Influencing factors on the scale of return and its
challenges
In every affected people, there is always the desire to return home. There are external factors that can influence their decision. The most influential is their confidence due to the aftershocks diminishing. When they overcome the trauma, they will think about their assets and livelihood back home. Their children need to be back in the classroom. If those living in the refuge share this idea, one family can be a pioneer and create a bandwagon effect[vi]. Then there will be a massive home returning.
But some challenges can impede the smoothness of this process.
Unprepared utilities in their home areas will put them in tents or refuges
longer. Water can be an issue, such as debit and the quality due to the pipe needing
repair. Repairing of pipes needs to wait until rubble removal can be completed.
Electricity also needs to be well functioned as they need to run their
appliances moreover the coming summer they need for the refrigerator. They might
also consider repairing their houses, but more than hardware vendors and
builders will be required in the current market.
Preparing massive return
It is essential to understand the uniqueness of recovery pathways. People must be able to choose which recovery process they should follow. But they can be assisted by preparing the market. As inflation of construction material and labor costs is inevitable, strengthening the local market can reduce the impact of inflation. If cement, steel rebar, and other materials can be available with sufficient amounts and stable prices during recovery, the risk of interruption of the recovery process can be minimized. All of these need government policy and local economic development strategy. It is always challenging to link the housing recovery with sustainable economic growth if extensive umbrella to maintain the market is unavailable.
Other market actors are the builders. As this disaster could
be the biggest in decades, skilled or qualified builders are less than needed. Therefore
adding new builders or even training the homeowners to repair their houses will
be crucial. There should be messaging and training in their home areas to ensure
they can repair their houses properly. Otherwise, people just put plaster and
paint, such as cosmetics but overlook to ensure that weakened parts need to be
repaired.
Lastly, the decision to return home or stay in the tents or
refuge solely depends on each household. It cannot be predicted when or how big,
but it can be anticipated. Government and humanitarian agencies have an essential
role in anticipating the return and preparing the ecosystem so that
self-recovery can naturally happen and robust house can be achieved.
Gaziantep May 6, 2023.
Arwin Soelaksono
Photo: Twitter @StepHaiselden[vii]
[i] Support
to Life. Emergency Situation Report 26 April 2023
[ii] OCHA.
2023 Earthquakes Situation Report No. 11 As of 23 March 2023
[iii] Support
to Life. Emergency Situation Report 26 April 2023
[iv] Temporary
Settlement Support Sector Turkey EQ Response Sector Briefing 27 April 2023
[v] Shelter
Sector Türkiye. Information brief Shelter Sector No. 1 – 28 April 2023
[vi] The
tendency for people to adopt certain behaviors, styles, or attitudes simply
because others are doing so.
[vii] https://twitter.com/StepHaiselden
