Nova Vida: Novel Approach for Vital Infrastructure Post Disaster

A paradigm shift in how post-disaster reconstruction processes occur will happen when community wellbeing and infrastructure deployment are equally considered. This research, co-designed with international stakeholders, evaluates post-disaster management cases in four cities in Ecuador, to create new bottom-up community-led frameworks for infrastructures development. It utilizes innovative virtual reality scenarios to capture non-technical people responses to different built environments, and evaluate their practical implementation considering indigenous construction practices, social and cultural preferences. The level of acceptance of such solutions is paramount for long-term vulnerability reduction, and wellbeing of survivors (Sustainable Development Goal - SDG 3). This research will transform how post-disaster infrastructure is conceived, following a multi-disciplinary approach combining social and computer sciences with architecture and materials engineering. This research addresses the UN’s SDG 11, enabling to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable post-disaster; assessing community lead disaster management scenarios (SDG11.B) with the aim to reducing economic losses (SDG11.5).

The research specifically addressed three objectives as follows:

• OBJ1. Critical policy analysis of post-disaster reconstruction strategies in Ecuador, emphasising technologies, materials and social dynamics employed in post-disaster development of housing and community centres.

• OBJ2. Co-developed with survivors from four cities in Ecuador new reconstruction strategies for long-term wellbeing through bottom-up community led initiatives.

• OBJ3. Created virtual reality scenarios of new post-disaster solutions for housing and community centres to determine the feasibility of its implementation, and level of local acceptance, compared with existing post-disaster infrastructure solutions.

NOVA VIDA followed a multi-disciplinary approach combining social sciences and engineering tools including: (i) cases study analysis, (ii) core empirical work through interviews, focus groups and stakeholder workshops in Ecuador, (iii) Immersion of non-technical people in simulated scenarios using virtual reality.

The project was completed with project proposals for Portoviejo city and the development of bamboo-bahareque systems for eco-sustainable housing systems, integrating vernacular knowledge with the most advanced scientific knowledge.