Newsletter 7 / English version
November 2015
IFRC-SRU
WINTERIZATION CONTINUES
Final prototype WinterTent, inner view
CONFERENCE ON WINTERIZATION Since begin of 2014 IFRC-SRU has been dedicating research & development efforts on different aspects of winterisation. Understanding thermal comfort, exploring and testing insulation materials and designing and testing different shelter options for cold climate. The fourth IFRC-SRU annual conference was held in Luxembourg on May 20 and 21 2015, at the “Center Leonardo DaVinci” of the Luxemburg
“Association des Ingenieurs et Architects”. The topic featured was “Winterisation”. This topic was chosen to answer to the demand from the field in the various operations on-going in cold climate contexts (Syria operations, Ukraine, Nepal) and the interest confirmed in the topic during last years conference. Like the previous year, the conference brought together actors from different Red Cross National Societies, IFRC, UN
agencies, various NGO’S, Universities and the private sector to share research results and practical experience from the field, creating the link between needs and realities. Apart from presenting examples of winterized shelter solutions, the main discussion focussed on how to set standards for thermal comfort, other related technical criteria (air quality, ventilation etc.) and how to achieve and measure them. IFRC-SRU presented research on performance criteria for thermal comfort as well as the approach to methodologically testing those criteria in real life conditions as demonstrated in Mongolia. At the consultation session held at the end of the conference the participants pro-
World map showing zones where shelter solutions should be adapted to cold climate
Shelter Research Unit Innovating shelter
HUMANITARIAN CONGRESS BERLIN The Humanitarian Congress Berlin is an international platform for exchanging information, experiences and ideas of humanitarian aid. This years Congress took place from 9 -10 October 2015 and brought together 750 participants and speakers from around the world to reflect on the main theme “Understanding Failure – Adjusting Practice” IFRC-SRU was invited by German Red Cross to jointly conduct an experienced practitioners workshop on the topic “Building Back BetterReconstruction and rehabilitation.” The workshop highlighted the importance and possible long term impact of key decisions taken in the emergency phase, where the level of information is lowest and pressure to act is highest. Based on different case studies from the field the over 30 participants debated the question of how to identify and measure or failure of a shelter project and discussed possible concepts and strategies to avoid ■ such failure.
posed and rated most important and interesting areas for further research. The most highly rated topics that came out from this exercise are: • Quality criteria for shelter design and evaluation: minimum standards, “adequate” and “good enough” shelters, with 29% of votes. This topics included subject like deepen research on performance-criteria for winter but also to more clearly define “hurricane resistant shelter” or deepen the research on the relation between shelter quality and beneficiary health. • “Technical topics” with 22% including “retrofitting solutions for different disaster types” as well as insulation materials and shelter components like floor and roof solutions for different types of construction and disaster resistance.
• “traditional construction techniques and materials to provide contextualised solutions” with 20% • “Recycling and environmen tal impact” with 18% propos ing to look at producing construction materials from different kinds of recycled waste, how to recycled materials after decommissioning including environmental impact studies on different kinds of large shelter responses. IFRC-SRU is committed to explore these topics through it’s projects and research collaborations and to present find-
The ambition of the project is to integrate benefits of new technologies or “high tech” materials to serve the low tech applications humanitarian operations in often remote places. At the same time all developments aim to reduce weight and cost facilitate transport
If you are interested to investigate any of these topics or already have conducted studies or collected relevant material please do not hesitate to contact us. ■
Test set-up in different tents during the cold climate testing in Mongolia (above and below)
Group discussion to identify new topics of interest for further research
UPDATE: Speedkits update As presented regularly within this newsletter, IFR-SRU has played a lead role in the shelter component of the 4 year project called S(p)eedkits funded by the EU 7th framework agreement (now horizon 2020) involving partners from different sectors (academic, textile laboratory, industry, humanitarian agencies).
ings at the next conference on May 3–4 2016 in Berlin.
and ease of assembling while at the same time improving the lifespan and technical performance of the products. Final prototypes of every shelter model have been produced, integrating the last updates and developments. The prototypes are now on their way to Senegal were they will be field tested in December. The prototpyes of all developments have already be presented during Aidex on 18–19November 2015 at MSF Belgium EBC training center. Displayed prototypes included the four shelter types, developed under IFRC-SRU
guidance, as well as other kits developed within the S(p)eedkits project such as a concrete recycling kit, a water tower kit, a faecal sludge pasteuriser, a water drilling kit and a command centre including communication kit and tracking software. More information can be found through the project web site: www.speedkits.eu. Technical description sheet, packing list and assembly manual has been prepared for each kit and we would welcome interest and input from procurement and logistics departments in order to improve and finalize these documents. The final step will be to develop the pricing for the different kits. ■
UPCOMING EVENTS RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT MOVEMENT STATUTORY MEETINGS IN GENEVA 04–11 DECEMBER IFRC-SRU will be presenting the newly developed winter tent during the week of the RCRC movements statutory meetings this year in Geneva. The development of this tent is showcased as a true Movement initiative. Initial research funded by Luxemburg Red Cross, the actual tent development and testing funded by British Red Cross, produced by Turkish Red Crescent Shelter and Settlements Enterprise and field tested in Mongolia with the support of Mongolian Red Cross society. The tent is designed to provide quality emergency shelter in cold climate contexts. ■
SAVE THE DATE! ‚Innovative sheltering – assessing existing solutions, proposing new ideas‘ The next IFRC-SRU conference will take place on 3–4 May 2016, hosted by German Red Cross at their National Headquarters, Carstennstrasse 58, 12205 Berlin. The idea is to investigate what “innovation” means or could mean for the shelter sector. We welcome presentations showcasing solutions from the field that build on local and / or traditional techniques with innovative aspects, as well as new concepts, technologies and materials. Please contact us if you have something interesting to share on the topic. ■
Clever roof
The different shelter types under development
Evaluation OF the SHELTER RESPONSE TO THE 2015 MADAGASCAR FLOODS In June 2015 the IFRC-SRU the Federation undertook a multisectorial review of the response to the January 2015 Tropical Cyclone Chezda and the above normal precipitations and floods that severely hit the country in the following months. IFRC-SRU was mandated by the regional IFRC office in Kenya (leading the operation) through the IFRC Shelter
and Settlement Department in Geneva to cover the shelter component of the evaluation.
Red Cross national societies, IFRC, UNOCHA) to volunteers and beneficiaries.
The one week review was mainly conducted in Antananarivo, but also included visits to other affected areas in order to gather evidence from different affected regions and interview a wide spectrum of actors, ranging from humanitarians (regional and country representatives of various
Moreover, they could participate in a lessons learned workshop organised by the Malagasy Red Cross. The review confirmed that the exposure to flooding is aggravated by an increase in unsafe and informal constructions in areas normally designated to
CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP A SHELTERING CONCEPT FOR RETURNEES IN UKRAINE Since November 2013, Eastern Ukraine faces an unstable situation. During the fighting many houses were damaged or destroyed. Luxembourg Red Cross is running basic relief as well as shelter operations in Ukraine and has called for IFRC-SRU consultancy to propose suit-
NEW COLLABORATION IFRC-SRU is excited to announce a new collaboration with Flexiway Solar Solutions to finalize the development of a solar-powered Shelter Socket. The concept developed by PRACTICA Foundation, a Dutch NGO specialised in water, energy and sanitation technologies in collaboration with IFRC - Shelter Research Unit is a solar power outlet that can be installed in any tent or light shelter structure. Like a wall socket in a house the shelter socket will provide a power source for
as floodplains to reduce the risk of flooding.
In conclusion The technical shelter capacity was identified as a point to continue building up and strengthening capacities of the National Society through regular trainings focusing on Shelter kits, basic assessments and safety measures. Furthermore an adaptation of the shelter kits to local contexts could be envisaged as well as the development and use of a community shelter construction kits. ■
able sheltering options for harsh winter to below -20° C and with view to permanent reconstruction. Already the houses have been classified into three groups by the local authorities, ranging from lightly destroyed (category 1) to heavily destroyed (category 3).
the inhabitants to plug in a lamp or charge small electronic devices like mobile phones. This product is the direct answer to needs flagged from the field, to provide refugee communities with simple, low-cost off-grid energy solutions. IFRC-SRU is very much looking to continue to work with PRACTICA and welcomes the new collaboration with Flexiway, that will make it possible to bring this development to large scale production and finally to the beneficiaries. ■
Signing agreement with Flexiway to develop and produce the Shelter Socket
Destroyed house in Ukraine selected for the Core Module reconstruction approach
According to the City Council there are around 200 houses in Slavyansk registered as category 3 that belong to “official” returnees, meaning the person previously resident in that house, formerly displaced because of the war and returned to Slavyansk due to the improvement of the security situation. Out of this group the most vulnerable were selected to launch a pilot project. The main objective of the project is to provide the returnee’s with habitable houses that conforms to the strict regulation set out by the authorities, by providing structural works (roof structure and load-bearing walls), sanitation (bathroom, latrine) and cooking space or kitchen using quality construction materials and appropriate insulation. The concept proposed, follows the origi-
nal blueprint of the destroyed house and aims at rebuilding a first Core Module on the remaining foundations ensuring a minimum living space and respecting the general typology. This
“Seed Core Module” rebuilds one room from which the rest of the house can be extended in the forthcoming years according to the need of the families. After concluding negotiations and tender, the first bricks were laid early September. The beneficiaries should enter their houses before Christmas. ■
Shelter Research Unit Innovating shelter
ONGOING PROJECTS BANGLADESH NATIONAL GUIDELINES
After the first successful collaboration with the Bangladeshi NGO friendship to conduct a technical shelter workshop in November 2014 in Gaiabanda, Bangladesh, IFRC-SRU and Friendship are continuing to work together. The conclusions and recommendations developed with the participants during the Gaiabanda workshop inspired the Department of Disaster Management to continue the process and develop National Guidelines for sheltering and reconstruction that should
These guidelines are meant to provide clear guidance for emergency sheltering as well as for post-disaster reconstruction for the different regions of Bangladesh and notably the different types
Project Update WINTER TENT The IFRC-SRU has finalized the design of a winter tent integrating the last findings from the testing done in Mongolia in January and February 2015 with the support of Mongolian Red Cross. The development of this winter tent was funded by British Red Cross and pro-
totypes produced by Turkish Red Crescent Shelter and Settlement enterprises. Norman Foster & Partner Architects have provided pro bono support for structural calculations and proposed heating concepts. The tent is particularly designed to be used in climates
of disasters that are recurrent in Bangladesh. They will propose general performance standards as well as technical standards for different techniques and materials, all in line with existing policies and best practices. Friendship has engaged IFRCSRU as consultant to help draft the content of these guidelines in close collaboration with the Housing & Building Research Institute (HBRI). The government’s objective for the guidelines is to assure that support invested in sheltering after disaster is to the extent possible focussed on sustainable and long-term solutions. The standards will also include a catalogue of model designs that are adapted to the different regions of Bangladesh and consequently to the different disaster types predominantly occurring in those regions. Furthermore there is an orien
with cold winters. The improved thermal performance is due to different design and material aspects: • airtightness through an PVC outer tent and • floor insulation through an insulting carpet (as research ahs shown that around 30% of heatloss occurs through the floor • inner tent made from an innovative insulating material developed by the Marmara University textile development department. This material is made from recycled PET, is low cost, has high insulation capacity and is flame retardant.
tation towards promotion of local building techniques and material while at the same time assuring structural safety to protect from future disasters. As to our knowledge, this kind of initiative by a national government to develop National Guidelines for shelter and reconstruction in consultation with all involved stakeholders is unique and can be considered as ground-breaking. The Guidelines will provide a clear and consistent framework to INGOs and all actors in the field of emergency sheltering and reconstruction and should significantly contribute to raise the quality and sustainability of shelter interventions. Friendship, HBRI and IFRCSRU are working hand in hand to get a first draft of the guidelines ready for review by end of 2015. ■
• ceiling with heat-reflecting lamination to decrease heatloss through the roof. The winter tent offers better thermal comfort to beneficiaries in cold climate contexts to protect their health and wellbeing. Given the current situation in Europe, the tent is drawing much attention from countries receiving larger numbers of refugees. The winter tent was already exhibited at the Humanitarian Congress in Berlin as well as at the UK Shelter Forum hosted by British Red Cross on November 13th in London, at the Barbican Center. ■
Contact ifrc-sru@croix-rouge.lu IFRC - SRU Cité Henri Dunant 10, L-8095 Bertrange Tél. 27 55 - 89 02
Winter tent
Supported by the Red Cross Societies of the BENELUX
Layout: www.titrobonbon.de
Consultation session for National Guidlines
pave the way to assuring that emergency shelter responses contribute to the improvement of the rural housing stock and more resilient communities. The idea has been successfully followed up by Friendship with the Department of Disaster Management and the Housing & Building Research Institute. A further consultation workshop was held on July 3rd and 4th in Dhaka, convening the relevant government officials, Shelter Cluster participants the HBRI, IFRC-SRU and other stakeholders. This workshop concluded already with a draft table of content for “National Guidelines for Rural Housing in Disaster-Prone Areas in Bangladesh”.