Rebuilding Aceh: A new towns with new hope

Rebuilding Aceh: A new towns with new hope

Gordon G Benton, Jakarta

It is more than likely that there will be an unholy battle
over the desolation in Aceh and North Sumatra on who is going to
rebuild the infrastructure, towns and villages.

From reports and information gleaned from the media, it seems
abundantly clear that Banda Aceh and the other towns destroyed by
the tsunami on Dec. 26 cannot be rebuilt on what's left of these
towns' foundations -- for that is what largely remains.

With such huge percentages of the populations killed whilst in
their homes, in the streets or on the foreshore and beaches, how
can anyone seriously consider building on what has become
essentially a massive graveyard? Our compassion is for those that
have died and our very real desire as human beings must now be to
protect and save the survivors.

Secondly, on a less emotional, but rather more objective
level, is the reality that any attempt to restore or rehabilitate
the infrastructure and buildings on these urban sites would be
both impractical and hugely expensive. Areas of the towns have
been inundated with tsunami-borne sand and other jetsam; other
areas where houses stood and roads ran, have been torn out and
now lie under the sea.

The alternative is both a solution and an opportunity. There
is an alternative to rebuilding these urban entities back on
their own foundations, probably at less capital cost and at the
same time offer the provinces new hope and peace of mind.

That is to rebuild on new selected sites, away from what must
now be left a memorial park.

The government has powers of compulsory acquisition, alas
seldom used, when it seemed to be important to do so. The process
of course must be transparent and clearly carried out in a manner
fair to the property owner and with regard to the well-being of
the nation.

With a proper evaluation of each destroyed town or village,
followed by a selection of sites for the relocation and
settlement of the new town, the government, through its
compulsory purchase powers, must designate the areas to be
acquired.

Given the nature and extent of the catastrophe that has
befallen the people of Aceh and North Sumatra, surely this
process of the identification and design could be completed in
three to six months.

The planning and building of the first critical phases of the
townships could be such that the first settlers would be housed
within 12 months-- in other words in 15 to 18 months from now.

This could be reduced to possibly nine months if temporary
housing was to be built-- for later upgrading and/ or used as a
transit home. The simple 20 foot container can be adapted for
everything from very simple abodes to sophisticated power plants
and hospitals.

The new town locations do not need to be remote from the old.
Indeed as the pain wears off, the survivors, as well as the new
citizens, will want to walk over the old town area, perhaps to
cry a little over the past or to be just reminded of the immense
and sudden power of nature.

The original town sites could be designated as national
memorial parks, which while retaining some of the remnants of the
lost civilization, all would be landscaped to give walk- and
cycle-ways, nature trails, giving back these relatively small but
hugely significant pieces of Indonesia back to nature.

Mangroves would be replanted, indigenous trees and plants laid
out perhaps in an arboretum concept-- not in a formal man-made
regimented design but as if by the hand of nature. Indonesia has
enough expertise to do a wonderful job here.

What about those who can prove ownership of a lot or part of
the destroyed town? Or those who are relatives of these deceased
land owners, or what about those who believe they own or have
rights over a particular or property but have no documentation to
back it up. There will be a great many in this last category. But
there will be a number who will want to take advantage of the
chaos to claim what was never theirs.

Whilst this will in may cases seem to be an almost impossible
situation to resolve, much of the charity offered to those very
people should and surely can be translated into a simple land-
transfer offer? 'Socializing' is an Indonesian word that surely
could be used here to good effect. Most of the criminals will be
exposed by bonafide survivors.

The government has to set up what we could call an 'Urban
Renewal Authority' -- a body which would orchestrate the urban
plan, then prepare the individual lots -- for handing over to
survivors (or whatever terms), and for sale to new settlers or
for auction (appropriate for commercial lots).

This would not all happen at once but a start must be made
immediately on site selection, land alienation, macro and micro
planning. Whilst the government is well aware of its
responsibilities in this crisis, it is my contention that the
Indonesian private section professionals in urban planning,
infrastructure and architectural design, site evaluation,
sociological structures -- not forgetting local cultural,
language and 'know-how' -- can and should be invited as important
and pivotal partners in this immensely important work.

Many Indonesian firms today have had excellent experience in
urban settlement design. They are now well used to working with
overseas professionals offered specialized experience, and these
would naturally be called up to aid in the work.

Can they be trusted with carrying out this task in an
organized, responsible and effective manner, incorporating the
latest urban technologies, whilst keeping in mind local concerns
of course.

I have to say here that there must be leadership -- from those
experienced in such work -- and an overall standards' code to
which all professionals must adhere. This has to include clear
rules on the handling of contracts and overall fiscal
accountability.

Decisions on the provision of drinking or non-potable water
for all, sewer treatment or septic tanks, traffic-calmed roads or
a free-for-all, enforced building regulations or letting 'beggar
thy neighbor' attitudes prevail, have to be decided from the
start. And at this point, surely this is the one real opportunity
to set a benchmark for all new developments in Indonesia.

How these development plans can be orchestrated, and, as
importantly, how these hopefully modern townships are to be
managed, can be the subject of another presentation, but there is
a role there too for the professionals in the private sector.

From disaster can in this way come fortune for the people of
Indonesia in general and Aceh and North Sumatra in particular.
This extraordinary opportunity should not be lost, Indonesians'
own expertise should not be forgotten under the glare of other
more powerful interests?

The writer is an architect and urban planner who has worked in
the region for 40 years. This is a personal view.