Information Resources
What follows is a selection of information resources
on reconstruction, under the headings of: web-
based resources; published resources; and agencies
with resources to provide. Most of them also link to
or give details about other resources for information
about more specific subjects. Additional specific
information resources are suggested in other tools
in this Toolkit.
A. Web-based resources – International
1. Active Learning Network for Accountability
and Performance in Humanitarian
Action (ALNAP), hosted by the Overseas
Development Institute (ODI), London,
UK. The focus of ALNAP is to raise the
capacities of its members that comprise many
leading agencies involved in humanitarian
responses to disasters. The website includes
downloadable resources in the areas of
learning, performance, evaluation and
innovation in humanitarian action, as well as
a number of Lessons Papers. The Evaluative
Reports Database allows users to search a
large range of information sources, many of
which can also be downloaded. For further
information see: http://www.alnap.org or
contact: alnap@alnap.org
2. Best Practice Database in Improving the
Living Environment, hosted by UN-Habitat.
This database contains thousands of projects
on human settlements. Projects are entered
two-yearly, following an award competition
supported by Dubai Municipality. 2006 and
2008 submissions are described fully, while
earlier records are summaries. Only a small
number of records cover reconstruction
projects, but several others offer insights that
could be useful in a post-disaster context.
For further information see: http://www.
bestpractices.org or contact: bestpractices@
unhabitat.org.
3. Building Advisory Service and Information
Network (basin). The main focus of this site
is on construction technologies, with some
additional coverage of social, economic and
environmental issues in human settlement.
It contains some information on the partners,
most of whom have reconstruction experience.
The principal information source is
publications, some of which are downloadable.
Unfortunately, very little new information
has been put on this site during the past five
years. For further information see: http://www.
basin.info
4. Building and Social Housing Foundation
(BSHF). BSHF works to facilitate the transfer
of knowledge and experience through a range
of knowledge sharing activities, including
community exchange events and international
study visits carried out each year to World
Habitat Award winning projects (see: http://
www.worldhabitatawards.org). Two awards
are given annually to projects from the global
North as well as the South that provide
practical and innovative solutions to current
housing needs and problems. For further
information, see: http://www.bshf.org/
5. Community Planning Website, established by
Nick Wates Associates Ltd., with support of
DFID. This web site provides an introduction
to community planning, explains its
principles, and offers methods, tools, case
studies as well as further resources.
See: http://www.communityplanning.net
6. DESINVENTAR is an inventory of disasters of
various types, large and small, initiated by the
Latin American La Red network. Its contents
is not limited to Latin America, though, and
it does provide a good source of information
on the disaster history of a range of countries.
See: http://online.desinventar.org.
7. ELDIS, hosted by the Institute of Development
Studies (IDS), Brighton, UK. This is a large
on-line searchable information resource on
many aspects of international development.
Several hundreds of its records are directly
relevant to disasters; these contain a
summary and links to enable downloading,
making contact, or ordering a hardcopy. For
further information see: http://www.eldis.
org (homepage) or contact: eldis@ids.ac.uk.
A specific resource guide on humanitarian
assistance has also been produced, see:
http:www.eldis.org/go/topics/resource-guides/
aid/humanitarian-and-emergency-assistance.
8. Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and
Recovery (GFDRR), managed by the World
Bank, Washington, USA, on behalf of many
donors supporting the implementation of
the Hyogo Framework for Action. GFDRR
prioritises disaster risk reduction, including
in recovery. Resources on the searchable
database include GFDRR documents as well
as relevant World Bank documents. For further
information see: http://gfdrr.org/
9. Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN), hosted
by the Overseas Development Institute,
London, UK. The HPN is an on-line network
of humanitarian researchers and practitioners.
Its website contains all editions of the
Humanitarian Exchange Magazine, network
papers, good practice reviews, meeting reports
and on-line discussions. The focus of much of
the site is on academic research, and only a
minority of the resources are specifically about
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