CGIAR Joins International Efforts to Mitigate Tsunami Disaster

February 2005. The December 2004 tsunami in the Indian ocean region has killed hundreds of thousands of people, disrupting lives, livelihoods, and damaging whole ecosystems. More than a month after the disaster, the death toll continues to climb every day.

"The scale and magnitude of the disaster is unprecedented. Our hearts go out to the people affected by this terrible disaster," said Ian Johnson, CGIAR Chairman and World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development. "With five CGIAR Centers and scores of scientists and researchers active in the Indian ocean region, we are working with our partners to determine needs, and based on our competencies, participate in the mitigation effort."

Examples of CGIAR efforts:

• In Sri Lanka which bore the brunt of the tidal waves, a 10-person IWMI team is conducting a rapid needs' assessment in Hambantota district, the worst hit area where IWMI researchers have been active for 15 years in the Ruhuna river basin. In a special effort, IWMI geographic information specialists, In partnership with MapAction, a UK-based NGO produced 22 maps that are helping to better target relief supplies.

• IRRI is responding to requests received from Malaysia and Sri Lanka for seeds of saline-tolerant rice varieties suitable for growing in tsunami-affected areas. IRRI scientists have also begun identifying rice production problems in countries hit by the tsunami ( Bangladesh, India, and Indonesia). A tsunami-website is providing up-to-date information on rice production in the affected areas.

• Through the network of rural information centers under the Virtual Academy for the Semi-Arid Tropics (VASAT) initiative, ICRISAT is working to enhance disaster anticipation and preparedness for communities in project villages in South Asia. IWMI and ILRI are also collaborating in this initiative.

In the lead-up to the coordination discussions, William Dar, Director General, ICRISAT and Chair of the Center Directors Committee emphasized the Centers commitment to developing a coordinated response, both in terms of assessing the situation and helping rebuild livelihoods in tsunami-affected countries.

On January 18, a preparatory meeting of the Centers was held in Bogor, Indonesia. Representatives from CIFOR, IPGRI, IWMI, World Agroforestry Centre, and WorldFish Center participated in the meeting. The objective was to develop a collective strategy and action plan to deal with the tsunami disaster.

The Bogor meeting developed a two-pronged strategy. While a center located in the tsunami-affected region will lead each of the initiatives, all other CGIAR centers will join to strengthen the efforts. The two points of the agenda are:

• Assess the impact of the disaster . IWMI will lead this initiative. The approach will be to combine knowledge, databases and expertise in remote sensing and geographic information systems to assess the impacts
• Develop a long-term rehabilitation action plan for agriculture and fisheries in the tsunami-affected regions. The WorldFish Center will lead this initiative. The main thrust is to identify and develop alternative approaches to building a better future for tsunami-affected communities. To make this possible, a flexible coalition of donors, research and government agencies, NGOs and civil society will be formed

The CGIAR system is committed to restoring agriculture in tsunami-affected countries so that people can start building their lives again.

Photo: G. Hettel. IRRI . In conjunction with IRRI and others, Indian scientists are working on developing salt-tolerant rice varieties at the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute in Karnal, India.

Photo: G. Hettel. IRRI . Salt-tolerant rice varieties under evaluation at the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute in Karnal, India.

Photo: IWMI. IWMI's gound water specialist, Dr. Karen Vilholth, testing water quality in damaged wells in the district of Kalmunei.

Photo: IWMI Sri Lanka coastal area.

Photo: IWMI Sri Lanka coastal area.

Tsunami disaster relief maps - IWMI
Tsunami effects on coral reefs - WorldFish Center
CGIAR Consortium for Spatial Information