RISING FROM THE ASHES: USING DISASTER DEBRIS FOR REBUILDING HOMES AFTER TYPHOON HAIYAN

Abstract

Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in November 2013, leaving many towns, cities and lives in shambles from the disaster. Not only is the destruction of homes a big problem, massive amounts of disaster debris hinder the recovery process and overwhelm the disposal systems of the country. This results in mass- dumping of waste into dumpsites and landfills. After the waste is cleared, the rebuilding process begins, often using entirely new materials in the construction of permanent homes. This process can be very unsustainable in the long run, seeing that the annual frequency of disasters in the Philippines is very high. This dissertation aims to improve the current system of recovery through assessing the feasibility of using disaster debris to rebuild permanent homes for the locals. Existing literature on disaster recovery and reuse will be compiled and evaluated in the context of the Philippines. Data was collected on the perceptions of the locals towards rebuilding with debris through a field visit to Tacloban, one of the worst affected areas in the Philippines. The surveys and interviews conducted with the locals gave insight that their perceptions could be easily changed through education and precedents. A compendium on construction methods was later compiled for each of the materials which could possibly be salvaged from the disaster debris. They were then tabulated and rated according to the factors of time, cost, quality, ability to be deconstructed and the flexibility of incorporating salvaged materials.