Training on Build Back Better: Post-Disaster Recovery Planning

Post-disaster recovery is not only about restoring what was lost but also about reducing future risks and improving social, economic, and environmental conditions. Traditional recovery efforts often focus on rapid reconstruction without addressing underlying vulnerabilities, leading communities to face repeated losses from similar hazards.

The Build Back Better (BBB) approach promotes resilient reconstruction, inclusive planning, risk-informed development, and institutional reform following disasters. By integrating disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable development into recovery processes, BBB helps transform crises into opportunities for long-term resilience.

This course equips participants with the knowledge and practical tools to plan and implement recovery programs that follow the Build Back Better principles. It covers damage and needs assessment, recovery governance, resilient infrastructure design, livelihood restoration, social inclusion, financing mechanisms, and monitoring frameworks. Through real-world case studies and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to develop comprehensive recovery strategies that strengthen communities and institutions.

Duration

10 Days

Who Should Attend

• Disaster recovery and reconstruction officials
• Urban planners and infrastructure managers
• Development practitioners and NGOs
• Public finance and budgeting officers
• Engineers and architects
• Community development leaders

Individual Impact

• Strengthen recovery planning skills
• Improve risk-informed reconstruction knowledge
• Enhance coordination and stakeholder engagement capacity
• Develop resilient infrastructure design understanding
• Build program management expertise

Organizational Impact

• More effective recovery strategies
• Reduced vulnerability to future disasters
• Improved project coordination
• Sustainable reconstruction outcomes
• Stronger community resilience

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand Build Back Better principles
• Conduct post-disaster assessments
• Design resilient recovery programs
• Integrate risk reduction into reconstruction
• Develop recovery monitoring frameworks

Module 1: Introduction to Build Back Better and Recovery Planning

• Concept and evolution of BBB
• Recovery vs. reconstruction
• Global frameworks and standards
• Key principles of resilient recovery
• Practical Exercise: Identifying recovery challenges

Module 2: Post-Disaster Damage and Needs Assessment

• Rapid and detailed assessments
• Socioeconomic impact analysis
• Infrastructure damage evaluation
• Data collection tools
• Case Study: National recovery assessments

Module 3: Recovery Governance and Coordination

• Institutional arrangements
• Stakeholder engagement
• Community participation
• Donor coordination mechanisms
• Practical Exercise: Designing coordination structures

Module 4: Risk-Informed Reconstruction and Infrastructure Resilience

• Building codes and standards
• Climate-resilient design
• Land-use planning
• Nature-based solutions
• Case Study: Resilient housing programs

Module 5: Livelihood Restoration and Economic Recovery

• Supporting affected businesses
• Agriculture and rural recovery
• Skills development programs
• Financial inclusion strategies
• Practical Exercise: Designing livelihood recovery plans

Module 6: Social Inclusion and Community Recovery

• Gender-sensitive recovery planning
• Support for vulnerable populations
• Psychosocial recovery
• Community-led reconstruction
• Case Study: Inclusive recovery initiatives

Module 7: Financing Recovery and Reconstruction

• Public funding mechanisms
• Donor support and grants
• Insurance and risk financing
• Private sector participation
• Practical Exercise: Developing recovery budgets

Module 8: Environmental Sustainability in Recovery

• Debris management
• Ecosystem restoration
• Sustainable materials
• Green reconstruction practices
• Case Study: Environmentally sustainable recovery projects

Module 9: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Accountability

• Recovery performance indicators
• Transparency mechanisms
• Impact assessment
• Learning systems
• Practical Exercise: Designing M&E frameworks

Module 10: Long-Term Resilience and Development Integration

• Linking recovery to development plans
• Institutional reforms
• Policy improvements
• Scaling resilient practices
• Practical Exercise: Developing a Build Back Better recovery roadmap