The contribution of surveyors in post-disaster situations has helped communities globally. See some examples below.
Through the BuildAction initiative, the RICS Major Disaster Management Commission will ensure that more built environment professionals support disaster-related work and that humanitarian agencies know how best to use their skills.
Volcano damage in Montserrat
Following the 2002 volcano eruption in Montserrat, the UK Government’s International Development Department (DFID)employed a chartered surveyor as a project manager for the reconstruction effort.
Part of his remit was to carry out, and teach the local contractors, estimating, tendering and general financial management.
Flood Recovery in Sudan
A chartered quantity surveyor coordinated the Sudanese Ministry of Finance Emergency Flood Reconstruction Programme for the construction of new schools in Sudan.
He was responsible for the field implementation of the US$ 17m World Bank project.
Activities included preparing tender documents, procurement/logistics of imported and local materials, equipment and scholastic furniture, transportation, overseeing construction works, negotiating/ settling claims with building contractors, preparing major claims, controlling four materials storage sites, printing textbooks, and training.
Mapping refugee camps in Gaza
A chartered land surveyor worked in the Gaza strip, training and supervising a team of local Palestinian surveyors in the use of modern survey hardware and software, including Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
He completed the large-scale mapping of several highly populated refugee camps, helped to apply the Peace Implementation Programme’s infrastructure reconstruction projects, and worked closely with the UNRWA legal offices in cadastre and land ownership disputes.
In the highly charged and politically volatile environment of Gaza, he was required to display both technical excellence and socio/economic/political sensitivity.
He worked closely with various other international agencies on mapping, security, election monitoring, cadastral and land disputes. Based on these experiences as a surveyor in Gaza, he published ‘Mapping the Camps of the Gaza Strip: The surveyor in a political context’ (RICS Research).
Land Rights in East Africa
A chartered planning surveyor worked for UN Habitat, carrying out a review of tribal and colonial land rights in East Africa and how these affect the planning system.
She spent further time assessing shanty town improvement schemes in Nairobi and Kampala, looking at land rights, services, access; and the work of some of the more successful community self-help groups in housing construction.
Public Procurement Reform in Bangladesh
A chartered quantity surveyor provided services for the World Bank/Government of Bangladesh Public Procurement Reform Project including lecturing senior Government engineers on Government Procurement Management for Works, Goods and Services, preparing training materials, advising Government on the Public Procurement Act 2006 and Guide 2007, drafting four Standard Tender Documents (Works) for National & International Competitive Tendering for World Bank/Government of Bangladesh.
Road repairs in Sri Lanka
A chartered surveyor had first hand involvement after the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka whilst working on a large government highway project.
He played a key role in persuading the government agency to allow resources from the highway project to rebuild (with temporary steel bridges) the existing, damaged concrete road bridges, thus re-establishing the flow of traffic along the coast.
Bills of Quantities in Aceh, Indonesia
In July 2007, an Indonesian chartered surveyor was able to help an international NGO with some costing work for a school, at short notice. Bills of Quantities were prepared, based on drawings and specifications for housing in Aceh. The surveyor was able to advise on materials that were both suitable for the region, and disaster-appropriate.
The surveyor was already experienced in disaster work, and involved in housing, school, and clinic construction projects by the British Red Cross, Aussie Aid and others in Aceh.
Tender assessment in Indonesia
A chartered quantity surveyor was able to help an NGO assess tenders for a project to evaluate housing in Indonesia.
He brought his understanding of the way built environment professionals and their firms operate to the selection process.
