One Year after Tsunami

... It is time for us to recognize how the available human, natural and financial resources can be best used to re-build not only houses, but to build livelihoods to a standard better than those before the tsunami...*

* From Why has transition from relief to rehabilitation been so slow?
by Meine van Noordwijk, Trudy O'Connor and Gerhard Manurung

Updates

News

Aceh - worldagroforestry.org/sea, 2006-12-07
Resilience, Rights and Resources:
Two years of recovery from the Tsunami in the  Coastal zone of Aceh (Indonesia). 30 November 2006. .

Marilyn Smith - SciDev.Net, 2006-01-12
The right way to rebuild Asia's coastal barrier
In the wake of the December 2004 tsunami, the Indian Ocean nations affected are admitting that the damage was partially self-inflicted. Over the past 20 years, these countries have systematically destroyed one of the most effective barriers to ocean forces — mangrove forests — in the name of development. Shrimp farms, tourist resorts and urban expansion have devoured 35 to 50 per cent of these 'bioshields' over the entire region. Many of these deforested pockets of prosperity were hit hardest, the tsunami washing away years of economic growth.

Teresa Buerkle - FAO, 2006-01-05
Sustainable recovery requires long-term effort in tsunami zone - Q&A with Alex Jones, FAO's post-tsunami operations coordinator
Overall, the recovery is going well, but depending on the countries and on the level of damage, we are at different stages of recovery. If we look at Thailand where damage was severe but not overwhelming, they are well along the road to recovery. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the northwest coast of Aceh, Indonesia, where many areas are still in critical condition. Our biggest challenge is the scale of the reconstruction effort. Millions of people were affected across seven countries. It was an unprecedented level of destruction. In Indonesia and Sri Lanka, around 100 miles of coastline were destroyed – not just a couple of areas or towns.

The Observer, 2006-01-01
Tsunami aid groups look to environment
The devastation caused by the Asian tsunami in the tiny Indonesian province of Aceh has been well documented. Now, one year after the tragedy, there are growing concerns about the long-term impact of the disaster on the environment. So great are these concerns that a leading British charity has been handed the first international humanitarian aid grant given specifically for environmental work.

The Jakarta Post, 2005-12-27
Aceh twelve months
The tent camp at Lhoknga in Aceh province has been transformed over the months into an area that has plants and flowers; it has a cleanliness about it as it nestles under the shade of coconut trees, which make the site look quite attractive. But this is twelve months on and that life, no matter how tranquil it may look, is nothing short of unhappiness and of helplessness.

Nick Meo - Newsday, 2005-12-27
For tsunami survivors, long wait ahead
Muhammad Ibrahim, 42, takes a mournful sip of coffee and surveys the crowded wooden barracks where he lives with family members who survived the tsunami a year ago yesterday.In a few minutes, he lost several relatives, his home and his fishing boat to the giant wave, which survivors here in Aceh province describe as taller than the 50-foot coconut palm trees.

Publications

UNDP
Survivors of the Tsunami: One Year Later - UNDP Assisting Communities to Build Back Better
This is a snapshot report on UNDP's assistance to tsunami recovery and reconstruction efforts in 2005. UNDP has published a report on its assistance to the tsunami recovery and reconstruction efforts for the past year. It is meant to provide examples of how UNDP is helping people who survived the tsunami rebuild their lives now, and for the future.

BRR
Aceh and Nias One Year after the Tsunami - The Recovery Effort and Way Forward
A Joint Report of The BRR and International Partners, December 2005

FAO
Habitat rehabilitation for inland fisheries - Global review of effectiveness and guidance for rehabilitation of freshwater ecosystems
Habitat rehabilitation for inland fisheries. Global review of effectiveness and guidance for rehabilitation of freshwater ecosystems. FAO Fisheries Technical Papers.

Events

BRR - Events Callendar of A Month of Commemoration
Activities throughout December 2005 will recognize the personal loss and perseverance of these affected communities – culminating in an international memorial service in Aceh on December 26. For those who visit Indonesia, this website provides a schedule of commemoration activities. For overseas friends and supporters, we offer updated information on the progress of rebuilding, as well as transcripts and images from commemoration events. The Government of Indonesia and its international partners will report on the scope and pace of combined rehabilitation and reconstruction initiatives, providing critical direction for action moving forward in 2006. The review also provides important lessons for large-scale disaster reconstruction efforts in Pakistan and around the world.

Post Tsunami Livelihoods & INRM in Aceh: Almost a Year of Recovery from Shock
Date: 22 December 2005 >>> Location: World Agroforestry Centre - SEA Regional Office, Bogor, Indonesia >>> The meeting will seek to acknowledge the diverse conditions of the pre-tsunami landscape and livelihood strategies in Aceh and to provide an opportunity to reflect on progress and issues in the current phase of post-Tsunami rehabilitation along Aceh's west coast. Later, the discussion will address how rehabilitation efforts at farm level can become better prepared for the coming changes in infrastructure, identify issues that require additional research and knowledge sharing. It is hoped that this will enhance the network between active development and relevant research agencies.

Start up working group on Livelihoods and Natural Resource Management along Aceh's West Coast: Agroforestry, Coastal Protection Forest and Forest Management.
Date: 29 November - 2 December 2005 >>> Location: Hotel Mouligou, Meulaboh, Aceh, Indonesia. >>> BAPPENAS master plan for Aceh's post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts based on a holistic, comprehensive and integrated analysis. However, at local level, the transfer from planning to action is still slow, while perceptions of what is possible are gradually evolving. Various international bodies and organization have been working together with local governments and/or NGO to support rehabilitation efforts aiming at normalizing the people's livelihood. Inline with the main goals, in support for the site level's rehabilitation and coordination efforts led by UNDP, there is a need to have a more targeted working group to face livelihoods and INRM related activities. A four days multi-stakeholders meeting and discussion will be held at Meulaboh, facilitating the need.

If you have any ideas, comments or suggestions about this CGIAR-Post Tsunami Initiatives website, please send them to: CGIAR-Post Tsunami Initiatives Web Administrator

About the Initiative - This special tsunami website has been developed, as part of the main CGIAR website,to serve as a common platform for CGIAR information on relevant research and development information on restoring livelihoods and on integrated natural resources management in areas directly and indirectly affected by the tsunami and earthquake disasters, particularly in Indonesia. The site gives ready access to all relevant information from the Future Harvest Centers of the CGIAR and also provides easy access to key documents, resources and news from international agencies such as FAO and UNDP. The site is an initiative of the World Agroforestry Center’s South East Asia, quartered at Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Bogor Indonesia. Its development is supported by funds from all the Centers and by technical backstopping from the CGIAR Secretariat.