IWMI-Tsunami Relief Effort

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News & Updates
IWMI tsunami relief update (January 31, 2005)

IWMI’s Tsunami response continues

IWMI’s immediate response to the December 26th 2004 Tsunami that devastated a large area of the Sri Lankan coastline included six emergency supply missions. This was followed by a CGIAR system wide appeal to raise money to support the rehabilitation and recovery process of at least two coastal communities—one in the South (predominantly Sinhalese and Muslim) and the other in the East (predominantly Tamil and Muslim).

In addition to its own initiatives, IWMI is collaborating with CGIAR partners and other local and international organizations to step up efforts to support the long-term rehabilitation process. The ‘IWMI-Tsunami Relief Group’ was formed to facilitate coordination and ensure fast and meaningful responses. They could be contacted at iwmi-tsunami-relief@cgiar.org

Water Sampling at Karagan Lagoon by IWMI staff,during the Rapid Needs Assessment

Work completed and in progress
Mapping
In the days following the Tsunami, the IWMI RS/GIS group collaborated with MapAction UK in support of the Sri Lanka Government's Center for National Operations (CNO). The IWMI RS/GIS Group and MapAction have been working around the clock to create a constantly updated GIS database, providing map support for the Government of Sri Lanka and the other organizations involved in the relief effort. (IWMI is listed in CNO’s database: http://relief.cno.gov.lk/orgreg/Search_org.jsp )
Members of the GIS team have made a number of field visits to gather GPS data from affected districts to produce maps that show the location of camps for the displaced and the extent of damage to infrastructure including bridges, roads and the railway network. A web-based tool has been created to support coordination and information sharing amongst the wider GIS community including Universities, Government departments and urban development authorities.

The situation maps are posted on the CNO website. They can also be downloaded from: http://csi.cgiar.org/tsunami_maps/tsunami_maps.html
Further information can be obtained from Hugh Turral (h.turral@cgiar.org) or Biradar Chandrashekar (c.biradar@cgiar.org)

Needs Assessment in the coastal regions of the Ruhuna Benchmark Basin
Moving on from the relief phase, one of IWMI’s first actions has been the livelihoods focused rapid needs assessment in the worst hit areas of Hambantota district. This was carried out by an eight-member team with IWMI’s own funds. IWMI has been actively working in this area for fifteen years through its research activities in the Ruhuna Benchmark River Basin.

The overall aim of the needs assessment is to rapidly evaluate how the tsunami affected the livelihoods of coastal communities in the Hambantota district and to understand measures to sustain their livelihoods in the medium and long term. The more specific aims are to:

understand the pre-tsunami livelihood strategies of the people in the affected area;
evaluate how their livelihoods were affected by the tsunami;
identify the post-tsunami status of physical infrastructure, resources and their capacity to restore their livelihoods;
evaluate the needs to restore the physical infrastructure and institutional support systems that are needed to restore livelihoods (or if needed to introduce alternative viable livelihood systems);
identify the needs of community organizations in order to sustain diversified/restored livelihoods; and
identify communities and options for further focused rehabilitation action by IWMI, particularly using the appeal funds.

For more information on the Rapid Needs Assessment in the coastal regions of the Ruhuna Benchmark Basin, please contact Sarath Abayawardana (s.abayawardana@cgiar.org)

Preliminary assessments in the east coast
IWMI is also exploring the possibility of working in the east coast of Sri Lanka. INGO, NGO and Government efforts in the area are coordinated through several subject-specific Task Forces which in return report back to the Government Agent of the District. Organizations IWMI met on January 21st and 23rd in the Batticaloa and Ampara districts saw a role for IWMI to support these task forces; particularly to give the responsible government agencies sound technical advice. This is likely to have the added benefit of encouraging INGOs and NGOs to follow the standards set by government agencies.

All three districts of the east coast recognize groundwater salinity as a problem but the technical expertise needed to assess its extent and implications is insufficient and advice is urgently needed. Preliminary assessments indicate that IWMI can contribute towards studying the effects of salinization of groundwater, well cleaning operations, and provide technical support in the medium term. Karen Villholth, IWMI’s groundwater specialist, visited the area from January 24th to 26th for more specific identification of link-ups and activities IWMI can undertake. A short concept note being prepared will outline the proposed actions.

Potential IWMI interventions
As the scale of damage to the country’s agricultural sector is still being assessed, IWMI researchers are also looking at how research recommendations could influence decision-making in both short term relief and longer term rehabilitation efforts, particularly in the water and sanitation sector. A number of initiatives are being pursued with other collaborators.

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
SEI and IWMI are looking at ways to work on longer term livelihood-related studies and activities in Sri Lanka or covering the entire region.

ARC Seibersdorf research GmbH
Discussions are ongoing with ARC Seibersdorf research GmbH of Austria regarding possible studies on the salinization of groundwater and land. The work is likely to be carried out in the Eastern Province.

Chemonics International
Chemonics International flew in Josh Moga and GIS expert Jenny Bledsoe to develop a proposal to carry out post-disaster resource mapping with IWMI collaboration, possibly with USAID funding. They bring their ‘disaster response and preparedness’ experience and their Tsunami response experience in Madagascar from a few years ago.

US Academics and Groundwater Specialists
A group of US professors and groundwater specialists including Sri Lankan expatriates have contacted IWMI to initiate collaborative work to look at groundwater salinization issues and to build capacity within the country on groundwater research and management. A fact-finding mission is planned for February or March.

Improving Agriculture Productivity-Management
A concept note has been prepared for a project that would improve agricultural productivity through an integrated knowledge-based network. The project, which will also be implemented in Tsunami-affected areas, will develop integrated service provision and communications, and build people’s capacities to access information systems and manage resources. IWMI is in the process of identifying a local partner for the project.

Other CG Centre initiatives in Sri Lanka

IRRI to visit Sri Lanka
Joe Rickman and Mark Bell of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will visit Tsunami-affected areas in Sri Lanka in early February to carry out a local needs assessment. Dr. John Bennet has been working closely with the NGO Sarvodaya on possible IRRI responses.

IPGRI to work with IWMI in Dodanduwa
IWMI will support the work of IPGRI (the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) work in the coastal village of Dodanduwa in Southern Sri Lanka where all sources of water have been flooded with sea water. IPGRI has been working with the people of Dodaduwa for several years now on a poverty reduction project that helped expand the micro credit capital in the village. Project partners included the Siyath Foundation and the Sri Lanka Coconut Research Institute.

CIP looks to work in Hambantota
The International Potato Centre (CIP) is looking at ways in which to contribute to the agricultural sector in the Tsunami-affected areas of Sri Lanka in collaboration with IWMI and the Department of Agriculture. A likely area being considered is the use of sweet potato as a crop in the affected areas.

Centre Directors’ Committee (CDC)
The Centre Directors’ Committee (CDC) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) met at the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Headquarters in Bogor on January 18th to plan and coordinate Tsunami-related activities in the region. Two proposals will be developed for the whole Tsunami-affected region as a CGIAR-wide response—one focusing on impact assessment (to be led by the Consortium for Spatial Information and coordinated by Robert Zomer r.zomer@cgiar.org) and the other on livelihoods redevelopment (to be led by World Fish and coordinated by Ilona Stobutzki i.stobutzki@cgiar.org).

It was agreed that local relief/rehabilitation work in Sri Lanka will be coordinated by IWMI (Sarath Abayawardana, s.abayawardana@cgiar.org, head of the IWMI Sri Lanka Programme) and work in Aceh will be coordinated by ICRAF (Meine van Noordwijk, m.van-noordwijk@cgiar.org, regional coordinator of ICRAF in Southeast Asia).

Website (http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/tsunami/)
IWMI has developed a special web page with information on the many IWMI tsunami relief efforts. It also provides useful links such as post-tsunami map resources and national tsunami relief operations. This web page will be updated regularly.