Regenerative Design Methodologies

The traditional humanitarian system suggests works with stages or steps in the emergency response cycle. Broadly defined these are:

• Preparedness

• Mitigation

• Emergency Response

• Recovery

This model does not take account of the current times, when many crises are protracted over long periods of time. Earlier in this course we suggested that these stages need to inter-relate, so that preparedness and mitigation are also linked to recovery, using an emergency response that can evolve over time, and bring recovery with it, even if communities are unable to return to their former homes. 

Permaculture offers a design process that is referred to as SADIM or S.A.D.I.M. which stands for Survey, Assess, Design, Implement and  Maintain. You can read more about this process here.

Re-alliance have piloted a six stage process A.M.D.I.R.A. in its  🔗Designing Regenerative Change series. The six stages are 

•  Anticipating, or visioning 

• Mapping, 

• Designing, 

• Implementing, 

• Reflecting,        

• Adapting

Preparing for disaster or emergency response should start by Anticipating risks or crises that are likely in your area, and surveying potential land for displaced groups, as well as conflict and climate predictions. Mapping this land involves assessing its viability, the availability of resources locally and groups that can offer immediate support. Designing involves having designs for temporary accommodation from materials that can later be adapted into longer term homes, considering where food growing, water capture or grey water drainage might be included, so that people can quickly take a role in securing fresh or locally grown food. Implementing involves ensuring people resident in the space have the skills and knowledge to look after it and improve it themselves, with access to livelihoods that will enable them to eventually pay for services and reduce dependency on governments or host communities. Those involved in design should not ignore the value of reflecting, to learn from each different context, and being ready to adapt to changing circumstances, as this crisis evolves or others occur. Reflecting is important at every stage of the design process, in order to ask yourselves 'how far is this working? is there anything I could have done differently? What do I need to change? And Adapting, the final stage, involves making adaptations necessary to take account of what has happened. 

Regenerative technologies are designed to work together, using the compost collected in compost toilets to enrich soil for growing food, and the water saved through water retention activities to ensure there is sufficient for drinking, bathing, cooking and growing. How we respond to people in emergency situations and the control they are over to take over their lives will make a significant different to how far they as individuals or communities are able to thrive in spite of the disaster they have faced. 

The video below introduces you to an integrated settlement developed in Nakivale, Uganda, that aimed to use earth care, people care and fair share as core principles, supporting people to design, construct and take responsibility for their futures after being displaced by conflict. 

This course includes a final module on integrated settlement design, as well as individual modules on WASH, Shelter construction, Trauma Response, Food growing and Energy. We hope you will continue to progress through it. 

After you have watched the video below please complete the final quiz and decide which module you would like to take next. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19Pdmk_MCTfINUFZY1UMsODvMe9XS5CLXX8mMQR9OYdM/edit