Risk Reduction Tectonics - Installation at Datum:KL 2011 Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival

Despite the current brouhaha over problems of natural disaster, man-made disaster, calamity, and so on, the issue of sustainability is not just limited to matters of planning, design and technology. Our experiences in disaster response and recovery activities for the past 10 years assert that the core component in ensuring sustainability, whether in terms of physical or non-physical aspects is the people. In the last decade, the world has witnessed a multitude of natural disaster ranging from the great tsunami of 2004 to the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  Relief efforts from international agencies have contributed in improving the lives of the disaster victims.

As a medical relief organization, MERCY Malaysia had to widen its areas of expertise within a short period of time. Most of the time, we know little about what to expect, but with the support of volunteers of a multi-faceted background, MERCY Malaysia finally managed to gather most of the required professionals to start its rebuilding and reconstruction projects. With the inception of its Technical Team in 2005, MERCY Malaysia is committed to analyze, research and propose effective means of disaster management by approaching each of our reconstruction projects carefully. This commitment include proposing projects and programs which promotes community participation and enabling them to protect themselves against disaster, which is also known as Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM). Other important aspect in approaching each works are by trying to achieve an understanding for the public and end users in becoming a prepared and responsive community through comparative studies of the effectiveness of processes, guidelines, policies and concepts.

For Datum:KL 2011, we are happy to share with the public our experiences and approaches in some of our disaster response and recovery activities. The commitment from our professional team members that comprise a number of volunteering architects, engineers, surveyors and many others that are involved in the built environment industry and practices have created a solid network that is always ready to contribute in the processes of total disaster risk management.  
                                                                                                      
Installation design and text by Norazam Abu Samah, Fairus Salehen and Hafiz Amirrol
Construction by Kamaruddin Ibrahim
Photo courtesy of Datum:KL 2011