make use of the course materials, discussions from the lectures, case studies, books, materials from the Internet and secondary information from documents.

1.11

Research Structure:

The research contains an introduction with five chapters, which the research material is distributed in the chapters, followed by a set of conclusions and recommendations.

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Chapter two Literature Review 2.1 Displaced parsons/families: A displaced person (DP) is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place or homeland by war or internal upheaval

(Webster, 2005)

, which can be known

as forced migration. The term was first widely used during World War II and the resulting refugee outflows from Eastern Europe (Moore & Shellman, 2002, p 3).

Internally displaced people, or (IDPs), are often wrongly called refugees. Unlike refugees, IDPs have not crossed an international border to find sanctuary but have remained inside their home countries. Even if they have fled for similar reasons as refugees, IDPs legally remain under the protection of their own government - even though that government might be the cause of their flight. As citizens, they retain all of their rights and protection under both human rights and international humanitarian law (Mooney, 2005, p4). At the end of 2009, there were an estimated 27 million IDPs around the world and UNHCR was helping about 15.6 million of them in 22 countries, including the three with the largest IDP populations - Sudan, Colombia and Iraq (Margesson, 2009, p 2)

.

Internally displaced persons are "persons or groups of persons who have been obliged to leave their homes of habitual residence, in particular as a result to avoid the effects of armed conflict, violence situations, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border. Although all persons affected by conflict or

residence

displacement makes the IDPs particularly vulnerable. Following are some factors that are likely to increase their need for protection (see figure 2.1 & 2.2) (UNHCR)

:

 IDPs may be in transit from one place to another, or forced toward inhospitable

environments, or face other circumstances that make them especially vulnerable.  The social organization of displaced communities may have been damaged by the

act of physical displacement; family groups may be separated or disrupted; women may be forced to assume non-traditional roles or face particular vulnerabilities.  Removal them from sources of income may add physical and psychosocial

vulnerability for displaced people.

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 Internal displacement to areas where local inhabitants are from different groups

may increase risk to internally displaced communities; internally displaced persons may face language barriers during displacement.  Internally displaced persons may lack identity documents essential to receiving

benefits or legal recognition; in some cases, fearing persecution, displaced persons have sometimes got rid of such documents.

Figure 2.1 Iraqi IDPs status inside Iraq (source; UNHCR)

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Figure 2.2 IDPs status map for Iraq (source; UNHCR)

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2.2 Iraqi Housing context: There’s no contemporary or comprehensive housing policy in Iraq exists at this moment. The latest official “Housing Policy of Iraq” is the 1986, 1979 and the 1974 Reports, as well as the 1989 Report on “Development Planning for Iraqi Governorates” it included a chapter on housing policy. The present housing policy for South and Central Iraq has been a state-driven approach, with very limited involvement of the private sector outside of the construction industry. The State has assumed that the responsibility of housing provision, has not adopted an enabling strategy for both the private sector and local communities (MoCH, 2011), (UN-HABITAT, 2010).

Systems of land management in Iraq are weak and need renovation. There is a dearth of reliable information following three decades of shifting and incoherent land policy, internal conflict, and more recently the chaos of looting and destruction of public records. The qualified staffs of the Land Administration Department of the Ministry of Justice; has done its best against great odds to maintain records and uphold land and property law. However, generally weak national systems of land management make their job difficult to verification property rights. Worse still, the judiciary in Iraq lacks the legislative capacity to respond to unlawful evictions and the rights of the landless population (MoCH, 2011), (UN-HABITAT, 2010).

The Sustainable Communities Plan highlights the fact that in Iraq there are two distinct challenges for housing and community’s policy created by imbalances in the housing market. On one, hand large parts of Baghdad, predominantly are experiencing acute shortages of housing, and of affordable housing in particular. Yet at the same time there are a significant number of areas in the North where there is an oversupply of housing (UN-HABITAT, 2010).

However, so far delivery of the policy has focused on land assembly, planning and infrastructure issues. Little attention has been given to the issues surrounding who the housing is built for, and whether the new communities created by this large-scale investment will be inclusive, cohesive and sustainable, and deliver the maximum benefit in alleviating the problems of housing undersupply. This is a key time in the planning and development of the Baghdad, and it is critical that policy decisions taken now are grounded in the lessons from past experiences and the needs and interests of the people for whom the housing is intended for (MoCH, 2011), (MoMD, 2011).

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2.3 Iraqi Urban management sector: As Iraq emerges from the war a client-oriented culture and a decentralized system of urban management is needed,

(Karna, 2011)

. A socially inclusive, economically viable,

and environmentally sustainable model of urban management will be promoted.

Partnerships between the community, local authorities and the private sector would have to be encouraged. The strategy will be to move progressively towards decentralization where cities could gradually assume authority and responsibility previously confined to central government and regional governorates that was main goal. Reforms to the urban management sector in Iraq will attempt to re-define the role of municipal government at the local level with the private sector and civil society. The realization of this vision will require policy reform, new institutions, and concerted efforts to build capacity so we need to understand the past of the Iraqi urban management situation which is as below:

2.3.1

Status of Urban Governance and Administrative Functions:

Iraq upholds a dual institutional structure. There is the integrated structure for the capital Baghdad that reports directly to the Council of Ministers. The remaining 17 Governorates reported administratively via local municipal departments to the governor, but were technically under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior, in theory, current expenditure is financed from municipal resources but often in practice, cities resort calling upon the support of the Ministry of finance, in all cases new investment projects are centrally financed (MoCH, 2011) (Karna, 2011).

2.3.2

Status of Municipal Services:

Generally speaking, municipal services in the governorates were below the standards in the capital. During the past 10 years, the situation has been even further downgraded. Some improvement took place after the year 2000 with municipal equipment and vehicles allowed in as a result of the Oil for Food Program. Sewerage services hardly existed in the governorates. Except in Baghdad (75% coverage), only 13% of the governorates maintained sewerage, namely Hilla and Najaf and some parts of other major cities. The improvements resulting from the Oil for Food Program did not spread to this sector in the provinces of Iraq (MoCH, 2011) & (UN-HABITAT, 2010).

Water treatment plants in the provinces did exist in the past but the processes were rudimentary and many of them do not function properly. Maintenance of roads and 9|P a g e

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sidewalks in the centres of the governorates started in 1999 with the availability of some equipment but since secondary roads hardly existed

(USGAO, 2005, p 6)

. These

functions witnessed a great deal of downgrading during the embargo years since 1991. The lack of funding and the priority given to security issues led to a serious degradation of the services given on a local level. This is not only true for the governorates under central government in Baghdad (MoCH, 2011) & (UN-HABITAT, 2010).

2.3.3

State of the Cities and Municipal Infrastructure:

Any attempt to identify the ‘most vulnerable cities’ would need a detailed survey.

However Baghdad has enjoyed greater attention but the service needs are serious.

Delivering public infrastructure in Iraq has been the responsibility of the central government. Up to the early eighties, huge public investments were made to improve access to basic infrastructure. However, successive years of wars and sanctions have reduced the ability of the Government to invest in new infrastructure and maintain existing facilities. Non-reliable access to adequate water and sanitation, recurrent flooding and the disruption of solid waste management services created major public health hazards in major cities. Many new housing plots were distributed in recent years without basic infrastructure such as water, sewerage and electricity creating large numbers of substandard housing areas (MoCH, 2011).

2.3.4

Status of Urban Policy:

Under the previous administration, Iraq did not have a formal policy for the development of its cities after the Housing Policies of the 1980s. The recent policy reflected the centralized character of government administration in which nearly all functions of urban development were controlled by the central government and to some extent, the governorates, only through administrators appointed by the state urban development decisions from above; often supported state political and security interests and rarely upon the views of non-state actors at the local level 2010)

(UN-HABITAT,

. As a result, there was limited involvement of urban populations in city

development, presently the cities of Iraq strategies is the financing of municipal services to supply lower-income populations with basic services (MoCH, 2011).

2.3.5

Status of Urban Planning and Management:

But we can say that the urban planners in Iraq rely on Master Planning, as a highly technical application but with limited to spatial planning so only a handful of architects and planners, haven’t incorporate social, economic and ecological considerations 10 | P a g e

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when planning roads, infrastructure or basic land use. Many infrastructure systems in cities capture only a fraction of the city’s population; the challenge for urban planners in Iraq is, therefore, a two-step process; Applying new planning tools and embrace strategic approaches to city development, and Incorporate in city development strategies unplanned, informal settlements.

It should be noted that the urban planning and management already have some encouraging signs since March 2003. City Residents are forming organizations to articulate their needs and to improving their living and working conditions. These councils are gradually taking over the responsibilities for municipal work and putting forward agendas involving them in development issues (MoCH, 2011).

Urban management practices in Iraq were insufficient, making the starting point for sustainable urban development highly difficult, and the problem is the legacy of the centralization of public administration. We can see that the local authorities were never empowered and address only the issues pertaining to engineering tasks and environmental issues were excluded.

2.3.6 Status of Human Capital and Institutional Capacity: During and before the seventies the human capital existed in Iraq by huge numbers of highly skilled workforce in technical fields related to urban planning/ management.

The Iraqi skill-base was comparable to the labour force in Greece and most middleincome nations. However, After the 1970s, the work force in Iraq was reduced as many emigrated outside Iraq while at the same time, immigrant labourers moved to Iraq in large numbers. These were largely semi-skilled workers from neighbouring countries many infrastructure and construction projects were implemented in Iraq during the mid-seventies and eighties relying largely on migrant construction labour.

While not what it was in previous years, Iraq retains a significant number of skilled professionals that given the opportunity, would contribute greatly to the city development. Many of these professionals would benefit from exposure to acquire knowledge about the state-of-the-art technologies and recent developments in their fields of expertise.

After we have find in this review we can say as a conclusion that the problem Iraq faces in the urban management sector is not so much the absence of skills but rather, the quality, exposure and orientation of the work force. Many official employers and professionals in Iraq have been denied the opportunity 11 | P a g e

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to practice contemporary approaches to urban planning and management. The intense isolation of Iraq from the international community has prevented them from engaging with their colleagues from other countries. And the centralized character of public administration has given them little incentive to adopt inclusive practices and approaches.

2.4 Urban sustainable development Many elements of sustainable development are often organised into three dimensions: environmental, economic and social. There are different approaches to how they relate to each other, whether they are pillars on the same level or three rather different but closely linked dimensions of sustainable development p19)

(wheeler, 2005,

. For the purposes of this project we need to understand these three dimensions:

• The environment is the necessary basis for sustainable development.

• The economy is the tool to achieve sustainable development.

• The good life for all is the target of sustainable development.

2.4.1 Environment - the basis The natural environment is under stress from human activity. Fulfilling present needs while reducing the impact of human activity is a challenge requiring new ideas, It is a fundamental part of this challenge to secure the living and physical environment, including processes and balances

(wheeler, 2005, pp53-55)

. The need to reduce human

impact clearly illustrates how the environment is the basis for any sustainable development; the only logical way to control this is to reduce the impact of humans over a relative time. If the climate really comes out of its current balance, it may not be possible anymore to create the good life of the social dimension with all economic and other tools available

(wheeler, 2005, p54).

2.4.2 Economy - the tool Traditionally economic development has been seen as the target and the environment as the tool through the use of resources

(wheeler, 2005,p55)

. Economic

prosperity is very important element for sustainable development; it allows us to fight poverty, to finance remediation of old problems, and make changes in our development, however, not all economic growth implies improvement for sustainable development 12 | P a g e

(wheeler, 2005)

. Only economic growth that’s reduce environmental impact Othman Al-Mshhadani

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can be defended as being part of sustainable development. In other words, economic growth and environmental impact must be through improved eco-efficiency; as a result we need to support sustainable development, and not against it. By using tools such as legislation, public awareness, but to use it in the right way

(wheeler, 2005,p56)

.

These incentives need to be on all levels of society, and work in favour of sustainable development by; making sustainable investments both in the public and private sectors profitable, channelling research into knowledge and solutions for sustainable development, and influencing consumption decision on all levels.

Therefore; making the economy into such an efficient tool for sustainable Development; implies that all the costs for any activity must be taken into account when economic and business decisions are made, this includes environmental costs as well as social costs.

2.4.3 Social - the target The very essence of the sustainable development idea is to shift the focus from the present needs to also include the future generations as well. A sufficiently good life for all humans, within present and future generations, is therefore the target of sustainable development

(wheeler, 2005, p60)

. The social dimension is also important

because sustainable development can only be achieved by people who feel that they have a fair share of wealth, safety and influence. The underlying assumption is not individual gain, but the provision for, and involvement in equitable growth for all in the society

(wheeler, 2005, p61)

.

Therefore; the social dimension of sustainable development includes support of the civil society, its involvement in solving various types of issues and its participation in decision processes on different levels. The social dimension also includes the fight against poverty through opening new business Opportunities for employment, support to sustainable livelihoods or work, and social security for all and it will be the main target.

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Chapter three The Reconstruction of Bam (Case study)

3.1 Project description: In the very early hours of 26th December 2003, a devastating and strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck Bam, one of the historical cities of Kerman province in the south of Iran. According to the official reports, more than 30,000 were killed and about 25,000 injured (see figure 3.1). More than 80% of the town’s buildings were also destroyed (Omidvar, 2010, p 289).

Figure 3.1 the 2003 Earthquake location of Bam, Iran (www.google.com/maps)

After the disaster, Bum’s reconstruction management process was presented with a lot of challenges and faced many fundamental questions. The number of human losses and related social issues, extensive destruction of the historical town, and also the lack of good experience in the reconstruction of a city made the reconstruction project of Bam more complicated. The reconstruction of Bam was the most important post-disaster reconstruction project among recent reconstructions in Iran (see figure 3.2). Many factors, such as concern over the government and international agencies, the new managerial approaches, and the application of appropriate reconstruction methods, made it different from the other reconstruction programs. Thus, the postearthquake reconstruction of Bam is investigated in this research with respect to the importance of this issue (Fallahi, 2007, p 28).

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The aim behind these pages is to use the loosens learned from the earthquake of Bam and what followed after like the reconstruction management process and the policies which were planned to be implemented for the reconstruction and rebuilding of urban residential and commercial units.

Before

After Figure 3.2 the city of Bam, Iran; before and after the earthquake of 2003

3.2 Main elements: The Bam earthquake has intensively affected on the lives of the city people either directly or indirectly although it is difficult to accurately measure it. Approximately all the city especially residences and infrastructures in addition to an invaluable cultural heritage has been destroyed. Simple estimates of economic loss from the earthquake are about 1.5 milliard USD, including direct damage of 1.2 milliard USD and indirect damage 0.3 milliard USD

(Berberian, 2005, p S89)

. Based on government

agencies the reconstruction of the city may take between 2 to 3 years, while the previous experiences have shown that it might take even a decade or more to complete the reconstruction

(Manafpour,

2005)

. One of the noticeable economical

earthquake consequences was the damage to Qantas that had made a severe impact on the economy of the agricultural communities of Bam. So seismic rehabilitation of the Qantas is a comprehensive project and technically strong rehabilitation plans should be designed for this purpose (Mehrabian et al., 2005).

One of the policies proposed by the CAUD was the Bam Sustainable Reconstruction Manifesto. A Committee on Sustainable Development consisting of academics and experts in reconstruction was set up to develop the manifesto. Three of the principles in this master plan for sustainable reconstruction and development in Bam were: 

preserving the city identity in urban design,



strengthening the new houses against the national building code, and



Householder participation in the process of rebuilding.

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Community

participation

was

suggested

in

various

aspects

of

physical,

environmental, social and economic issues, as well as, improving living quality in Bam without affecting later generations (The Committee on Sustainable Development 2004).

It was decreed that survivors and stakeholders should not be looked upon as “desperate judged people” but “cooperative active actors” in the process of designing, planning and implementing their own houses. In other words, local people should be involved in the process of reconstruction planning and its execution. Such integration would pave the way for training people to acquire new skills and reviving their spirits.

3.3 Reflections: In the City of Bam, the community had an active participation in the process of designing, planning and constructing units and it was strongly encouraged. This approach provided a great relief to peoples in pain, suffering and helped to mitigate their psychological pressures. In addition, research has shown that the lower the level of participation rates of recipient individuals in the reconstruction process, the lower the level of satisfaction rates of the resultant relocation and shelter

(Fallahi, 1996)

.

In the case of Bam, stakeholders were given the ability to choose their own plans and layouts and act as the supervisors of their own projects, thus paving the way to establish a line of cooperation between designers and contractors also ensured that government loans resulted in the desired houses being built for the people.

The Iranian Government set up a Guiding Office for the Recovery of Bam (GO), consisting of 11 members and with the Minister of Housing and Urban Development as its head. One of the most important decisions made by the GO was to appoint consulting architects to review and analyse a comprehensive urban design and planning of the City of Bam the priorities that they identified for the Bam reconstruction program are as follows: 1. Removing the rubble in the city and suburban villages.

2. Reconstructing the city in its original location, observing local architecture 3. Reconstructing damaged residential and commercial units through: •

Stakeholder’s participation in rebuilding by providing people with the necessary facilities and information about construction technology.

•

Promoting regional construction quality by Inviting academics, consulting engineers and contractors to render technical services, including design and implementation.

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•

Inviting construction material suppliers to set up plants to meet the material needs and supervision

•

Establishing a workshop and exhibition area for offering technical and engineering advice and services to stakeholders.

•

Preparing the sites for mass residential construction complexes in areas where individual units cannot be built due to technical reasons

•

Employing local people for reconstruction with the aim of creating job opportunities

•

Setting up a Bam Council of Architecture and Urban Development to lead architectural and urban development process.

4. Inviting appropriate organisations to offer proposals on reconstruction with the aim of regional development 5. Implementing development plans on infrastructure and public services.

6. Authorising the Ministries to reconstruct their own sectors and projects.

7. Introducing qualified people to banks to receive financial facilities.

The government’s role became important by Enabling People Through the reconstruction fields of the city under the governmental assistance were as follows (Omidvar, 2010)

:

•

Providing Grants for reconstruction.

•

Technical Helps.

•

Design’s Provision.

•

Material’s Provision.

•

Supporting Vulnerable Group in the community.

•

One or on the other hand the people role was to help the government in managing the reconstruction, supervising the reconstruction and costs, selecting the house plan and participating in planning and decision-making (see figure 3.3).

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Figure 3.3 Role of people and government in Bam reconstruction (Omidvar, 2010, p297)

The role of partnership in building a new future is very important to ensure a healthy process for the reconstruction of Bam full with significant from all the players of the reconstruction process of the city specially the society and the residents of Bam. 3.4 Lessons learned from Bam reconstruction Today, partnerships are used not only in transportation projects but also for water and wastewater systems, delivery social services, building schools, and a wide range of other applications. By far the fastest-growing arena for the use of partnership in urban economic development, Bam successful reconstruction depended on the Successful Public/Private Partnerships which was a valuable guide to achieve the implementation process goals.

Cities and counties are rapidly applying the experiences from Public/Private Partnerships (PPPs) learned over the last few decades experiences on how to most effectively combine the strengths and resources of both the public and private sectors. Significant refinements in the PPP process resulted from these experiences.

In Bam, Iran was difficult to execute this process for its Special ethnic culture; the reward can be worth the extra effort. As the case study included here indicate, in many instances PPPs make possible the completion of projects that would be impossible using more traditional methods of social-economic development.

Many of the important lessons learned are included in Ten Principles. The importance of continued public sector leadership, as well as the public sector’s ongoing monitoring and nurturing of the partnership, is clearly illustrated. Equally 18 | P a g e

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important is the clear and open process necessary for the selection of the private partner. Most important of all is that the private and public sectors build a collaborative relationship one that requires “give and take� on both sides of the table to make the project a success; these Principles can be shown below

(carley, 2000, p181)

:

1. Prepare Properly for Public/Private Partnerships.

2. Create a Shared Vision between partners.

3. Understand Your Partners and Key Players in the implementation process.

4. Be Clear on the Risks and Benefits for All Parties.

5. Establish a Clear/ Rational Decision-Making Process with all stakeholders.

6. Make Sure All Parties Do their part of the process with Confidence.

7. Secure Consistent and Coordinated Leadership approach.

8. Communicate Early and Often during the implementation process.

9. Negotiate a Fair Deal Structure.

10. Building Trust as a Core Value for reconstruction process.

As an conclusion The long-term benefits of this project demonstrate the future potential of public/private partnerships to redevelop and establish living communities. There are hundreds examples of successful public/private collaborations (see figure 3.4). The successful projects demonstrate joint planning, mutual trust, persevering leadership, open communication, and a reasonable sharing of costs, risks, responsibilities, and economic return, therefore we need time to continue to refine this approach to realestate development and use public/private partnerships to complete complex projects successfully.

3.5 What to do? How to solve the displaced families housing problem?

In order to address the displaced family’s needs, the plan proposes a step change in housing supply by delivering a substantial amount (200,000 units per year) for the next ten years of new housing development areas all over Baghdad and above the

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levels of identified in regional planning guidance, including additional resources for affordable housing and infrastructure investment to support housing growth.

A vibrant, flexible, and efficient system for the production of quality housing is essential for the continued growth of the Iraqi economy. A major part of the capital stock of the country, housing supply must be built up in line with infrastructure, industry, and community facilities such as schools and hospitals. Housing production is a highly productive economic activity, capable of generating direct employment, income multipliers and employment linkages at least equivalent to those of other conventional “productive� sectors such as agriculture, industry, and services.

Housing is also a social good, responding to basic needs of the citizens of Iraq the welfare of Iraqi individuals, families, and communities depends on the steady growth and improvement of the housing stock.

It is important to initiate rapidly a 10-year rehabilitation program that would reverse the deterioration process of the municipal infrastructure in Iraq. The program will adopt labour intensive techniques and will generate employment and develop the small- and medium-size local contracting industry. It will be linked to wider policy changes that promote the gradual handing over of all assets to municipalities, where relevant ministries will retain competence in policy guidelines as municipalities build capacity to assume management of these assets (UN-HABITAT, 2010).

Through the elaboration of City Development Strategies and updating of City Master Plans, a 10-year citywide municipal infrastructure development program will have to be also initiated. This will be aimed at improving living standards within the city, increasing land supply for housing and improving access to marginalized neighbourhoods. As with asset management, municipal authorities will be encouraged to take a leadership role such that municipal planning offices coordinate the development of city strategies and the updating of master plans.

So improving the performance of the housing sector is a complex undertaking, which requires many different ultimately complementary initiatives. The underlying approach for implementing the a Housing Policy is to improve the operating environment at higher levels of government while simultaneously formulating and testing pilot projects at the local level. Illustrated in the figure 3.5 below, this approach will both set the stage for Sustainable development of the housing sector over the long term and begin to meet pressing housing needs from the earliest stages of policy implementation.

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Figure 3.4 the city of Bam, Iran after the earthquake of 2003 and the reconstruction process. (ww.google.com)

National Level Reform

Action +

PPPs

Research

Pilot

Pilot

Pilot

Pilot

Project 1

Project 2

Project 3

Project 4

Local level pilot Project Figure 3.5 Pre-implementation for housing project – pilot phase

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Chapter four Implementation strategy

4.1 Implementation Strategy: The Implementation Strategy will be carried out primarily through the local displaced action plan process of the Ministry of Displacement and Migration. These will be put on a statutory basis through the national Housing policy which is in the Iraqi parliament agenda for more than 4 years without putting it foreword for legislation.

The local action plan will set out how actions committed to the strategy and other related measures will be carried out by the agencies responsible for planning and delivering services over the period of the strategy. This strategy is an informal national implementation plan, designed to provide a framework to guide the action required at national level to promote and support effective implementation locally for Iraqi displaced families. Therefore, the actions outlined in these pages relay on a significant degree, to the development of policy initiatives, issuing requirements and guidance in relation to local actions and monitoring of progress and performance indicators in the document must be approved from the central government.

While the Displaced Strategy itself is quite specific about actions that need to be undertaken and many things are involved, it is primarily designed to outline the vision and objectives involved in addressing displaced families & individuals in Iraq at present and for the future to come. The strategy is an action focussed, to develop key activities to a greater level of detail in a structured manner, with relevant linkages between sub-issues, as well as assigning lead roles. It sets out an appropriate plan to reflect real findings and recommend find in the reports published by The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) at October 2011. It also brings to the implementation process important considerations such as efficiency, organisational and financial streamlining and the roles of various agencies.

4.2 Vision: The vision set out in the Displaced Strategy as a long-term strategy for the displacement problem in Iraq. The risk of a family in Iraq becoming displaced will be minimised through effective preventative policies and services. When it does occur displaced families will be for short term and all people who are displaced will be assisted into appropriate long term suitable accommodation. However to total that it 22 | P a g e

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will need to be addressed considerably higher on the basis of the findings of the Counted survey, the total numbers of IDPs in Iraq are between 2,040,000 and 2,750,000. In November 2010, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 2,750,000 IDPs lived in Iraq, out of which 1,660,000 people had been displaced since 2006. This figure is 300,000 higher than the figures estimated by UNHCR for the same period and the figures reported by the MoDM and the KRG 2010 and 2011; UNHCR 2010)

(IOM

. And for the estimated housing units needed for all of Iraq

population is three million (3,000,000) housing unit all over Iraq. The challenge involved in achieving the objectives towards 2016 and the Displaced Strategy is, therefore, higher than had been imagined.

4.3 Implementation Approach: The strategy will be implemented through the following approach in particular: 1. Enhancing or adapting existing services rather than establishing new ones.

2. Refocusing resources on long-term solutions and preventative measures.

3. Maximising value for money and cost effectiveness in the funding and operation of services through the private sector.

4. Effective implementation through local action plans and structures, supported by national guidance and direction and partnership approaches at local and national level across and within the voluntary and statutory sectors.

5. Effective monitoring and evaluation focussed on achieving the best possible outcomes for displaced people.

4.4 Implementation Priority Actions: The range of actions to be undertaken to implement the Displaced Strategy is quite extensive and many of them involve action at local level. While these will be pursued as fully as possible, the implementation plan identifies a set of Priority Actions which will need to be the particular focus of attention having regard to demands and resources. In order to maximise early progress towards achievement of the key objectives of the Strategy, particularly the elimination of long-term dependence on emergency displaced services, certain measures will need to be put in motion as quickly as possible. Priority areas for attention, which includes the following:

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- Action to provide effective long-term solutions for people leaving displacement include developing new scheme of housing through leasing or equivalent accommodation supply arrangements.

- Re-orientation of investment to support significant increase in suitable accommodation for people and families leaving displacement.

- New arrangements and procedures for funding displaced services based on needs, priorities and maximising efficiency, quality and value for money.

- Urgent follow up to the reports published by the international Displaced Agencies on displaced services in Iraq.

- Engagement between the relevant government ministries to identify ways of enhancing effectiveness and the use of best value of national resources in relation to displacement in Iraq.

- Co-ordination of guidance to local authorities, local displaced NGO’s and health services, particularly in the context of formulation of local displaced action plans.

4.5 Implementation Financial Environment: The implementation plan must, take in account the significant economic change that has affected the budgeting for such Displacement Strategies and particularly the impact of this on the financial environment. This key factor further reinforces the critical need to maximise effectiveness and value of spending in the planning, organisation and delivery of quality displaced services. To this end, the implementation plan is particularly informed by the findings of the Evaluation of Displaced Services and Review of Finances and Expenditure recently undertaken by the Iraqi government under the sponsorship of international Displacement Agencies, Not all of the issues and findings in these studies are entirely applicable to areas other than Baghdad, but many of the principals involved are generally relevant and, are reflected, as appropriate, in the implementation plan. Equally, this plan contains actions which are specific to Baghdad. This is entirely justified given the significance of Baghdad in the context of the displaced families and individuals issue.

4.6 Local Implementation and Performance Indicators: Key performance indicators are set out in the plan in respect of the priority actions to be pursued. In the case of many of specific actions in the plan, performance 24 | P a g e

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indicators are expressed in terms of the overall outcome to be achieved rather than the completion of the specific action. However, in most cases the achievement of those outcomes is dependent on a wider range of factors and action by a number of agencies. While the implementation strategy is intended to guide and support the practical realisation of the Displacement Strategy, there is a limit to the level of task detail which can be addressed in a measurable way in a national act, particularly where implementation is largely related to performance under local displacement action plans by the relevant bodies at local level. However, in some cases local actions form an inextricable part of the overall national implementation process and as such, are recognised accordingly, where appropriate, in these pages that threeyear displaced families and individuals action plan will be developed for each local area on a regional basis where this is more appropriate to solve displacement in Iraq.

4.7 The Inter-Agency Measurement: The successful implementation of the new strategy presents a challenge to all the relevant actors, statutory and voluntary, national and local. The battle against displacement must be a collaborative effort. Displacement tends to be seen as an accommodation issue, but its prevention requires a multi-faceted approach to address the underlying causes. This requires involvement by the lead ministries responsible for housing and health and other relevant bodies, such as the welfare, prison, probation, education and training services and bodies directly involved in the provision of services to displaced people, both non-governmental and statutory.

Accordingly, to this plan outlines roles for a number of legislative bodies, including Government departments, local authorities and International organisations, as well as continued input from NGOs working in the area. Its success will be influenced, to a significant degree, by all of the relevant agencies working in an effective and integrated manner, at national level through the Iraq National Human Settlements Committee on Displacement and the ministry of Displacement and Migration and at local level through the local NGOs, while the ministry of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is assigned the lead role in the majority of instances, in many cases this is largely a co-ordinating role and is dependent, to a significant degree, on input of other agencies.

4.8 Strategic Aim proposal for 2011-2016: The extensive resources and efforts devoted by Governmental and nonGovernmental agencies towards addressing displacement can be viewed collectively 25 | P a g e

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as having two basic embracing purposes; firstly, to assist those experiencing displacement like families & individuals as far as possible, secondly, to minimise the amount of displaced families and individuals. These basic objectives are expanded further in the Displaced Strategy in the form of a key number of strategic aims as outlined as the core objectives involved which are as follows: 4.8.1 Reduce displaced families and individual through preventative measures: we need clear links for both structural and individual level between displacement in Iraq, including poverty, poor education attainment, national institutions discharge and political issues. These factors will help identify the sort of action required to help prevent displacement and to make interventions at an early stage. These interventions can be more effective and less expensive than measures needed to address displacement when it occurred. For this aim we can do the following: 1. Effective interagency approach between local mainstream and displaced individual services.

2. Strong working relationships between the government ministries and other relevant national bodies to ensure the policy is aligned with prevention of displacement in the future.

3. Prevention of displacement with particular focus on work, including development effective guidance for local authorities by Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of preventative measures.

4. Developing an evidence base for causative pathways into families and individuals through improved identification and monitoring the of causes of displacement.

5. Ensuring adequate support for formerly displaced people to prevent its repetition.

6. Input from relevant NGOs through national, regional and local level.

7. Maximising funding relevant to prevention of displacement from various agencies such as the private sector investment.

4.8.2 The need for suitable housing areas: Housing areas in Iraq is on a relatively small scale and, mainly, confined to Baghdad and other large urban centres of Iraq. However, people who need suitable housing are among the most marginalised of all Iraqi people. The aim is to ensure housing units for displaced families and that no one needs to be displaced through actions 26 | P a g e

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ensuring both adequate supply of suitable accommodation and access to this accommodation for the poor people, for this aim we can do the following: 1. Appropriate supply of good quality temporary accommodation to be achieved, in the main, through freeing accommodation in emergency facilities by ending longterm occupation (see Strategic aim 3).

2. Consideration of the potentials for suitable housing units to move to normal accommodation, with its supports as necessary (see Strategic aim 4).

3. Local responses to be tailored to help displaced families access services and accommodation use with review of street awareness services and followed up with recommendations as appropriate for these families.

4. Review and monitor implementation of admissions policies of all emergency accommodation for displaced families.

5. Offering alternative accommodation to those who choose not to access temporary housing complexes but who are capable of independent living without supports.

4.8.3 Eliminate long term displaced families and individuals: Eliminating long-term displacement for families & individuals is a core objective of the strategy towards partnership agreement. It requires services to ensure no one is in occupation of temporally displaced accommodation. This section is primarily concerned with the identification of people who are assessing the planning required to address their housing needs, for this aim we can do the following: 1. Identification of people who have been displaced for 3-4 years, and Systemizing a facilitate development plan for people who are in temporary accommodation for long-term housing and moving on a plan based on their needs as part of the overall care and case management approach, when or where it’s necessary.

2. Resignation of emergency or transitional accommodation as long-term if it is considered to comply with required specifications for these purposes.

3. Input from relevant non-governmental organisations through national, local level.

4.8.4 Meet long term housing needs of displaced families and individuals: An adequate supply of appropriate long term accommodation, with supports, its necessary, for people progressing out of being displaced such a requirement of any 27 | P a g e

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plan to tackle and prevent displacement of Iraq in the future. The priority elements of the program this regard as are set out below: 1. Adequate supply of housing, appropriate to needs of its sustained in the long term, with particular emphasis on the needs of single people, including local authority and private housing companies, for the new housing support scheme.

2. Appropriate performance measurements in relation to supply of accommodation to be included in the local action plans, in light of relevant assessments of needs and accommodation stock needed.

3. The delivery of settlement and tenancy support services is necessary essential to succeed in the people settlement from displacement, and to support the sustainment of independent tenancies or as part of on-site services to residential supported housing, as the case may be for them.

4. All displacement services are strongly focused on helping people to resettle.

Support and nursing care to be provided, as necessary, for formerly displaced people who are unable to live independently.

5. Input from relevant NOGs through national and local level.

6. Promote the use of private rented housing to meet the needs of people who are leaving displacement, through guidance to local authorities.

7. Issue guidance to housing authorities and local IDP NGOs to establish the need for any proposed emergency accommodation and to ensure that it is capable of being adapted to provide other services in the future, as needs change.

4.8.5 Effective displaced services: While the displaced housing Strategy is focused, to a significant extent, on preventing or reducing displacement in families & individuals, it also places particular emphasis on ensuring that the services used by people who are actually displaced are effective in addressing their needs in a comprehensive way, while assisting them to move out of displacement and into appropriate housing as quickly as possible. An essential part of ensuring effectiveness and consistency is the provision of information and guidance to local services and maintaining a strong system for monitoring and evaluating interventions, including the application of a national quality standards framework. For this aim we can do the following: 28 | P a g e

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1. The practice of care and case management where appropriate, by sharing data, of good practice and the application of learning nationally.

2. Continued partnership between Government and NGOs (through existing structures & arrangements) to facilitate constructive and objective review for services improvement within budgetary constraints.

3. Views of displaced people regarding service requirements, based on their needs and experiences to be taken into account, as appropriate, and Input from relevant non-governmental organisations through national level and at local level.

4. Support local IDP agencies in the development of measures in local action plans to help ensure that services for displaced people are effective, particularly in terms of good quality, focus on needs of people who are displaced and aimed at helping them to move quickly out of displacement.

4.8.6 Better coordinated and proposals for new funding arrangements: The strategy was developed on the understanding that the costs involved would be met by the agencies/Departments from within existing/planned budgets. This is underpinned by the strategy’s clear focus on maximising efficiency and effectiveness from the significant funding which the national government is already providing to address displacement. This refers only to direct funding for displaced services and provide funding from other sources indirectly to displaced people such as capital funding for housing for people with special needs or a displacement housing pilot is on-going in the rural regions, or for primary health care, funding is also provided explicitly to displaced people through a number of other Government ministries.

Displaced people also receive significant payments through a special social welfare system for the full range of mainstream social services for supplementary, allowance, rent supplement, and rent deposits. The priority with regard to resources at this stage is to ensure that this spending is used in the most appropriate and efficient way possible, with the focus, at all times on achieving the best possible outcomes for every displaced person.

Funding arrangements will also be adapted to advance the other strategic aims, notably the ending of long-term displacement of families & individuals; provision of long-term accommodation and the need to take account of the Displaced Agency

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Evaluation of Displaced Services and Review of Finances and Expenditure reports and the prevailing serious financial constraints. For this aim we can do the following: 1. Maximising availability of value and effectiveness for all resources available to address displacement including redirecting funding from any less efficient services in order to help achieve the strategic objectives of the Displaced Strategy.

2. Targeting resources/ savings to where are most needed in accordance with evidenced need and priorities.

3. Ensuring co-ordination between all funding streams including capital and revenue, accommodation and health/care.

4. Avoiding duplication of services and pursuing co-operation where possible. To Following up on the findings in the International Evaluation of Displaced Services and Review of Finances & Spending reports and considering possible scope for applying relevant aspects nationally in light of the Implementation (see aim 8).

5. Engagement between the relevant Departments and local IDP agency to identify ways of enhancing effectiveness and best value from resources nationally in relation to displacement of families and individuals.

6. Examine the potentials for adapting protocols supporting costs for social housing projects for people with a disability and addressing the displaced sector.

4.8.7 Data and information strategy: The importance of data & information on all aspects of displacement underlies the Strategy reflection throughout this implementation plan, with this Aim specifically intended to ensure that sufficient attention is focused on this developing area, a range of actions to ensure the availability of good quality, timing, which is specifically relevant to a number of key aims of the Displaced Strategy. It is essential to identify pathways into and out of displacement and any barriers that lie within.

It is also important to ensure an evidence base for all displaced services. Service providers must be able to show that their service is meeting an established and continuing need. For the development of local displacement action plans, and to be essential to have information on all displaced people in the area and their needs. For this aim we can do the following:

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1. Commitment from all displaced services in receipt of government funding to participate fully in the new shared database registration system.

2. Continued development of links between various agencies that collect data so that a better picture of displacement can be gained.

3. Build on work already undertaken by various agencies and have regard to relevant developments at international level. This Input from relevant NGOs on local level.

4. Ensure accurate data/information available to monitor and evaluate the progress of each local displaced forum in relation to aims of prevention, elimination of long term displacement for families & individuals and meeting long term housing needs.

4.8.8 Arrangements for monitoring and implementation Achievement of the key objectives of the strategy depends on the effectiveness of implementation at national, regional and local level. This sets out the range of actions and arrangements to ensure that implementation progresses is informed by a systematic process of monitoring and evaluation to provide an accurate picture of the trends, issues, challenges and opportunities facing ministries, agencies, housing authorities and NGOs in pursuing the objectives of the Displaced Strategy. For this aim we can do the following: 1. Co-ordination across all relevant government departments to ensure the strategy interacts with complements existing government policy.

2. Effectiveness of structural mechanisms local level with its action plan process at local level, the Implementation tames need high Level of Co-operation in relation to follow-up the Evaluation of Displaced Services and Review of Finances & Spending studies in Baghdad to Examine the findings of reports and act in reality with on-going monitoring & evaluation of the implementation.

3. A strong partnership approach, giving all statutory and voluntary sector providers opportunities for meaningful input into the implementation process.

4. A high level of accountability, particularly through the Iraqi parliament processes and formal Departmental review and reporting mechanisms.

5. Effective processing arrangements to ensure the successful implementation of the strategy through a collaborative effort from the statutory and voluntary, national and local bodies. This will require all relevant agencies working in an effective and integrated manner at international, national and local level.

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Chapter Five Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Conclusions: Housing the Displaced families in Iraq is a long term programme whose success is dependent on a delivery system in which individual subsidy beneficiaries must be able to participate. In general, the prompting of housing in Iraq has made some achievements. Whole sets of technical regulations and assessment systems can be established, however, in the gross development of national housing industries, the development on environmental sustainability of housing is uneven and most housing just adopts a few environmental solutions or not any at all. The policies and regulations concerning prompting social - environmental sustainability on housing have many non-feasible aspects, which need to be improved or adjusted.

It is anticipated that a good record of economic growth will be able to place the poor displaced families on the road to affordability housing. However, economic growth must be coupled with government efforts to allow the families to partake of the benefits of such economic growth. In addition, the built environment created should be a matter of concern if a sustainable and responsive place is to be created. Finally, if the government is serious about acting as facilitator in the housing delivery system, housing policy must be seen as an experiment to be tested in the field. The policy can therefore not be separated from its implementation. Its feasibility will be dependent on review and reformulation to take account of the practical hurdles that have been the subject of this paper.

5.2 Recommendations: 5.2.1 Strengthen the regional influence on sustainable housing development As we discussed in Chapter 4, the regional situations are far from the same in many aspects. These big differences caused by the diversities of, economy, ethnic, culture and so on. However, the largely criterions and policies concerning prompting housing for the displaced are issued by central government and national institutes. Although, those documents are trying to be established to apply to different places, still there are many improper rules and regulations existing. Sustainable development on housing has to be based on the practical situation; otherwise positive efforts could achieve negative result. So, only establishing policies that could adapt to regional situation will obtain the ultimate goal. However, many regional institutes and policy makers have lower consciousness on such ideas and are lack of research due to financial reasons. To improve the regional influence on housing can make it possible 32 | P a g e

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to achieve the sustainable development in housing sector within the whole country. In other word, it is important to strengthen the research and establish proper policies on regional level according to corresponding situations, which would make the policies more practical and realistic.

5.2.2 Improving the knowledge and skills of urban planners: The quality of housing depends on the sight scope and skill level of its planners and designers. In a long period, the native planners and designers did their work focused on the basic task of meeting the basic requirement of housing. Most concepts and technologies concerning sustainable ideas are introduced from developed countries in which the planners are more competent on comprehensively optimize their planning to achieve the goals. In Iraq, the level of both skill and sight on professionals need to be improved, in order to achieve the effects of harmony among people, constructions and environment. Also, the designers should be capable to implement their work to realize the final target.

5.2.3 Establishing corresponding policies: The application of new Housing solutions can preserve the natural resources and protect the environment and the human who lives there. However, those applications seem not economical considering their higher investment and cost compared with traditional solutions. The reason is when people calculate the cost they always neglect the social – environment aspect. This means the cost brought by negative influences on people’s producing or consuming activities are not taken into account.

To prompt sustainable solutions on housing, the policies on incarnating the environmental have to be made. Also, to encourage the innovation of new technologies this would be achieved by encouraging manufactures including governments offering subsidiary and award to those who devoted themselves into environmental solutions.

5.2.4 Cultivation of sustainable views of living: The notion of people is the fundamental factor in housing issues. The government is obligated to conduct people to live in a social - environmental friendly way and in a harmony with the world.. People buy housing on what they want but not what they need, the short-sighted activities would lead to great for whole the society. To stop this tendency, educations on environmental protection and sustainable development concept have to be improved.

Only when people really accept the sustainable ideas in mind, a sustainable development for all its dimensions (environment, social and economic) in the housing sector can be achieved in the end for displaced families in Iraq.

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References: 1. United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), (2010), Iraq National Housing Policy, Ministry of Construction and Housing; Iraq; available online at http://www.unhabitat.org.jo/en/inp/Upload/634247_INHP_English%20Version.pdf on 20/10/2011.

2. Moore, Will H., Shellman, Stephen M., (2002), “Refugee or Internally Displaced Person?.

3. Mooney, E., (2005), "The Concept of Internal Displacement and the Case for Internally Displaced persons as a Category of Concern", in: Refugee Survey Quarterly,

Volume

24,

Issue

3.,

available

online

at:

http://www.internal-

displacement.org/8025708F004BE3B1/(httpInfoFiles)/8FA27BA51F738586C125711 500467CD2/$file/Definition%20module%20handout.pdf. on 20/10/2011.

4. Margesson, R., Bruno, A., Sharp, J. M., (2009), “ Iraqi refuges internally displaced person: a deepening humanitarian crisis?”, congressional research service, USA; available online at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33936.pdf. On 20/10/2011.

5. Nagy, Gabriel; (2006), " Strengthening the Capacity of the Housing Sector in Iraq “, UN-Habitat

Iraq

Programme,

UN,

New

York,

available

online

http://www.housingfinance.org/uploads/Publicationsmanager/0606_Ira.pdf

at: on

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