A 'master plan' by the people, for the people
A 'master plan' by the people, for the people
The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
The initiatives taken by a number of villages that were badly hit
by the tsunami is admirable. Needless to say, the homes where
residents lived and worked are no more, but the remaining locals
are intent on rebuilding their hamlets.
While others argue with the government about the new blueprint
for rebuilding Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the residents of 22
villages have designed their own blueprint. The residents have
benefited from facilitation by the Urban Poor Consortium Uplink,
a Jakarta-based network.
"The design is really based on the wishes of the people," said
Yuli Kusworo, a volunteer. He is among five architects and civil
engineers helping with the master plan. He said they went door to
door around the villages, asking people what they wanted as
regards the rebuilding of their communities.
She said the initial phase was difficult. In all, they had
spent two months talking to the people of three districts in Aceh
Besar regency.
"What they want now is not only to rebuild their homes, but
they say they need to become closer socially and to be able to
fulfill their economic needs," he said.
But the people's "blueprint" contradicts that of the
government. The government does not want people to live on the
coast again, supposedly for their own good.
The locals say that as fishing communities they have no
choice. Together with the experts, they have designed "escape
routes" leading straight for the nearby hills in the event of
another disaster.
Their plans to plant coconut trees, pines and mangroves are
not exactly to safeguard inland areas from another tsunami, as
the government intends.
"The mangroves are to provide shelter from the wind breeze as
this rusts our equipment in a short time. The mangroves wouldn't
be able to hold back a tidal wave like the one we recently
experienced," said Tarmizi, a village secretary.
The villages have different plans for the future of their
settlements. "For our village, Meunasah Tuha, we'll live 500
meters away from the sea," Tarmizi said. Houses would be located
near the hills, while the rice fields would be near the sea.
The villagers here, mostly farmers and fishermen, plan to
rebuild their homes soon so as to replace the current wooden
buildings. In so far as possible, the houses will be designed to
withstand earthquakes.
"Each home will cost around Rp 35 million," Yuli said.
Proper spatial and environmental planning, Yuli said, should
be the focus of the rebuilding effort, instead of relocating
communities.