Supporting Safer Housing Reconstruction After Disasters – Part A

Supporting Safer Housing: Reconstruction after Disasters (2019), published by UN-Habitat, examines how post-disaster reconstruction can move beyond emergency response to become a long-term opportunity for safer, more resilient housing. Drawing on global case studies and policy frameworks, the report emphasizes the importance of risk-informed planning, community participation, and institutional coordination in rebuilding processes. Rather than treating reconstruction as a purely technical exercise, it frames housing recovery as a social, economic, and governance challenge central to sustainable urban development.

This feature presents Part A: Why Technical Assistance? of the report, which examines why technical assistance is central to housing recovery by outlining current challenges, owner-driven reconstruction approaches, guiding principles, and strategic recommendations for delivering sustainable, risk-informed recovery at scale.