Note No. 64 July 2001 Fostering Community Rehabilitation: Ecuador El Niņo Emergency Recovery Project Social Development Best Practice Elements · Comprehensive poverty diagnosis · Ongoing social assessment process · Participatory processes in implementation During the past decade, Ecuador has project reached the poorest and to identify suffered multiple natural disasters. It was mechanisms for community participation. hard hit by the El Nino phenomenon in 1982 Communities participated in a continuous and again in 1998. In addition to the analysis process during implementation. psychological effects on the population, thousands of homes were destroyed, road Impact of El Nino networks damaged, extensive agricultural areas rendered uninhabitable, and large During the El Nino phenomenon of 1998 the groups of people lost their livelihoods. littoral zones of Ecuador received heavy Natural disasters place additional strain on a precipitation, causing rivers to overflow and country classified as one of the poorest raising the sea level. Cities and rural areas countries in Latin America with 50.9% of were inundated. The total cost of the the total population living below poverty destruction is estimated at $2,869 million. line. Losses occurred through reduced agricultural production, diminished tourist In response, the World Bank, together with industry, collapse of public services, the Inter-American Development Bank and destroyed infrastructure and housing. the Corporacion Andina de Fomento, Approximately 15,000 homes in eight assisted the government to establish the El provinces were damaged or destroyed. Nino Emergency Recovery Project. The Ninety-five percent of destroyed housing project utilized social analysis in was situated in marginal areas. establishing criteria to ensure the ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ The task manager for this project was Jonathan Parker. Kristine Ivarsdotter, social development specialist and a member of the project team prepared this best practice note. The views expressed in this note are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the World Bank. Project Objectives eligible for participation in the project. These criteria were designed to target the The major objective of the project was to poorest. In each of the ten selected cities or assist in the reconstruction of the worst communities, a committee was created with affected coastal provinces. The project members from Civil Defense, the municipal financed infrastructure repairs of bridges, government, the community itself, and, in roads, and retaining walls along the coast some cases, private volunteers. These and also included the resettlement program. committees selected participating families The project resettled 1001 of the poorest based on the following criteria: families in Ecuador in new homes. These people could not return to their original · house destroyed beyond repair by El homes because housing had been destroyed. Nino, Local governments would not allow people · residence in the destroyed house at the to return to their previous areas of residence time of El Nino, which were considered high risk zones. · house located in one of the selected municipalities, Preparation of the project incorporated the · residence in temporary housing (rescue perspective that resettlement is not only centers, tents, in the streets or with other relocation, but needs to focus on social family or friends) development for sustainability. Ten local · family consists of at least three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) members, or two members if one or both were contracted to train members of urban are elderly people or if one of them is coastal communities in social and handicapped, community organization and income · family does not own other property in generating activities. Ecuador, · willingness to participate in the capacity Social Analysis in Establishing Criteria building classes and in community works The Center for Emergency Operations, together with municipal governments, Civil · agreement not to transfer the benefits of Defense, Red Cross and other non- participating in the project, nor to rent or governmental organizations (NGOs) had sell the property for 20 years. coordinated evacuations and rescue of affected people during the worst months of Municipalities prepared resettlement plans 1998. Using the information from these for each of the ten communities in groups, the Coordinating Unit for the collaboration with NGOs and with the "Programa de Emergencia para el Fenomeno assistance of the COPEFEN resettlement del Nino" (COPEFEN) first selected the team. Each resettlement plan included socio- hardest hit cities and municipalities for economic information with list of participation in the project. participating families, description of community participation, implementation Based on an initial stakeholder analysis, procedures, monitoring and evaluation COPEFEN identified characteristics of the procedures, and budgets and time-tables. poor affected by the El Nino floods. Each plan also included infrastructure plans COPEFEN then established criteria for and designs: urban designs, rainwater selection of the families that would be evacuation systems, sewage systems, drinking water supply, electrical networks, 2 architectural and structural housing designs, Project Outcomes and soil studies. 1001 homes have been constructed and are Resettlement involved the movement of now occupied by beneficiary families. In families from destroyed housing or shelters addition to construction of the housing, to higher quality housing in a safer area. An infrastructure works were implemented additional social development objective was primarily by local contractors. All associated to enhance poor families' sense of infrastructure installations (potable water, citizenship and community membership, to sanitation systems, electricity) have been raise their self esteem, and to help them completed. Problems have been identified in build a community with the capacity to only two of the sub-projects, i.e., in the make an impact on their own future. All the cities of Huaquillas and Bahia de Caraquez 1001 participating families were required where the systems are dependent on the from the onset of the project to participate in general system of the city. all preparation, implementation, and follow- up activities. This was a requirement for Although the resettlement programs eligibility to receive housing. involved relocation and construction of houses, the more important social Ownership in Implementation development outcome was the emergence of community and social networks. Affected In addition to municipalities' own families came from different zones. For preparation of resettlement plans and example, in the case of Portoviejo, the 100 infrastructure priorities, other factors families came from 18 different "barrios" in contributed to enhance ownership. During the city. There was no existing network or the implementation phase, local contractors sense of community. Families received were hired for construction. Officials in the training in social reconstruction and Ministry of Housing and the municipalities, community mobilization as well as in NGOs, and individuals participated in income restoration and improvement different stages of works. An NGO activities. "Los Cerezos" in Portoviejo is facilitated the interaction between the today the most advanced new "barrio" in the government, project personnel, and the resettlement program. communities for each of the ten resettlement projects. NGOs also carried out the training In each of the ten communities, families programs. now live in organized groups or "barrios." School attendance and employment have Community members and the participating increased. Small businesses, such as beauty families themselves were involved in NGO salons, tailor shops, mechanics, stores, and activities. Families followed and restaurants have been established. participated in the construction of their The communities have established their own respective houses, including preparing the social organizations and economic activities. land prior to construction. Community These include: members organized working groups to assist with construction efforts. Teams were also · security patrols formed for each of the ten sites and carried · fire brigades out social assessments under the guidance · electricity and water users' associations and supervision of the project team. · community self-help groups 3 · economic associations with micro- analyzed to try to determine the level of projects interaction and implementation · development initiative groups responsibilities. Detailed time schedules · elder and child care were drafted (and adjusted with time) in which the participation of each stakeholder Contribution of Social Analysis to Project from affected family to ministry officials Success was specified. The monitoring and evaluation system included daily follow up Identification of stakeholders, institutional on project activities by the communities analysis, participation strategy, monitoring themselves, by the contracted NGOs, and and evaluation system were the major pillars also by the COPEFEN resettlement team. in the social assessment which was carried The COPFEN team visited each site over 25 out during the preparation phase of the times in the two years of project resettlement programs. Identification of implementation. The continuous social families was a transparent process which analysis entailed on-going monitoring and involved all local stakeholders including the refinements of the process throughout families themselves who lived in the disaster implementation. area. The capacity of local institutions was "Social Development Notes" are published informally by the Social Development Family in the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network of the World Bank. For additional copies, contact Social Development Publications, World Bank, 1818 H Street, NW, MSN MC5-507, Washington, DC 20433, USA, Fax: 202-522-3247, E-mail: sdpublications@worldbank.org. Printed on Recycled Paper 4