IWMI-Tsunami Relief Effort

	Overview
	Tsunami disaster
	IWMI’s contribution
	Make your contribution
	News & Updates
	Contact us

	Tsunami Disaster Relief Maps

	Centre for National Operations

	Kalametiya Rehabilitation & Development Trust
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IWMI’s Contribution
IWMI’s headquarters have been hosted in Sri Lanka since its inception (1984). IWMI has worked in many of the affected areas for at least 15 years. This both gives us strong motivation to try to help the people we have worked with and has also given us expertise that can be put to good use. Therefore to support current relief efforts underway in our host country, IWMI has planned its efforts in three phases:

1) Immediate emergency relief:
IWMI sent emergency supplies through six missions starting on December 27th to affected areas in the east and south of Sri Lanka (including Galle, Baticaloa and Ampara). We also transported victims back to safe areas. Given the aid now coming into the country our contribution to emergency relief has been completed.

2) Launching an IWMI and CGIAR System wide appeal to support rebuilding of communities:
Today, the 5th January 2005 IWMI is launching a CGIAR system wide appeal. The money raised through this appeal will support at least two coastal communities, one each on the south (predominantly Sinhalese and Muslim) and east (predominantly Tamil and Muslim) coasts of the island. The money raised through this appeal will be used to re-build and re-develop the communities; we are in the process of identifying them.

3) Action based on institutional capacity:
IWMI will try to contribute to specific activities where we can use our experience and expertise. The primary effort to date is in the area of remote sensing and GIS. The IWMI GIS/RS unit is working with an UK based NGO, MapAction, in preparation of situation maps that are updated twice a day. The 11 strong MapAction team is based in the Centre for National Operations (CNO) attached to the Presidential Secretariat. They specialize in provision of mapping in disaster situations.

IWMI GIS staff are working in shifts to give 24-hour coverage. IWMI has provided two vehicles for GPS survey teams and has provided hardware and software. The IWMI team is acquiring free high-resolution imagery from the Indian National Remote Sensing Agency. Other data sets are being collected and processed.

IWMI is assessing opportunities to provide technical expertise related to water quality monitoring, assessing water infrastructure damage and post-disaster rapid rural appraisal techniques.

In addition, IWMI will host a team of 15 from the World Food Program (WFP) at its headquarters and the IWMI Embilipitiya field station has been made available to the UNHCR. IWMI field staff, equipment and vehicles are made available to relief agencies.

We thank you for all your messages of support and prayers. It is a very hard time for the whole region and your support will be greatly appreciated, especially in raising funds for the appeal that we are launching today. If you, your colleagues, families or friends wish to contribute to the appeal please send donations to the following accounts. Further updates on IWMI’s relief effort will be posted on the IWMI web site