Sustainability of Post-disaster Temporary Houses: A Review of Principles and Assessment Methods

Post-disaster construction is a challenging and time-consuming process. This fact is rooted in a diverse set of problems, from costs and resourcing to land tenure and human resources. In such complex circumstances, sometimes using temporary or transitional houses as part of the recovery process is inevitable, especially in adverse weather conditions and large-scale disasters. As a result, post-disaster temporary houses are built and used around the world each year. They include a variety of structural systems and materials. In recent years, because of climate change and the need to be more environmentally aware, the building of temporary houses and the material with which they are built has come into focus. According to global reports on internal and international displacement, the number of people who are displaced because of the consequences of climate change is increasing, and the need for green post-disaster shelters and temporary houses built around the world is felt more than before. Therefore, the sustainability of temporary houses and the green shelter concept are becoming increasingly important. On the other hand, post-disaster housing is usually concerned with urgency, time pressure, resourcing issues, and other conflicting objectives, which make sustainability issues neglected or of less priority. In this regard, reconstruction sustainability guidelines and assessment methods may help decision-makers choose appropriate housing and materials in critical post-disaster situations or in the preplanning stages. Using a critical literature review, this paper aims to examine and classify the sustainability principles and assessment methods of temporary housing solutions currently used in post-disaster recovery projects.