Participatory Planning with Disaster Victims: Experience from Earthquake-hit Areas of Maharashtra, India

This brief report is based on the author's hands-on experience in participatory planning with disaster victims in India. The paper illustrates the ability of local people to influence the design of the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme using PRA methods. The reconstruction plan designed by technical experts without any consultation with and consideration to the needs of the actual users failed to work. The paper provides an example of using PRA in planning rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes with the victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes. A brief note on PRA and its use in a refugee situation is included.