Bringing building Standards in urban And rural areas to Harmonise as we build back stronger

While the call by Disaster Management Minister Inia Seruiratu for people to ensure their homes are cyclone resistant are welcome, the problem we are seeing could be the tip of an iceberg.

If there is an audit done on homes in the rural and maritime zone it would be interesting to find out the number of structures that fail to comply with the safety standards of the existing building code.

It is common knowledge that structures are built in the villages and rural areas without the necessary building checks to ascertain whether they conform to the required standards. They do not have plans, engineer’s report etc.

Secondly, many buildings are not regularly maintained and in dire need of urgent repair.

Cost usually is the inhibiting factor and is not seen as a priority when the focus is on putting food on the table, raising children and providing the other basic necessities of life like water and electricity.

They all come at a cost. When the roof finally leaks or a window or floor is broken then the need for maintenance is elevated to immediate action.

The big challenge here is how do we standardise the building standards across the board from the rural to the urban areas. Even in the urban centres they have their own problems with informal or squatter settlements. Many of these settlements are shanty “towns”.

While the Government is trying to address this issue, it is sad to note that it is not new. It has been here for the last 50 years and more and it has gotten worse. We have fallen short in our town and country planning and lack the political will to deal with the problem head-on. The current Government cannot resolve this overnight.

It has continued with its initiative to resettle squatters in safer locations and plots of land they can now proudly call their own.

The programme is costly and will take time. In the meantime, we must address the immediate need as highlighted by Mr Seruiratu. There needs to be a survey to find out the safety standards of houses in rural and urban areas. Once they are identified then we then can discuss and organise how we can fix the problems. It will need a collaborative effort across ministries with the Housing Ministry leading the charge.

This proactive approach will enable us to prepare better for an impending natural disaster and minimise the damaging impact of a cyclone on people’s lives. Just as we keep a close watch on building standards in urban areas we need to do the same in rural areas. It may mean working with people in the rural and maritime zone to build stronger and finding the means to pay for it.

Otherwise, we can expect a huge cost after a cyclone hits.