Impact of Sustainable Procurement on Post Disaster Reconstruction

Procurement is the strategy or approach to cost effectively purchase a project or service. It’s a powerful strategy to demonstrate commitment in achieving “Value for Money” by meeting the client requirement throughout the life cycle of the project and able to address the consequences inherent in the supply chain. Post-disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation is a complex issue with several dimensions and stakeholders involved. Government, NGOs, and international organizations have their own stakes in disaster recovery programs, and links must be established among them as well as with the community. The most significant factor in a post-disaster reconstruction scenario is deciding on best procurement strategy based on client requirements. Effective post-disaster response is crucial and lies at the heart of disaster management agencies in almost every cautious country around the globe.

This paper presents an analysis of sustainable procurement strategy for enhancing prompt and effective post disaster reconstruction. The concept will contextualised a sustainable procurement approach across the project life cycle by considering the environmental, social and economic consequences of: design; material use; production; operations; maintenance and/or End user life; disposal, reuse and recycling options; with the capabilities to address these consequences throughout the value chain, to achieved value for money. It will assist in making more informed decisions for effective and timely response in post-disaster reconstruction scenarios.

Post disaster reconstruction is a period of high expectation and hope while the emotions of the entire community are still fresh with shock and grief. It is a time when governments and NGOs are helping to rebuild damage infrastructure and housing, energize economy by providing employment, health and education. It is a period where the government will need to subsidize activities that will trigger positive externalities across the economy and provide a policies or strategies that may move the country ahead despite the monetary and economic uncertainties that can affect an emerging economy like Brazil during times of post-disaster rebuilding. One such strategy could be a sustainable procurement strategy, executed in an environmentally, economically and socially sound manner that can contribute to ecological resilience of coastal disasters in a meaningful manner.