Turning Around the Tsunami

8/12/2019 Turning Around the Tsunami

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SRI LANKA

TURNING AROUND THE TSUNAMIUN-HABITAT WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SRI LANKA


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TURNING AROUND THE TSUNAMIUN-HABITAT WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SRI LANKA

United Nations Human Settlements ProgrammeNairobi 2011


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ii TURNING AROUND THE TSUNAMI

URNING AROUND HE SUNAMIUN-HABIA Working in Partnership with Sri Lanka

First published in Nairobi in 2011 by UN-HABIA.Copyright United Nations Human Settlements Programme 2011

All rights reservedUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABIA)UN-HABIA Regional Office for Asia & the Pacific(UN-HABIA Fukuoka Office)ACROS Bldg. 8F, 1-1-1 enjin, Chuo-ku,Fukuoka 810-0001 Japanel: (81-92) 724-7121; Fax: (81-92) 724-7124Email: [email protected]://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org

HS Number: HS/095/11EISBN Number(Volume): 978-92-1-132386-3

DISCLAIMER

Te designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do notimply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the UnitedNations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities,or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or regarding its economic system or

degree of development. Te analysis, conclusions and recommendations of the report do notnecessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the GoverningCouncil of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme or its Member States.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Principal Author: Sharni JayawardenaContributors: Laxman Perera, David Evans, I.A HameedEditors: Roman Rollnick, Jan Meeuwissen, Laxman Perera, David Evans, Nipuna KumbalatharaDesign and layout: Irene Juma, Nipuna KumbalatharaPhotos UN-HABIA


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iiiTURNING AROUND THE TSUNAMI

When a giant killer wave created by an earthquakeoff the Indonesian coast swept into Sri Lanka theday after Christmas in December 2004, more than35,000 people lost their lives, more than 100,000homes along the coast were destroyed and for thehundreds of thousands of survivors, the wordtsunami was etched into memory as a new horrornever to be forgotten.

Indeed, the tsunami which claimed up to 430,000lives in the neighbouring Indian Ocean rim countries,brought in its wake one of the largest and bestfunded humanitarian responses in recent history:the homeless received shelter, the hungry were fed,and the outbreak of diseases largely prevented.

And over and above this, the tsunami disaster servedto change the way of thinking and the approachesto natural disasters of many in the internationalhumanitarian community. Tis is where UN-HABIA and Sri Lanka benefited from mobilizing

a proven people centric and community drivenmethodology. While the agency, the Governmentand partner international and local stakeholderswere versed in such, this peoples process and theowner driven approach has not been utilized in arecovery effort of vast magnitude. Consequentlylessons learnt were many.

Te tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka reaffirmed ourview that the humanitarian assistance was not justa response to a tragic event, but also an opportunityto promote empowered, more disaster resilient

communities.

First, that recovery must begin well before the endof the humanitarian response phase. Te affectedgovernments and international organizations suchas UN system must always organize in such a waythat the transition from relief to recovery anddevelopment is managed more seamlessly.

Second, that the process of recovery is led by thoseaffected, that they are empowered to be in chargeand make decisions and contribute actively towards

rebuilding their lives rather than just brick andmortar. Tus far such an owner driven approachhas proved successful in Sri Lanka for upgrading low

FOREWORD

income shelter as well as rebuilding shelter in disasterand conflict recovery. Te approach entails seizingall the moral, financial and political opportunitiesit can, and help communities onto a better pathwith the focus on equity, human rights and genderequality.

Tird, that we champion a new kind of recoverywhich seeks to build back better, rather than simplyrestore what was there before. Tat the recoveryprocess takes advantage of the opportunity tobetter plan settlements, as well as ensure technicalsoundness of housing, and community infrastructurebeing rebuilt.

Fourth, recovery over time must include disastermitigation principles like early warning systems,public education and the construction of moreresilient structures;

At the heart of the success of UN-HABIAs effortsin Sri Lanka was the participatory, consultativePeoples Process, where the people affected wereenabled in holistically rebuilding their communities.I am proud that this peoples process we came to callit, saw its inception in Sri Lanka in the 1980s as aresult of a UN-HABIA initiative.

I wish to express my gratitude to the Governmentof Sri Lanka, the Ministries of Nation Building,Urban Development, Housing, Resettlement,Economic Development, and their predecessors,the international humanitarian community, the

business sector and all our partners for enabling thisrecovery process. Especially, I wish to thank the localcommunities with whom we worked.

I hope that this publication will be a tribute tothose forced so cruelly to rebuild their lives, anda reference for approaches contributing towardssuccessful post disaster recovery.

Dr. Joan ClosUndersecretary-General of the United Nations,

Executive Director UN-HABIA


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FOREWORD III

CHAPTER 1: WHEN THE TSUNAMI STRUCK 1

CHAPTER 2: PUTTING LEARNING INTO PRACTICE 3

CHAPTER 3: A COMMUNITY-BASED HOME-OWNER

DRIVEN APPROACH 4

CHAPTER 4: WORKING TOGETHER 7

CHAPTER 5: TAKING DIFFERENCE INTO ACCOUNT 9

CHAPTER 6: DRIVEN BY OWNERSHIP 11

CHAPTER 7: ENSURING STANDARDS 13

CHAPTER 8: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND AWARENESS 15

CHAPTER 9: RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, POLICY SUPPORT

AND HERDING CATS (COORDINATION) 17

Resource mobilization 17

Policy Support 17Herding Cats (Coordination) 18

CHAPTER 10: FROM DISASTER TO DEVELOPMENT 20

CHAPTER 11: SUSTAINING BENEFITS 23

CHAPTER 12: UN-HABITATS TSUNAMI ASSISTANCE

PROJECT PORTFOLIO 25

Rebuilding Community Shelter and Infrastructure 25

CONTENTS


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1TURNING AROUND THE TSUNAMI

At 6.58 a.m. on December 26, 2004, an earthquakemeasuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurredoff the Sumatran coast, triggering a tsunami ofunprecedented proportions. Less than two hourslater, huge waves struck two-thirds of the Sri Lankancoastline an extent of more than one thousandkilometres.

Te Asian sunami of December 2004 killedalmost a quarter of a million people in India,Indonesia, Tailand and Sri Lanka. Houses wereseverely damaged or reduced to rubble. Livelihoodswere disrupted and livelihood assets destroyed. Itwas impossible to reduce the tsunamis impact ormanage its outcome. Inevitably, the consequenceswere dire.

In Sri Lanka the tsunami killed about 35,000 people,injured 22,000 and displaced several hundredthousand. It damaged 30,000 homes and destroyeda further 70,000. It swept away belongings and

equipment and wrecked infrastructure and trade.More than 150,000 people lost their livelihoods.

Whats more, the tsunami worsened the problemsof vulnerable people. A third of the people affected

by it lived below the poverty line. Tousands ofpeople, particularly in the countrys conflict-riddenNorth and East, were already experiencing yearsof displacement. And it was in the north-easterncoast that two-thirds of the deaths and almost 60per cent of the displacement took place. Sri Lankasemergency relief efforts were successful in meetingthe immediate needs of people but the speed ofrecovery of different groups was varied.

Sri Lanka had not experienced a natural disasterof this scale in recorded history. Relief, recoveryand reconstruction posed an enormous challenge.Rebuilding peoples lives, particularly after a disasteras huge as the tsunami, was never going to be easy.Although the government was able to restore basicservices quickly with generous local, national andinternational help, meeting the demands for shelterbecame a struggle. It was the most complex part ofthe tsunami recovery process.

Te tsunami occurred the day after Christmas Dayin 2004 and in many ways this timing proved tohave enormous significance for what would follow.Sri Lanka is a popular tourist destination for tensof thousands of Europeans who are looking to

WHEN THE TSUNAMI STRUCK

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While emergency assistance was quick to arrive, sustainable recovery proved more challenging


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2 TURNING AROUND THE TSUNAMI

avoid winter back home and relax around themagnificent Sri Lankan beaches. When the tsunamistruck these tourists were instantly affected anda number were killed. Tis gave the tsunami anadditional international profile and video footagewas transmitted around the globe almost instantly.

For every tourist who was in Sri Lanka, probably ahundred friends and family watched on in horrorback home. Tis, combined with the impact of thisdisaster striking at Christmas, resulted in the largestoutpouring of support ever seen in post-disasterfundraising, with queues forming outside banks andinstitutions that had been designated as collectionpoints for cash donations.

Foreign aid donated to Sri Lanka was estimated atmore than US$3 billion with more than US$1 billionbeing given for housing alone. Te implications ofthis are discussed in more detail under ResourceMobilization.

Tere was much that UN-HABIA had learntfrom the agencys previous post-conflict and post-disaster reconstruction and recovery programmes

Since 1978, UN-HABITAT has helped influence housingand urban policy developments in Sri Lanka. The agencysprogrammes have included assistance to the:

Master Plan for Colombo (1978-1983) which includedthe setting up of a Slum and Shanty Unit, one of the firstsuccessful slum upgrading programmes in a developingcountry. The Slum and Shanty Development Programmemade it possible for low-income communities to gainindividual lots with leasehold tenure, enabling them toimprove their houses.

International Year for Shelter of the HomelessDemonstration Project (1982-1987) on the developmentof low-income shelter initiatives and the integration ofinformation and training activities.

Million Houses Programme (1984-1988) through atraining programme for community participation. This was

an innovative programme, changing the governmentsrole from a provider of shelter to that of an enabler andfacilitator in the housing process.

Million-and-a-Half Houses Programme (1989-1993)through the continuation of the UN-HABITAT Programmefor Community Participation, institutionalizing participatoryapproaches such as community action planning.

Sustainable Cities Programme that began in the late1990s and improved environmental planning capacityand urban planning strategies. This programme is stilloperational and has covered many cities in the country. In2004, it extended its support to the governments UrbanGovernance Programme.

Urban Poverty Reduction through CommunityEmpowerment Project (2001-2003).

The Lunawa Lake Environment Improvement andCommunity Development Project, which started in2001, covering two municipalities within the ColomboMetropolitan Area with a focus on the implementation ofan involuntary-resettlement policy for people affected bydevelopment projects.

UN-HABITAT played a key role in mainstreaming participatorymethodologies in settlement development in Sri Lanka,including Community Action Planning and CommunityContracting. Today, these principles are also beingincorporated in urban governance, through broad-based city

consultations, to ensure the greater recognition of the voiceof the poor in local government.

in countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh,Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan and thePhilippines. Moreover, the agency had been working

in Sri Lanka for almost three decades, supporting aseries of innovative and ground-breaking housingand settlement development practices and policies,in partnership with the government, NGOsand community organizations. Te combinedexperience and knowledge enabled UN-HABIAto contribute effectively to the islands post-tsunamireconstruction efforts.

People were forced to rebuild their ways of life: ruins of aHindu shrine destroyed


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In December 2004, UN-HABIA demonstrated its

ability to respond quickly and effectively to a disasterrecovery situation. Te agency worked with the SriLankan government, donors and key stakeholdersto assess the tsunamis impact and prioritize areasthat were most in need. Tis was the beginning ofUN-HABIAs involvement in Sri Lankas post-tsunami reconstruction programme.

Initially, the Japanese government funded UN-HABIA projects covering five cities and 25settlements a concerted programme that wouldput into practice a peoples process of recovery andreconstruction. Despite the tsunamis enormousnegative impact, reconstruction provided anopportunity for building back better, addressingdisparities and improving quality of life.

Once emergency relief was complete, it becameevident that recovery and reconstruction was a muchmore complex and challenging task. Te singlelargest damage to physical assets was to housing andit became a priority concern. However, repair andreconstruction activities were affected by a range of

factors including lack of planning and coordinationin areas such as needs assessment and resourceallocation and delays in finalizing beneficiary lists.

Te Sri Lankan governments decision to introduce

a coastal buffer zone had made it necessary toimplement two distinct programmes. Donor-driven housing, for families who had been livingwithin the buffer zone, removed people from theirlocalities with little consultation, making integrationinto their new neighbourhoods difficult. Howerver,homeowner-driven housing, for partially- and fully-damaged houses outside the buffer zone, ensuredthat people remain in their familiar neighbourhoodsand would be responsible for rebuilding their homes.UN-HABIA was one of the main advocates of

the homeowner-driven process.

In April 2005, the government revised its housingpolicy, departing from the earlier centralized system,and devolved control to the districts. Te DistrictSecretaries now had the responsibility for tsunamihousing projects, which were implemented inpartnership with donor organizations, state agenciesand non-governmental organizations. A key aspect ofthe policy revisions was the redefining of the coastalbuffer zone: 40,000 families could now rebuild theirhomes on their own land inside the old but outside

the new buffer zone.

PUTTING LEARNING INTO PRACTICE

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A settlement plan being discussed by the community


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Conventional approaches to post-disaster recoveryand reconstruction have little communityengagement, resulting in peoples growing dependencyon the provision of assistance and a passive attitudetowards reconstruction. Good intentions are rarelybacked by proper long-term planning. In UN-HABIAs post-tsunami initiatives, people wereactively involved in the reconstruction process,which in turn resulted in their empowerment, both

as individuals and as communities.Tis community-centred approach underscoredthe fact that, while families may be vulnerable ontheir own, their ability to cope is enhanced throughmutual help when they are part of an organized groupand work collectively. Community mobilizationtapped on peoples resourcefulness communitymembers were motivated to take a lead in planningand implementing reconstruction and developmentinitiatives. Tus, mobilizing people and the creationof Community Development Councils (CDCs)

through a participatory and democratic processpreceded all reconstruction activities.

Key stakeholders came together at Community

Action Planning (CAP) workshops, organized bythe CDCs and facilitated by project implementation

teams, to agree on a prioritized set of activitieswithin a clear time frame. Tose responsible forcarrying out the tasks were also identified andincluded individuals, groups, local authorities,other state institutions and donor agencies. CAPensures that a range of views are taken intoaccount and enables the negotiation of outcomes.It is based on principles of good governance thatinclude concepts such as inclusiveness, partnership,accountability, decentralization, capacity-buildingand empowerment. Indeed, CAP is a creativeprocess that promotes self-respect, self-confidenceand self-reliance.

Community members improved their skillsin management, bookkeeping, report writing,information gathering and data collection as well asin construction work and livelihood development.CDCs also took on community constructioncontracts to build communities infrastructure,with the money saved being channeled into othercommunity development work. Communityconstruction added to the sense of ownership and

responsibility that was being created among thepeople and resulted in stronger commitment towardsthe repair and maintenance of new infrastructure.

A COMMUNITY-BASED HOME-OWNER

DRIVEN APPROACH

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A group of women discuss their community plans, manywomen enjoyed leadership roles

A man in charge, empowered to be the driver of self-recovery


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In addition to the Hambantota district, UN-HABIAs interventions in post-tsunamireconstruction and restoration also extended toBatticaloa, Jaffna, rincomalee, Kalutara and Galledistricts and continued for several years.

In 2007, three years after the tsunami, thousandsof families were still without adequate houses.Tats when UN-HABIA stepped in with the

Rebuilding Community Infrastructure and Shelter(RCIS) project in the Ampara district, in partnershipwith Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) and the NPA/Solidar INGO Consortium.

When the project began people were demoralizedbecause they had not been able to make adequateprogress with the government grant of Rs. 250,000(USD 2,264) ASSUMING I IS SRI LANKANRUPEESto rebuild their homes. Moreover, in alarge number of cases, they had not received the fullamount due to them. Te project provided top-up

grants to help 475 families complete their houses

as well as financial and technical support to buildinfrastructure and improve livelihoods.

Te initial challenge was to help people gainconfidence in the process that was being introduced.Tus, at the outset, project staff held large publicmeetings that also included key local governmentofficials, to introduce people to project objectives andto share details of potential beneficiariesa move

aimed to ensure community interest, involvementand trust. Te meetings also enabled the project toobtain initial feedback from community membersand to respond to their questions. Tis was a clearindication that the project would be implementedin a participatory, transparent and accountablemanner.

Project staff, particularly the RCIS communitymobilizers, facilitated the setting up of CDCs inthe 12 project areas. Te project appointed eightcommunity mobilizers who worked along with two

engineers one from RCIS and the other from theNPA/Solidar INGO Consortium.

SETTLING DOWN STRONGER

Uddhakandara, Hambantota District

One of UN-HABITATs first post-tsunami rebuilding projects wasthe resettlement of 157 families from dispersed communitiesin the Hambantota district, in a 40-acre land allocated by thegovernment in Uddhakandara in Tissamaharama. For somepeople, this was as much as 40 kilometres away from the homesthey had lost. Families were selected through the District Planfor Rapid Action (DPRA) based on the extent of damage and thevulnerability of households in terms of physical and economicconditions. The project was able to extend both financial andtechnical support to another 61 low-income families who werealready living in the neighbourhood so that their homes couldmatch the standard of the 157 new houses being built for therelocated families. This minimized conflict with the newly-settledcommunity and facilitated assimilation. Thus, a total of 218families benefited from the project.

When we came here we had no houses to begin with. We mademakeshift homes by cutting down a few trees in the nearbyforest. Not all of us came from the same area and we also hadto get know the people who were already living here. It was acompletely new experience and it wasnt an easy one.

- Meththa Nandani

There was so much to be done. It was not just a matter ofbuilding houses. A large number of people were being integratedwith a host community. We werent just project staff. We werepart of the process.

- Lionel Hewavasam, UN-HABITAT District Manager,Hambantota

Five years later, the Uddhakandara settlement shows no signsof its difficult beginnings. Spacious brick houses in differentshapes and colors. Home gardens with flowers and vegetables.An expansive community hall and pre-school designed to catchlight and circulate air. A large playground surrounded by a greenfence. Well-maintained gravel roads. What was the formula thatturned a dry zone of scrubland into the green habitat it is today?

The community was organized by first setting up 16 small clustergroups, each including householders living close to each other sothat they could interact and communicate with each other easily.All the houses in the settlement were covered by these groups.This helped us get to know each other and to discuss what weneeded to do.

- M.M.K. Dharmadasa, President, cluster group 8

When we had the community action planning workshop everysingle house was represented we, the newcomers and also thepeople who were already living here. Everyone had a chance to

have their say. We listed out all the problems, decided what wecould do about them, considered the best possible options. Thenwe chose people who would be responsible for each task. Thatshow we prepared our action plan.

- L.P. Piyathilake, Treasurer, FCDC

In Uddhakandara, money allocated for house building wasreleased to the bank accounts operated by the CDCs. Individualhouseholders operated savings accounts and funds for houseconstruction were released to them when the building hadreached pre-determined stages of completion. Each householdalso built a 5,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank to help seethem through the drought months. Two large undergroundtanks, maintained by the CDCs, were built to serve the entirecommunity.


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In a way, we were intermediaries, we were in themiddle. We had to satisfy people, many of whom hadlost hope, and we had to talk to the government.

- Arugamam Gowreeswaran, Community Mobilizer

Another problem project staff had to deal withwas that both the Urban Development Authorityand the Pradeshiya Sabhava, the local governmentauthority, were seriously understaffed. However, aswork progressed, people were able to deal directlywith government officials and other agencies.

RCIS provided each family with Rs. 300,000 in fourinstalments, based on set building targets, to complete theirhomes. An additional Rs. 50,000 helped people build a goodtoilet. The CDCs reserved 2.5% of the housing allocations forcommunity development work. The project also allocated Rs.

8,000 for each household for infrastructure work.Outcomes

People built houses that are both secure and comfortable.Special attention is paid to aspects like adequate light andventilation.

People consulted the local Public Health Inspector beforebuilding their latrines and wells. They are located and builtto give priority to health and sanitation.

Septic tanks, which separate liquid and solid wastes,replaced the more traditional soakage pits.

CDCs ensured that all sections of the community wererepresented in project activities and their views taken into

account.Women were appointed to key positions in the CDCs incommunities where women are traditionally confined tohome.

Community members gained confidence to talk directly tolocal authorities and negotiate assistance and services.

Project infrastructure was built by trained constructioncommittees mainly comprising community members.

Communities built pre-schools, community halls, drainsand culverts and electricity main line supplies.

The most vulnerable community members gainedknowledge and start-up grants to develop livelihoods.

People formed links with a range of organizations andagencies to further improve their circumstances.

A drainage system being built: Communities pooled intheir efforts, and resources to address common needs

Children head home after a days learning: the communitycenter rebuilt in Udahakandara features a pre-school


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UN-HABIAs tsunami response work was acoordinated effort carried out in partnership with arange of stakeholders. Te formation and registrationof CDCs was the beginning of partnership building

within the community for collaborative decisionmaking, problem solving and resource sharing.Communities learnt the principles of partnership:trust, solidarity and accountability through theirexperience of working together. Links were madebetween CDCs and Divisional Secretariats,Pradeshiya Sabhas, government departments,NGOs/INGOs and a range of supporters anddonors, including the private sector.

Monthly meetings comprising all stakeholders of thereconstruction activities were a means of exchangingexperiences and checking progress. Te projectsnot only helped people build their homes but also

helped them to develop their capacity to interact,communicate and negotiate with each other andthe authorities and build secure environments andsustainable livelihoods.

CDCs were responsible for building communityinfrastructure using the money households receivedfor this purpose. Building was carried out mainly bytrained community construction committees thetraining focused on both management and technicalskills needed to carry out the work. Generally, atleast two of the committee members had experiencein construction. Construction Committees managedall aspects of the constructionthe purchase ofmaterials, storage, maintenance of accounts, andmonitoring of work. Tus community constructioncontracts helped cut costs, improve community skillsand facilitate operation and maintenance work.

WORKING TOGETHER

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A Home owner, UN-HABITAT staffer and masons discuss the progress of construction


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Te importance of partnerships continued tobe evident throughout project timeframes. UN-HABIA discussed peoples livelihood needs withrelated government departments like the Departmentof Agriculture and agriculture extension services, theDepartment of Animal Production and Health andthe Department of Small and Medium EnterprisesDevelopment and also linked people with potentialdonors.

Gunaseeli is from Kundumadu Village and received only100,000 rupees of the government allocation. She wasso much in debt that she even had to go into hiding fromimpatient creditors. The house she managed to build had tobe brought down because of its poor quality: Immediatelyafter the tsunami, everyone became a mason, and peoplehad to go along with it. But things have changed now. Withthe project, we received technical advice from the beginningto the end of construction. Not just that, being a memberof a CDC means that we can negotiate for better rates withconstruction workers who are good at their work and we canbuy construction materials in bulk. In Kundumadu, a multi-purpose building, on land donated by Gunaseeli, will serve asa pre-school and community centre. Even before the buildingwas completed, the CDC had drawn up a maintenance andsustainability plan for the centre.

In Ampara the Al Noor and Al Amal CDCs in Ninthavur cametogether to build a multi-purpose building: a common pre-school, library and CDC office. The community constructionsystem, which enabled any savings from construction to befed back into the CDC, was at work. While one CDC managedthe funds, both CDCs monitored building progress and theuse of funds. A building supervisor and storekeeper wereappointed for the construction period.

The RCIS projects infrastructure development in the areaincluded drains and culverts in Thirukovil, electricity supply inVinayagar and a fish stall in Komari.

Through partnerships with stakeholders livelihood activities such as cattle farming were promoted

A community in Ampara district works together to build amultipurpose community center


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Although people have many common concerns,disasters do affect people differently because ofthe variety of roles they play in society and thecommunity and because of differences in their needsand vulnerabilities. Sensitivity to difference is vitalto empowering people so that they can move onfrom the physical and emotional devastation of adisaster.

UN-HABIA recognized the opportunity affordedby the post-disaster situation and its recovery andreconstruction process for social transformation.Particular effort was made to ensure inclusivenessand fair representation of people in terms ofethnicity and gender as well as social and economicstatus in CDCs and project activities. Tis could beconsidered one of the most crucial tasks undertakenby the community mobilizers.

TAKING DIFFERENCE INTO ACCOUNT

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Anticipating a better future; It was not uncommon thatwomen were heads of household, and were in charge ofreconstruction

A diverse group from different ethnicities worked togetherto build a communal water supply


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AFTER THE TSUNAMI:THE CHANGING PLACE OF WOMEN

Disasters destroy and disrupt. Yet, a disaster can recreate andreconstruct. It can bring opportunities for people to rebuild theirlives in ways that reconfigure social relationships. It can, forexample, empower women. The December 2004 tsunami was noexception.

T. Rufia from Kalmunai, a 32-year-old mother of two girls, facedthe challenge of the tsunami single-handedly, with her husbandin the safer confines of a prison. Her house collapsed to theground but she and her children were unharmed. When thegovernment gave her Rs. 250,000 to build a new home, sheknew it would not be enough but focused on establishing a firmfoundation for the family she is responsible for.

Rufia points out that setting up a CDC was a not an easy taskbut it was certainly an empowering one: First, we needed to

register the CDC with the local authorities. As its Secretary, Iwent with a few other office bearers to the Divisional Secretarysoffice to get this done. I then took on the responsibility ofopening a bank account for the CDC. I had not done this beforeand no one took us seriously. Today its a different story. They

treat us with respect. We have managed millions of rupeesthrough this account.

In many areas of the country, socially and culturally imposed

restrictions to womens mobility and social contact limit theiraccess to information and undermine their confidence. Rufiais happy that she can now deal easily with banks and otherinstitutions. After a year of being the CDC Secretary, she steppeddown to let another member take up her position: This is thepolicy of our CDC. When we are office bearers, we gain a lot ofexperience and we feel we should also give others a chance.

With the Rs. 350,000 that she received in instalments fromthe RCIS project, Rufia completed her house to a secure andhabitable standard. This essentially means that her home hasat least one lockable room and enough light and ventilation forhealthy and secure living.

Rufia is intent on improving the sewing business she beganwhen she was donated a sewing machine after the tsunami.

But what she really wants is to become a teacher, because shehas seen the difference that knowledge can make: It will beeducation first and employment next for my two daughters,says Rufia, then they can think about marriage.

AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF TWO CDCs

In the Batticaloa district, in the eastern province, the CDC ofthe Muslim village of Kuchchaveli was working with the newly-settled Tamil community of Kumburupiti to build much-neededinfrastructure. The Kumburupiti community, comprising largely of

people who were displaced both by the conflict and the tsunami,did not have a CDC that was registered; to do so would taketoo long as the infrastructure development project had to becompleted within a period of six months.

Weve moved into these houses but there much more to bedone. We have a serious water shortage and we also didnthave proper septic tanks. This is what the project was able tofund. Our community development council is still new, it has tobe registered for us to be able to open a bank account, which isnecessary if we take on community contracts.

- A.Yuharajah

Kuchchaveli is not in the immediate neighbourhood but the CDCwas glad to help.

We knew what our friends were going through was not easy.They were really down. I think when we joined them there was asense of relief. We were addressing the problems together. OurCDC is well-established and had already taken up community

contracts. So now we are doing this together. If we make anyprofit from the building contract we will share it 50-50-. Wevealready planned to build a bus halt and a small library with anymoney we make.

- S.M. Haroon, CDC President

In the meanwhile, the Kuhchaveli CDC encouraged theKumburupiti CDC to become more active. As soon as the largewell they are building is completed, many households want tostart organic home gardening.

We need to be self reliant in some way. Weve decided to startgrowing some food in our own gardens.

- V. Selvarani


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Te change in the governments housing policy in2006 by reducing the buffer zone paved the wayfor the primacy of a homeowner-driven housingprogramme as the main focus of the post-tsunamishelter effort. Te new policy addressed mostof the housing requirements of the displaced. Itincorporates the following principles:

A house for a house regardless of ownership

All affected families to be considered

Community participation both at organizationand construction level

Equity between beneficiaries

Prioritizing the owner driven schemesupplemented by donor assistance withoutprejudice to the houses already built by thedonors

In 2006, one of the biggest tsunami recoveryprogrammes got underway through a partnershipinitiated by UN-HABIA. Te CommunityRecovery and Reconstruction Partnership (CRRP)was implemented jointly by the InternationalFederation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC), the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS)and UN-HABIA.

CRRP demonstrated the superiority of thehomeowner-driven approach in house constructionover the donor-driven direct construction approach.It was evident that householders who were moreengaged in the rebuilding of their homes were moresatisfied with the final result and were also ableto recover faster from the trauma caused by thetsunami.

DRIVEN BY OWNERSHIP

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A family discussing the plans for reconstruction : many planned and built houses better and bigger than the grants wouldallow


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Under the CRRP, households received a top-up grantfor house building to supplement the governmentsbase grant, a separate grant for water- and sanitation-related expenses, and technical guidance for building.In addition, the project provided a grant for the repairof or improvement to community infrastructure andfor facilitating livelihood development.

As the CRRP was a fully homeowner-drivenprogramme, land ownership and tenure issues wereminimal. Tere were, however, delays in obtainingdocumentation on proof of ownership. Mostdocuments, especially land permits issued by theState, had been lost or misplaced during the tsunami.Te project had to adopt flexible practices wherecertification by Divisional Secretaries was acceptedin place of permits. Te CRRP implementationstructure, with its quick decision-making process,

flexibility and beneficiary focus on land and relatedissues, is a useful model for disaster recoveryprojects.

BUILDING BACK BETTER

The vast majority of households contributed their own laborand resources to rebuild their homes. As a result, mostpeople built houses that were of a higher standard than theminimum stipulated in the implementation guidelines. At thesame time, however, project staff faced the difficult task ofpersuading families to work within the resources available tothem. The incremental building of houses, in several stagesas and when householders obtain resources, is part of the SriLankan house building tradition. Under this process a houseis completed over a period of time. This is a concept that hadto be understood when implementing the homeowner-drivenhousing programme.

S. Buvanesvari, a mother of three daughters and a son, builther house by leaving room for expansion when she hadaccumulated enough savings. Shanthini, a grandmother, hadthe same idea, but she is impatient to complete building:

Completing the house is as important as building it. Wehad to leave room to build larger because we have so manychildren and grandchildren. But building costs are increasingand it looks like its a difficult target to achieve.

Incremental building is a norm in Sri Lanka, many familiesbuilt a 500sqft core house at first, and extended to suittheir own aspirations

Supplementary top-up grants by CRRP ensured a betterhome


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UN-HABIA provided technical assistance tothe CDCs as well as to individual households.Following the initial training on basic house designand technical skills as well as project managementand transparent administration of funds, CDCsplayed a vital role in the reconstruction process.CDC members joined the projects technical staffto help individual households design their homes,prepared technical documents and supervised thereconstruction work. As far as possible, both skilledand unskilled labour was sourced from within thecommunity. Te acquired skills remain within

the community and would be indispensible whenmaintaining the new assets.

UN-HABIA was committed not just to buildingsecure and durable houses but also improving theoverall quality of peoples lives. Te project insistedon certain quality requirements and standards inhouse construction. Houses had to reach minimumstandards as stipulated by the National HousingDevelopment Authority (NHDA).

A sanitary latrine with an appropriate effluent

disposal system and a separate kitchen or a cookingspace were essential requirements. Te use of

asbestos for roofing was discouraged, while the useof clay roofing tiles was actively promoted. At leastone lockable room was insisted upon as a securityneed, while windows and doors as necessary for lightand ventilation were stipulated. A vast majority ofthe beneficiary families, especially those who livedin makeshift shelters along the coast, had neverexperienced adequate sanitation facilities.

ENSURING STANDARDS

7

GUIDELINES FOR HOUSING IN SRI LANKA

The National Housing Development Authority, 2005House to be bounded by walls and covered by slab or aroof (Asbestos should not be used as a roofing material)

One lockable internal room

One internal or external kitchen/cooking space

One internal or external sanitary latrine with adequateeffluent disposal (according to specifications)

Windows and doors as necessary for air, light and security

Internal partitioning to meet householder requirements

Electrical network in accordance with standards set bythe Institute for Construction Training and Development

(ICTAD)A minimum area of 500 square feet.

By working with communities UN-HABITAT ensured each settlement met accepted construction standards


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In Uddhakandara, to facilitate construction work30 people from the settlement received training inmasonry, carpentry, plumbing and electrical wiring.Tis enabled significant savings on building costs.

Te projects technical officers worked closely withthe householders to finalize house plans as well asguide the entire construction process.

Mr. Chandana, the technical officer, was veryparticular about every detail. We had to completesomething perfectly before going on to the next step.For example, we couldnt fix the doors until theframes were fixed exactly right. Sometimes we foundthis really frustrating. But we began to understandthe value of doing this correctly. Te CDCs beganto supervise construction closely. Not even a smallamount of cement was allowed to go waste. Somepeople saved money by buying materials in bulk anddoing part of the construction themselves.

- Jayantha Abenayake, President,Pinsara Community Development

I was in debt, but used every cent of the 200,000rupees I got from the government to build oneroom and part of the roof. When I got the moneyfrom UN-HABIA and Solidar, I got some goodtechnical advice as well. I decided not to use asbestossheeting for the roof and made my windows larger.So Ive built a solid house that is good to live in. Andthe CDC was always there to help out. I was verymuch part of the process of building my home. Now

that Ive built it, I can think of other things.

- Kadija Umma, Ampara

In Thiruchentoor in the Trincomalee district the CommunityRecovery and Reconstruction Partnership project helped191 households to build homes. People were living intransit camps before they moved into temporary housingand eventually started building their own homes. Jeyarani isparticularly happy about the advice given by technical officerswhen designing and building the house: The windows wouldnot have been as large if we didnt get their advice and therewould have been less light in the house. More light makes abig difference.

BENEFICIARY LOG BOOK

The CRRP project introduced a Householders Log Bookwhich was an innovative step that facilitated the constructionprocess. The book, where all advice, technical and otherwise,

to beneficiary builders was noted, became an importantinformation tool and medium of communication betweenhouseholders and the implementing team. It was also aneducational process the documentation of questions,explanations and guidance.

Tiled roofs are not only safer than asbestos, but they alsoensure cooler interiors especially in hot tropical climatessuch as coastal Sri Lanka

Smiles: ensuring standards results in lasting satisfaction


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RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

More than US$1 billion was donated to supporthousing recovery within the first six months followingthe tsunami. Te funding profile was remarkable:firstly because the vast majority of the funds weredonated by individuals and private companies ratherthan the traditional large institutional donors, andsecondly because NGOs often had more funds todistribute as grants than foreign governments, UNagencies, and even multi-lateral organizations.It was not uncommon for large NGOs to havebudgets in excess of US$30m, while some exceededUS$100m.

Almost from the outset it became clear that fundingfor reconstruction would not be the major challenge.As with all modern disasters, comes the curseand blessing of hundreds of new implementationagencies who bring funding, or the hope of funding.Some 500 new agencies had arrived in Sri Lanka,

100 of which had developed housing componentsinto their programmes. Probably fewer than 25per cent had any previous experience in housingconstruction, most having emergency and temporaryshelter experience at best.

POLICY SUPPORT

In this environment the need for clear, simplepolicy was essential if chaos was to be avoided. UN-HABIA engaged with the Sri Lankan governmentat the earliest stages to offer support and guidanceon developing equitable policies around housingconstruction methodology, standards, cost limitsand integrated settlement planning. Seven weeksafter the tsunami struck, the government closed itsemergency Centre for National Operations (CNO)and opened the new ask Force for Rebuilding theNation (AFREN), later to be reorganized andrenamed the Reconstruction and DevelopmentAgency (RADA). In 2007/8 most of the functionswere passed on to the newly-formed Ministry ofNation Building, where tsunami reconstruction wasa minor portfolio. Tese agencies were responsiblefor overseeing reconstruction across all sectors andthe development of appropriate policies.

A key lesson learnt by many governments affected bythe tsunami was that greater utilization of existingstructures and capacity building of ministries such ashousing, water and sanitation, urban development,environment and disaster management would be

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, POLICY SUPPORT

AND HERDING CATS (COORDINATION)

9

A large donor assisted housing scheme in eastern Sri Lanka


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preferable to creating a stream of new institutionswith questionable experience and skills. Tese ad-hoc institutions also lead to major institutional

memory loss.Positively speaking, the housing-related policieswhich did emerge were quite straightforward and,though developed with minimal consultation, werereasonably effective at setting a minimum standard.

However, there were two exceptions: by notenforcing a ceiling cash limit, widespread inequitywas experienced and the Buffer Zone policy whichsaw the demarcation of an exclusion zone aroundthe island restricting the right of return to areas

within 200 metres of the sea in the East and 100metres in the west of the island caused the greatestdelay in housing reconstruction efforts.

Although the policy was well meaning and intendedto keep people safe from future tsunami type events,it was an emotion-based response rather than ascientific risk assessment response.

Tis policy meant that around 40,000 families couldnot return to their old land close to the sea, adverselyaffecting their livelihoods and ways of life. As soon

as the policy was introduced, a host of agencies

with UN-HABIA at the forefront lobbied for itto be revised. Many construction projects were puton hold as agencies were reluctant to build houses

inland for relocation, as a change of policy wouldmean that families could once again return.

In November 2005, 11 months after the tsunami,the policy was amended and the buffer zone wasgreatly reduced with new boundaries based on aCoastal Conservation Department initiative from2004, just before the tsunami. It took almost fourmonths before the new policy was understoodand in the hands of implementing agencies. UN-HABIA had spent months briefing agencies andpreparing them for the changes which would have

major programmatic implications.

HERDING CATS (COORDINATION)

As the title suggests, coordinating hundreds of newly-arrived agencies was an almost insurmountable task.Immediately after the tsunami, UN-HABIAadvocated strongly for an integrated coordinationto support the governments effort. While fundingfor reconstruction projects was plentiful, fundingfor coordination proved elusive. Although UN-

HABIA provided guidance and support to a

Most devastated houses were in close proximity to the sea, many were affected by the Buffer Zone policy


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range of agencies and government institutions fromthe onset, only in October 2006, some 20 monthsafter the tsunami, did the agency receive funding

to develop the echnical Advisory Support for theCoordination Mechanism on Permanent Housingproject (ASCMPH).

Te project was designed to support activities whichwould lead to families returning home or moving totheir new home at the earliest possible time, and tohelp resolve any impediments. Te project quicklyidentified the following key challenges:

Buffer Zone Policy uncertainty caused anenormous loss of momentum

Absence of finalized beneficiary lists confused

the planning process and led to serious delaysand lack of transparency

Donors and INGOs inexperienced in thehousing construction sector often failedto deliver and at times lead to ineffectivesupervision of contractors by these agencies,resulting in defects and quality issues. Lack ofconsultation and awareness of ground realitiesled to non-occupation of new houses by affectedfamilies (5-10% of relocation programme), this

was a stark contrast to the homeowner-drivenapproach, which proved overwhelmingly to bethe most successful reconstruction methodologyfor low-density housing. Agencies competingto provide the best houses resulted in costescalation meaning that fewer affected families

were reached and at a higher cost

Insufficient priority given to environmental andintegrated infrastructure issues

A lack of flexibility in relation to gender relatedland ownership issues (co-ownership)

Need for clear policy on equity issues such asinequity between and within tsunami affectedcommunities, inequity between tsunami affectedand unaffected neighbouring poor and equitybetween tsunami and conflict affected.

Te project strived to support coordination atnational and district levels by strengthening existingmechanisms and where necessary, developing newmechanisms, processes and tools. A key activity wasto support the Government Agents (GAs) and the

Ministry of Nation Building in identifying accuratebeneficiary lists. At a policy level the project assistedin the preparation of guidelines and policy relating

to vulnerability, security of tenure and gender equity,and also promoted the necessity for inclusion ofpost-disaster scenarios within a National Housing

Policy.

The following tools were utilized in supporting this process:

District Housing Profiles, giving an overview of tsunamihousing damage and progress and main issues affectingeach of the districts

Needs sssessments and construction progress reports on amonthly basis

The Housing and Habitat Forum (H&H) and the DonorWorking Group on Housing (DWGH). The H&H wasa forum for technical staff to raise issues and shareinformation with other agencies and to raise issues

that required resolution at a national level. The DWGHaddressed national level issues with a strong focus onfinancing issues.

A wide range of briefings to all stakeholders which helpedcreate joint planning and synergies between agencies

Documentation of the Lessons Learned on housingcoordination, early recovery and recovery stages ofreconstruction

WHAT DID WE LEARN ABOUT RESOURCEMOBILIZATION, POLICY SUPPORT AND

COORDINATION?

Post-disaster resources will flow into most affected countries.That is not the time to begin thinking about how to organizeor mobilize additional funds. Pre-disaster planning is essentialto avoid both time loss and wastage of resources. Agencieswith strong track records and coherent well thought throughprojects will be funded.

Clear and simple policy that has included reasonableconsultation is one of the greatest assets to speedy recovery.While this is generally the responsibility of the governmentagency, a heavy burden also rests with donors, andparticularly UN Agencies, to support this and ensure that ithappens.

Reconstruction takes considerable time even with massiveresources. The absorption capacity and delivery capacityof any country is limited and often greatly reduced aroundthe time of a major disaster. Realistic planning can helpspeed up reconstruction and it can also highlight the needfor targeted resources, capacity building and specific skillstraining programmes that will be required. Four to five yearsis probably the most reasonable recovery planning cycle formajor disasters.

The importance of effective coordination is too oftenunder-estimated and coordination is too often conductedineffectively. UN-HABITATs tsunami housing coordinationproject demonstrated that effective, integrated coordinationcan achieve a wide range of successful outcomes, including

the timely return home and recovery for affected families andthe saving of tens of millions of dollars.


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In many areas affected by the tsunami, , althoughpeople had succeeded in rebuilding their homes,communities still had some way to go to achievesatisfactory infrastructure and livelihoods evenfive years later. In the Rebuilding CommunityInfrastructure and Facilities project implemented incollaboration with IFAD, UN-HABIAs extensiveexperience in a peoples process of reconstructionand recovery was once again put to good use.

Te project followed the same approach used forthe reconstruction of houses: setting up CDCs(where they were none), holding CAP workshops,developing necessary community skills and, as far aspossible, building infrastructure through communitycontracts managed by CDCs.

Moving on from a disaster to development requiresthat people reduce their vulnerability in economicterms as well.

In Uddhakandara, three welfare units were setup under the three CDCs to grant small loansand operate as support groups when householdsexperienced financial hardships such as when a deathoccurred in the family. A separate savings system isoperated at cluster group level, raising funds throughmembership contributions and other creative meanslike holding small auctions. Te funds were also used

to grant small loans to cluster group members.

Here, a Womens Bank was set up with 42 members

FROM DISASTER TO DEVELOPMENT

10 MAKING NEW SETTLEMENTS MORE HABITABLEIn Matara, project assistance ranged from the building ofsettlement roads, drains, septic tanks and soakage pits totraining in solid waste management, home gardening and theproduction of coir products for a changing market.

The Usgediwatte community is an example of what peoplecan encounter when they are relocated in an unfamiliar areaand allocated houses they had no hand in building. Not longafter they moved in, the problems began to surface: crackedwalls, broken door locks, weak roofs and unsmooth floors.

We had to help them set up a CDC fast and get downworking immediately because we had such a short projecttimeframe. We introduced the concept of CDC and how itoperates. Women became very active in the process. Thenwe held a CAP workshop and identified priorities. The watersupply was the biggest problem.

- Swarna Ekayanake, UN-HABITAT DistrictManager, Matara

Although the settlement has piped water, we have water onlyonce in two or three days and we dont even know when toexpect it. Its a pressure problem. We used to keep the tapsopen with the expectation of water. We got huge bills butnot the water. Then we realized that we had to pay for the air.

When we keep it open the meter turns to the accumulatingwind. There were times we had to go all the way to the oldvillage to take a bath and wash clothes. The situation wasthat bad.

- Mallika Karunanayake, CDC President

The new well was built with enough space for both bathingand washing clothes. The contract was awarded to the CDC.Community members cleared the land and dug the well, buthired professionals to complete it according to the technicalguidelines. The CDC will make good use of the Rs. 43,000they saved once people agree on the next priority.

A sustainable Livelihood is a precursor to development:backyard farming and goat rearing is a popular choice


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in five groups. oday membership has risen to 143in nine groups. Te initiative was supported by theWomens Bank Federation of Colombo.

People make regular savings. When we started

giving loans we began with Rs. 500 but we have evengone up to Rs. 50,000. During both the dry and wetfarming seasons, everybody needs loans. As it is arevolving fund, the loan applications are scrutinized.Te money is always circulating.

- Meththa Nandani, Womens Bank Manager

Te UN-HABIA district office held career andbusiness development programmes for 50 people.Tey learnt how to formulate projects and prepareproject reports for small home-based income-

generating projects. People also gained skills inparticular livelihood skills that included sewing,

SERIOUS ABOUT BUSINESS

One room of a community hall has been turned into a smallshoe factory at the Kadirgarmar Tsunami Housing Project atValahanduwa, 16 km from Galle. Improving livelihoods was

a top priority for many of the people whose move had meantthat their traditional form of income was lost.

Fourteen people showed a keen interest in starting acollective shoe production business. They first followed acomprehensive training in the manufacture of shoes andlearnt about accessing raw material as well as the market.The project provided Rs. 187,000 for the training as well asthe initial stock of raw material.

The group has secured a regular market and shares profitsbetween the 14 members. A second batch of people iswaiting to be trained and join the business.

We want to do this business not just to give us an extraincome. We will improve our production and capture a wider

market. We will soon make it our main occupation.

- Sunethra Jayanthi

Savings through micro finance schemes such as womens banks strengthen the voice of women


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goat farming, mushroom cultivation and makingornamental products.

A total of 135 families submitted individual proposals

for small scale projects. UN-HABIA initiated adialogue with the Bank of Ceylon in issamaharamato enable a project specific loan scheme for small andmedium industries. Te Bank of Ceylon accepted135 project proposals and granted individual loansup to a maximum of Rs. 200,000. Tese loans weregranted on the recommendation of the CDCs;having a personal guarantor was not a requirement.

The Rebuilding Community Infrastructure and Shelter project(RCIS) supported the poorest householders to rebuild their

livelihoods by developing their skills and providing smallstart-up grants. UN-HABITAT linked the CDCs with otheragencies so that people can benefit from a wide range ofexpertise and assistance. A.H. Mohamed Jezeer, the Trainingand Livelihoods Coordinator of the project, points out thata new and well-built house alone does not ensure a familyswell being. People need a dependable source of income:Better livelihoods mean improved assets which, in turn, leadto reduced poverty and better resilience. This is what wewant the RCIS livelihood initiatives to achieve.

V. Kanthi from Kundumadu in Potuvil has just completedher house and the project is helping her set up a smalldairy-based enterprise. She is anxious to improve her incomebecause she must bring up five children on her own. Ravia

Amma learnt new home gardening techniques from herhusband who was recently trained on the subject. She willuse her garden produce to feed her family as well to makesome extra money.

Sandals produced in the shoe factory at the KadirgarmarTsunami Housing Project

Communal water supply


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It is significant that the RCIS project had as its firstobjective the rebuilding of social capital i.e. theempowerment of the community. Tis may be theprojects most significant achievement. When theproject began, none of the communities in the 12project areas in Amparai had the benefit of CDCs.oday, all 12 localities have active CDCs committedto continuing and strengthening their activities.

CDCs have gained recognition as well as the strengthto negotiate with their political representativesand local authorities; they have evolved a systemof democratic and transparent local governance.Te people of Uddhakandara, for example, decidedrecently that public space in the settlement should notbe used at election time to divide people and pollutethe environment. Posters, flags and banners areallowed only within peoples individual compounds.Political labels are also disallowed at communityfunctions; only the national flag is flown.

Tey do, however, sometimes make an exception.Te Italian flag is displayed at some functions as agesture of gratitude to the main donor of the projectthat supported the development of their settlement.

UN-HABIA post-tsunami reconstruction projectsincorporated several key aspects that contributed tosustainability:

Appointing committed and active communitymobilizers

Setting up representative CDCs that carry out itsactivities in an inclusive, open and transparentmanner

Building the capacities of people to communicate,

manage, negotiate and lead

Facilitating the formation of good relationshipsbetween community members and localauthorities

Ensuring community savings so that peopleare able to develop their livelihoods throughrevolving micro-credit schemes.

Eighteen families from Dehiwala, in the Colombodistrict, where they lived by the sea before the

tsunami, are slowly settling down in Raigamwattewith help from the Community Recovery andReconstruction Partnership. Violet Peiris decided towrite the deed in her daughters name. She is focused

SUSTAINING BENEFITS

11

Trading for the future: A young woman entrepreneur has now set up a small shop adjacent to her home


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on ensuring that her children and grandchildrenhave the more secure life that she had had. Violetruns a small grocery store in her house and supplieslunch packets for construction workers: I work reallyhard to make some money. We used to be able toget loans quite easily in our earlier neighbourhood.Here no one wants to lend us any money. I neededto improve my business. It was good to get helpfrom the project for it.

Violets daughter Sujeewa is the President of theCDC:

My husband and I have begun a fruit business. Hegoes quite a distance to buy fruit cheap in largequantities. We need to think creatively to growunder difficult conditions. Te settlement is slowlylooking up. All the homes have electricity now andwe get water from a common well. We also built astorm water drain through a community contract.

UN-HABIA demonstrated a high level of

ownership and satisfaction in the homeowner-driven rebuilding strategy. It built the capacity ofcommunities to face social, financial, environmentaland economic challenges beyond immediatereconstruction. People are confident of ensuringthe long-term sustainability of their settlementsthrough legally-recognized CDCs that were set upby the communities at the beginning of the projects and have now outlived project timeframes. Teprinciples and processes on which the projects arebased continue to be adopted in Sri Lanka and

elsewhere by other implementing agencies as well.One of UN-HABIAs most recent initiatives has

been the Consolidation for Settlement CapacityBuilding and Livelihoods Development Supportto Build Sustainability of Communities in EasternSri Lanka. Te main objective of the project was toimprove the competence of people who are engagedin development activities to take a holistic approachto development and enhance the co-ordinationmechanism between communities and institutions.Te project developed guidelines and conductedtraining programmes to build capacity of localauthority staff, community leaders and officials fromrelevant agencies.

Guidelines developed by the project:

Formation of Project Proposals

Strengthening Community DevelopmentCouncils

Establishing a Revolving Fund by a CommunityDevelopment Council

Maintenance of books and documents of a

Community Development CouncilMaintenance of common facilities

Community evaluation for settlementmanagement

UN-HABIA will continue to promote theparticipatory development process it has successfullyadopted in its tsunami recovery programme in SriLanka. Local knowledge, inter-personal networks,contacts, and the capacity to work together arecollective assets of people living in displacedcircumstances and inhospitable environments. Tissocial capital can be enhanced and utilized in therebuilding process.

Freedom to enjoy the abundant joys of youth


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UN-HABITATS TSUNAMI ASSISTANCE

PROJECT PORTFOLIO

12Donor: Architecture for Humanity

Location(s): Districts of Hambantota and ColomboAmount: USD 130,000Output: Community Infrastructure

Donor: Australian Red Cross

Location(s): District of JaffnaAmount: USD 308,000Output: 43 houses

Donor: Australian Red Cross

Location(s): District of HambantotaAmount: USD 201,096Output: 42 houses

Donor: BASF

Location(s): Districts of GalleAmount: USD 531,000

Output: Community Infrastructure / Constructionof a New Fish Market & Restaurant Complex

Donor: Fukuoka, Citizens of

Location(s): District of GalleAmount: USD 174,000

Output: 47 houses

REBUILDING COMMUNITY SHELTER AND INFRASTRUCTURE


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Donor: IFAD

Location(s): Districts of Kaluthara, Galle, Matara,

Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa and rincomaleeAmount: USD 1,650,000Output: Community Infrastructure / Livelihoods

Donor: IFRC (Community Recovery &

Reconstruction Partnership)

Location(s): Districts of Ampara, Batticaloa,Colombo, Kaluthara and Jaffna

Amount: USD 2,990,412Output: 6431 Houses and CommunityInfrastructure

Donor: Italian Corporation

Location(s): Districts of Ampara & KalutharaAmount: USD 1,220,870Output: 200 houses and community infrastructure

Donor: Italian Corporation

Location(s): District of HambantotaAmount: USD 854,185Output: 176 houses and community infrastructure

Donor: Japan, Govt. of

Location(s): Districts of Galle, Batticaloa, Jaffna andKillinochchiAmount: USD 3,000,000Output: 1133 houses and communityinfrastructure

Donor: KBGC

Location(s): District of Ampara

Amount: USD 331,540Output: 75 houses


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Donor: Munich, City of

Location(s): District of AmparaAmount: USD 188,790

Output: Humanitarian Assistance / Emergencyrelief & Community Infrastructure

Location(s): District of BatticaloaAmount: USD 1,321,004Output: 40 houses and Community infrastructure

Donor: Nuremberg, City of

Location(s): District of AmparaAmount: USD 430,000Output: Community Infrastructure / HealthcareCentre

Donor: Overseas

Location(s): District of AmparaAmount: USD 246,154Output: Community Infrastructure

Donor: Salvation Army

Location(s): District of JaffnaAmount: USD 1,631,014Output: 210 Houses and CommunityInfrastructure

Donor: Solidar

Location(s): District of Ampara

Amount: USD 2,500,000Output: 475 houses and Community infrastructure


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Donor: United Arab Emirates, Govt. of(Channeled through Red Crescent of theUnited Arab Emirates)

Location(s): Districts of Galle, Batticaloa, Ampara,rincomaleeAmount: USD 4,540,465Output: 1324 houses and communityinfrastructure

Donor: United Nations DevelopmentProgramme

Location(s): ColomboAmount: USD 766,810Output: 100 Houses

Location(s): District of rincomaleeAmount: USD 175,844Output: Community Infrastructure

Location(s): All Affected DistrictsAmount: USD 50,000Output: echnical Advisory Support for theCoordination Mechanism on Permanent Housing

Donor: Vitoria, City of

Location(s): District of BatticaloaAmount: USD 134,532Output: Humanitarian Assistance / Emergencyrelief & Community Infrastructure

Donor: World Jewish Relief

Location(s): All Affected DistrictsAmount: USD 96,965Output: Consolidation for sustainability ofsettlements

Technical Advisory Support for theCoordination Mechanism on PermanentHousing

Donor: Multi-donorDonor: UNICEFAmount: USD 564,954

Donor: American Red CrossAmount: USD 77,630


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Following the massive destruction left behind by the 2004Indian Ocean Tsunami in Sri Lanka, UN-HABITAT assistedthe reconstruction of nearly 10,000 homes and communityinfrastructure. The agency also provided the government with

technical support in coordination of the housing sector . Atthe heart of the agencys successful efforts was the PeoplesProcess where communities were given ownership of theirrecovery, and brought together in building better, sustainablecommunities. This book aims to highlight the success of thethousands who rebuilt their lives and provide a reference ofapproaches, methodology and lessons learnt for post-disasterrecovery.

UN-HABITAT Regional Office for Asia & the Pacific(UN-HABITAT Fukuoka Office)ACROS Bldg. 8F, 1-1-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku,Fukuoka 810-0001 JapanTel: (81-92) 724-7121; Fax: (81-92) 724-7124Email: [email protected]

http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org

Documents

Turning Around the Tsunami