Samoa replacement houses not quake proof - study

Whole villages have moved to higher ground to safeguard themselves against tsunami. Photo / Greg Bowker

Tsunami-wrecked houses in Samoa are being rebuilt on higher ground - but without protections against cyclones or earthquakes, say University of Auckland engineers.

Many donations have also ended up in the tip due to lack of co-ordination during recovery efforts, they say.

Last September's tsunami flattened Samoa's coastal villages and killed 143 people, with recovery efforts expected to take several years.

A team studying the recovery, from the University of Auckland's Engineering Faculty, took an eight-day tour through Upolu and found the rebuilding was "sub-standard".

"If a cyclone came through their buildings could collapse again," said Associate Professor Suzanne Wilkinson.

"Whole villages have moved to higher ground to safeguard themselves against tsunami, but many new buildings are not cyclone or earthquake proof."

Villagers are rebuilding houses themselves without enough engineering expertise, she said.

"An opportunity has been missed to protect these communities against future disasters."

Multiple cyclones ravaged neighbouring South Pacific islands this year, including the Cook Islands, Tonga and Fiji, where a military curfew was imposed during an official state of disaster.

The research team also found that uncoordinated arrivals of donated supplies had caused many items to be dumped in landfill and that access to clean drinking water was an ongoing issue.

Dr Wilkinson said the study aimed to analyse the recovery process to better prepare communities for the next world disaster.

"If a major earthquake or tsunami struck in New Zealand, we may have similar issues in terms of effectively managing volunteers and donated supplies, the need for mass temporary shelters and the hasty relocation of entire communities to new locations."