Oxfam’s Collapsible Shelter Initiative: An Innovative Solution to Repeated Emergencies

At an average rate, the Philippines withstands eight to nine tropical storms that make landfall, while an additional ten more enters its waters every year. Its geographic location has left it exposed to violent weather changes and made it vulnerable to storm surges. These recurrent weather conditions have presented several shelter and resettlement concerns that are yet to be addressed with durable solutions which aim to provision affected families with livelihood opportunities, access to basic social infrastructures and services, amongst others. Although creating durable solutions remains the utmost priority, the incipience of another tropical storm enforces organizations like Oxfam and Green Mindanao to come up with innovative solutions that will cater to immediate needs.

On July 8, 2014, Oxfam conducted its first demonstration of the collapsible prototype shelter project at the Leyte Park Hotel. The event was attended by different sectors, including barangay representatives from the municipalities of Tanauan and Tacloban City, as well as, staff from DSWD, Green Mindanao, ICSC, Handicap International, Save the Children, IFRC, PCA, All Hands, Samaritans Purse, and IOM.

Hashmi Zubair, Oxfam’s Shelter Programme Team Leader, explains the organization’s Collapsible Shelter Initiative to representatives from different sectors

The main aim of the demonstration is to address the relocation issues that internally displaced persons are still experiencing. After eight months, families who were affected by Haiyan’s devastation remain in substandard living conditions while residing in makeshift houses and tents. In Oxfam’s shelter intervention areas alone – Tanuan and Tacloban City – around 10,000 families in No Build Zone areas need to be relocated; but while government efforts are geared towards creating a permanent relocation, an immediate intervention was initiated by Oxfam and its implementing partner Green Mindanao in preparation for the possibilities effectuated by the usual typhoon season.

The intervention introduced as the Collapsible Shelter Initiative was engineered to explore a shelter design that will provide a rapid, reusable, and transportable solution to families facing repeated disasters. During the demonstration, a scale model of a collapsible shelter, made from local materials such as nipa shingles, amakan, and coco lumber, was presented. The Oxfam and Green Mindanao team showed how the collapsible shelter can be dismantled in order to provide the attendees a more vivid picture of the initiative being explained. While the small scale model was dismantled in a span of 15 minutes by five members of the team, the rapid collapsing time of the actual shelter falls under a more realistic 2-3 hours and does not require skilled labour in dismantling and rebuilding the structure. Its “easy to build and detach” characteristic will allow its beneficiaries to independently manage evacuation situations when necessary, at the same time, ensuring dignified living conditions while awaiting directives on their permanent relocation sites.

This will be initiated in San Roque, Tanauan where 14 households in No Build Zones have committed to be part of the project after a community consultation was conducted by the Oxfam Shelter Team. This will then be linked to other shelter initiatives that continue to improve barangay-level contingency plans, build capacities, and establish entrepreneurship.

Members of the Oxfam and Green Mindanao Collapsible Shelter Initiative Team