Ten years later : What have we learned? Axel van Trotsenburg  ;   The vice president for East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bank

JAKARTA POST,  23 Desember 2014

                                                                                                                       

Ten years ago this month, one of the most devastating tsunamis in modern history killed more than 230,000 people across 14 countries and shattered countless more lives. Triggered by a 9.3 magnitude earthquake — the third largest ever recorded — this tsunami tested the global community’s capacity to cope with catastrophes of this magnitude. In the face of a stream of devastating images shown by the world’s media, the global community — individuals, organizations, corporations, and governments — responded with more than US$14 billion in humanitarian and reconstruction assistance. It was a massive outpouring of support that reflected a spirit of global solidarity. In Indonesia alone, where it was estimated that more than 220,000 people died, the losses caused by the disaster were estimated at about $4.45 billion. Based on the final government figures, the amount spent to rebuild Aceh and the island of Nias alone was $6.7 billion. The World Bank worked on the recovery and reconstruction efforts in Aceh, contributing its own funds and implementing a $655 Multi Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (MDF). These contributions helped rebuild 20,000 homes with earthquake resistant standards including preparedness for a future tsunami; 3,850 kilometers of national highways and village roads; 1,600 kilometers of irrigation; 677 schools; 500 village town halls; 72 clinics; 8,000 wells and clean water sources; and more than 1,200 sanitation units. Yet, one of the most significant achievement of Aceh’s recovery and the support of the international community goes beyond physical reconstruction. The post-tsunami reconstruction effort ended the separatist conflict that engulfed Aceh for more than three decades. A peace agreement between the warring parties and a special autonomy arrangement were a direct result of the rebuilding process. The Aceh story was about leveraging disaster to build back communities, making them more resistant to future natural hazards and external shocks, and also more resistant to conflict. Building trust within communities and at different levels of government, with support from the international community, has been a critical success factor. There are three key lessons the global community can draw from catastrophic global disasters such as the Indian Ocean tsunami. First, a major natural disaster with devastating consequences on human life and property is a signal that there is something wrong with the development trajectory. The enormous casualties brought by the tsunami are indications that many decades of development have ignored the natural environment. That shortcoming was subsequently addressed in the response to the disaster through building more resilient communities, villages and towns through better land use planning and compliance to building standards; by bringing economic opportunities to the poor and those marginalized by conflict; and by fostering public agencies that are accountable to the people. A new early warning system has also been developed, backed by strengthened coordination among countries in the region. Since 2009, Aceh has seen relatively steady economic growth, and past conflict has turned into a sustainable political landscape. Second, government leadership is of utmost importance. Indonesia’s government quickly established the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR Aceh-Nias) with a strong mandate to coordinate recovery and reconstruction in a transparent and accountable way. The response to the “Aceh tsunami”, as it is known in Indonesia, highlighted the importance of good governance, and of maintaining a sense of urgency throughout the development effort as the key to effective delivery of results. International support, while essential, is not a substitute for what national capacity can and should do. The World Bank-managed MDF for Aceh and Nias only accounted for 10 percent of the total reconstruction costs, but this fund was used strategically to leverage what the government and the people of Aceh could do themselves. This approach helped yield more sustainable outcomes. Finally, as the world confronts more frequent occurrences of potentially catastrophic events like earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and communicable diseases, any effort to recover from such shocks should produce better institutional capacity. The Indonesian government faced a series of disasters after the tsunami including the Nias earthquake in 2005 and the earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions that struck Java in 2008 and 2010. Although these events still led to loss of life and destruction, the government applied lessons learned in Aceh to new disaster scenarios. The result is a government with significant expertise in disaster management and preparedness. This knowledge has led to stronger government policies and institutions, and the establishment of the newly formed National Agency for Disaster Management (BNBP) and the Indonesia Disaster Fund, largely modeled on the MDF. If there is one message from the Indian Ocean tsunami experience that is relevant to today’s world confronted by more frequent climate impacts, regional conflict and potential major calamities such as the Ebola crises, it is that we need to build resilience, build back better and build new coalitions and partnerships, so that together we can save more lives and reduce economic losses.  ●