Analysis of findings from the post-war reconstruction campaigns at Basrah and Fao, Iraq

This analysis of findings is from a case study which examines the reconstruction campaigns of the southern cities of Basrah, the second largest city after the capital, Baghdad, and Fao, carried out by the Iraqi government following their devastation during the eight-year war with Iran (1980-1988). The author visited the war-damaged areas of Basrah soon after the cease-fire in August 1988. Later, in November 1989, he was invited by the Iraqi Government to participate in the 'First International Symposium of Post-war Reconstruction in Basrah and Fao' and conducted his second field visit. The third field visit took place in April 1991 following the announcement of a cease-fire between the Allied and the Iraqi forces. The reconstruction campaigns were completed in record time, based on a predetermined time-table, despite having to work in adverse weather conditions and the remoteness from the points of supply. Basrah's reconstruction was started in February, following a two month campaign of rubble clearing, and lasted until June 1989, when the work on Fao started. This city was rebuilt in a surprisingly short time of 114 days. While reconstruction in Basrah did not go beyond repair of the infrastructure and street beautification, Fao was totally rebuilt according to a new city plan. The study sets out to examine the reconstruction approach and the effects of policies on implementation. Besides displaying many of the dilemmas of reconstruction after war; it sets out to test the author's main hypothesis that 'Settlement reconstruction should be an integral part of a nation-wide development, , reconstruction that takes the form of a series of centralised projects (infrastructure, housing and public buildings) is unlikely to be resource efficient or culturally sensitive'.