Post Natural Disaster Transitional Shelters - 2889 Words

Post-Natural Disaster: Transitional Shelters Alyssa Rupp University of Minnesota The obtainment of a safe shelter is placed alongside nourishment in a human’s basic survival requirements. It lands within the second layer of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, following the most essential physiological layer (breathing, food, water, sleep etc.). 17% of the global population is without an acceptable shelter. Millions of people live in homes in desperate need of energy efficiency or structural enhancements (Jha Duyne, 2010). The world is in flux and seemingly uncontrollable. In recent years, natural disasters have increased in severity; as a result, the design and development of transitional shelters†¦show more content†¦The numbers have grown from approximately 78 in 1970 to 450 in 2010, declaring it the deadliest year (EM-DAT, 2011). This increase is due to the giant and ever growing, uncontrollable, hairy, monster that is global warming. Climate changes are escalating the ocean and atmosphere temperatures, creating more intense storms of all types. Those in the developed world are not invulnerable. The severe temperatures, heat waves, flooding and droughts expose vast numbers to the life of an eco-refugee (Meinhold, 2013). The human’s green eye and rapid relocations to undeveloped land and fertile soil additionally cause this deadly increase. People are poking the bear by tempting the flood-prone regions with rapid urbanization. As cement engulfs and devours the earth’s floor, becoming our primary terrain, soil is unable to act as the designated natural sponge to the excessive run-off. The consequences of human’s environmental alterations are wreaking havoc. A designer adopts the highest challenges when developing shelter for another human, especially from the dangers that lurk post natural disaster. Transitional shelters need to be constructed quickly. Victims need to be sheltered immediately. There is no grantee as to how urgent the government will be able to conduct the reconstruction of a region (Meinhold, 2013). The designer must begin with the assumption