KARACHI Aug 8: The three-day SAARC conference on construction of low-cost housing units ended here on Wednesday defining the role of research and development institutions for introducing appropriate technologies for low-cost housing in the light of experiences of the member countries.
According to the recommendations framed at the concluding session, the research and development institutions in the SAARC region shall collect, evaluate and select the building technology that is most appropriate to the region, keeping in view their socio-economic conditions, cultural traditions, natural disasters and bio- climatic zones.
Research on further reduction of cost of housing through use of indigenous and alternative materials, will be done by research and development institutions of the SAARC countries.
It called for assessing the potential and prospects of interactive mechanism between NGOs, CBOs, end-users, construction industry, research and development institutions and policy-makers at government level.
It agreed to the preparation of a web-site/directory of R&D institutions in the area of low-income housing/shelter in the region.
The workshop strongly recommended the establishment and development of a web-site of SAARC R&D organisations, educational institutions, NGOs and CBOs involved in housing R&D in order to create a database of scientific resources relating to R&D activities in the housing sector and to enable the member countries to access information electronically from each other.
It emphasised that this task be entrusted to those SAARC member countries, which are experienced in R&D activities relating to housing.
It was pointed out that this web-site could be jointly prepared by the council for works and housing research in Pakistan and Bangladesh house-building research institute.
It was agreed that for a better interaction between SAARC countries, similar workshops/ symposia be arranged at regular intervals both at the national and regional levels.
While emphasising on assessment of national and regional needs and priorities in the housing sector, the conference identified the priorities of low-cost housing sector in the SAARC region as under:
Establishment/strengthening of R&D institutions with emphasis on promoting R&D products at commercial level for low cost housing;
— Creation of a special fund at the SAARC Secretariat to support projects of low-income housing in the member countries, establishment of collateral free credit line and source of funding.
It proposed that member countries may contribute some seed money for establishing SAARC Housing
Bank. This bank could work on the model of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, specially created for low-cost housing, pilot Projects.
— Up-gradation of skills and transfer of technology on housing construction through provision of training for transfer of technologies.
Other recommendations called for a review of the status in each member country regarding recommendations of previous SAARC activities on the subject of low cost housing.
The SAARC Secretariat was urged to make available the proceedings and recommendations prepared by different forums related to low cost housing under the ambit of SAARC since its inception in 1985 and to ensure follow up of the recommendations presented therein.
Review of dissemination plans for appropriate building technologies development by R&D organisations in members countries.
In order to promote low-cost and appropriate building materials for solving the problems of low cost-housing, intra- regional transfer of technology was emphasised to be encouraged through intra-regional import and export of building technologies.
The SAARC Housing Bank shall utilise part of its funds to facilitate such transfer of technologies.
This will benefit all SAARC countries especially those which have insufficient R&D infrastructure.—APP
