A new model for decision making in refugee camps
| University | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech |
|---|---|
| Centre/Departament/Grup de recerca | ETSECCPB, DECA, ECA |
| Research title | A new model for decision making in refugee camps designed by UPC-BarcelonaTech |
| Scientific area | Engineering and architecture |
| Sustainable Development Goals related (SDGs) | SDG 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable SDG 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development |
| Target(s) to which it contributes | 11.1. By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums 11.3. By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries 11.5. By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations 11.b. By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels 17.6. Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism 17.7. Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed |
| Further information | https://www.upc.edu/ccd/ca/accions-al-sud/projectes-2017/u006
http://www.smartarchitectureforhumanity.com/ |
The general objective is to provide a multi-criteria tool for decision making in refugee camps developed at the UPC-BarcelonaTech. The main goal is to maximize the satisfaction of potential refugees and minimize the negative impacts. In this sense, another very important objective is to improve the management of all the resources and waste produced.
The team identified three main problems. First, the existence of various areas of temporary housing built with inappropriate technologies, taking into account environmental aspects, natural (earthquakes) and cultural risks. The second is the high risk of a high magnitude earthquake in several nerve centers of the country (Iran) such as the capital, Tehran, and the lack of means and resources to decide the location and type of construction for the displaced persons (which can reach up to tens of thousands). The last is that NGOs and government agencies, when building emergency homes, have no tools to take into account the requirements that provide their users with satisfaction as Doctor Amin Hosseini’s doctoral studies show.
This project was supported by the Cooperation Center for Development (CCD) and the counterpart, the Islamic Azad University of Tehran (Iran). This research contributes mainly to SDG11, as it will allow cities located in areas where there is a risk of dangerous natural phenomena of having tools to reduce their vulnerability and mitigate the possible risk. In this sense, it seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, secure, resilient and sustainable; as well as building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation. It also contributes to SDG17.
This is the case, for example, of Tehran, Iran, a city of 8,5 million inhabitants that will be able to benefit from the results of this investigation. These results today are included in several completed doctoral thesis, several master thesis, book chapters, scientific articles and conferences.
The continuity of the project is a reality with the current project “Decision-making models for sustainable and participatory post-disaster reconstruction in areas of high seismic risk: the case of Kermanshah, Iran”, which also has the economic support of the CCD, of the above-mentioned counterpart and of two more counterparts: the Kermanshah municipal government and the Iranian Housing Foundation association.
