A 7.6 magnitude earthquake stuck the coast of West Sumatra, Indonesia on September 30, 2009, causing over 1100 deaths and 3600 injuries as a result of collapsing buildings and landslides. Over 200,000 houses were destroyed or severely damaged by the earthquake, with the greatest damages reported in Padang Pariaman district. This EMMA study was conducted on the locally produced brick market system in October 2009 to help inform humanitarian assistance for housing reconstruction. This report summarizes the results of this study and looks at three potential reconstruction scenarios that may impact the local supply of bricks. It then provides recommendations directed at the shelter cluster, NGOs/IOs and the government, which include providing technical guidelines on improving the safety and quality of reconstruction, providing microcredit loans or cash grants to small-scale brick manufacturers and ensuring that government financial compensation to affected households reflects the increased price of bricks.
Report authors:
Rick Bauer, Jonathan Brass
