Kota Padang flash flood July 24, 2012

Flash flood that has occurred on July 24, 2012 in the city of Padang was surprising. The economic losses due to the flood amounted to IDR 271,365,000,000 and 4,399 people were evacuated. Even there were no fatalities in this accident; all stakeholders are called to learn from this incident so that the losses could be minimized when the disaster strikes. Capacity Development Support Program of Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction (AIFDR) commissioned the Humanitarian Protocol and International Relations Consultant and West Sumatra Disaster Risk Reduction Analyst Consultant to do the learning. This ‘lessons learned’ document has been produced after a series of field observations, discussions and analysis.

The document contains studies on local government and community preparedness on disaster risk reduction and disaster response. The role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and media also one of important topic has been studied and reported in this document. Another important topic has been studied is the impact of NGOs presence during the response and recovery following the West Sumatera 2009 earthquake.

The ‘lessons learned’ document available in Bahasa Indonesia. Click here  This document has been presented in a workshop “Flash Flood and Extreme Weather Disaster Management in West Sumatera” which has been carried out in Padang on mid December 2012. Workshop report also available in Bahasa Indonesia. Click here

Arwin Soelaksono - Disaster Response and reConstruction Padang Banjir Bandang West Sumatera Flash flood

Photo credit: Paparan Walikota Padang Dr. H. Fauzi Bahar MSi, Bencana Alam Banjir Bandang di Kota Padang 24 juli 2012

Mentawai Response Lessons Learned - A Spark of Hope to Rebuild Mentawai

There are so many things to be learned during responding Mentawai following the earthquake and tsunami. The destruction was massive and the challenge on responding it was enormous. The good thing in responding Mentawai is the agencies responded to West Sumatra Earthquake in 2009 was still in Padang or Padang Pariaman. The relationship between agencies and government which has been developed for months has also given contribution so that response to Mentawai was quite fast.

These lessons learned also capture the uniqueness of Mentawai response. The strong joint effort amongst agencies is one of the benchmarks of the response. This can be seen not only in the emergency phase but also in the government early recovery program.

During 3 months (October 25, 2010 – January 25, 2011) on responding Mentawai, seeing strong cooperation amongst agencies and also with the government is encouraging everyone. The rebuilding of Mentawai would be a long process due to the area’s years of under-development and difficult terrain. But this spirit of joint effort gives a spark of hope in rebuilding Mentawai.

To download lessons learned document click here.

Arwin Soelaksono - Disaster Response and reConstruction

Photo credit: Madrina Mazhar

Enhancement of the Recovery Quality through Joint Effort and Combined Strategic Program - Lessons Learned from West Sumatra Recovery

This paper will discuss the uniqueness of recovery effort in West Sumatera following the 2009 earthquake. The joint effort and combined strategic program was one of the uniqueness of the recovery. This initiative has proven its successes in building synergies amongst humanitarian agencies to speed up their program and enhance the recovery program quality and obviously reduce the program cost. In order to share this iniaitive to be replicated in other area, the paper give some recommendation which can be used for other program in other recovery effort.

Abstract

In the wake of the 2009 West Sumatra earthquake there were more than 75 international and national agencies works on recovery. Every agency has their experiences, approaches and expertise. It is rich variation on the way each agency undertake the recovery works. On the other hand government has their own perspective, policy and has already developed plans and budget. In the beginning it was difficult to find all efforts that can be intersected. All recovery stakeholders were firm on their decision on how the recovery effort should be implemented.

4 months after the disaster, international, national non-governmental organizations (NGO) and United Nations (UN) agencies that worked in shelter / housing program, started on taking initiative to harmonize their programs with the government plan. During that time serious study on the government plan had been carried out. The government quite open for inputs and both party – NGOs and government – established good relationship and mutual respect.

The joint effort and combined program in housing program caused other good implication. Other programs then interested to replicate this initiative. NGOs that joined in working groups such as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Livelihood and other working groups tried to find synergies amongst them. The result can be sharing resource, joint funding and combined program. These initiatives surely increase recovery pace and enhance the quality.

Keyword: earthquake, West Sumatra, reconstruction, shelter, coordination

To download all paper content just click here

This paper was prepared to be presented in the 5th Annual International Workshop and Expo on Sumatra Tsunami Disaster & Recovery (AIWEST-DR 2010) in Banda Aceh, Indonesia on November 2010.

Arwin Soelaksono - Disaster Response and reConstruction

Strategic Documents and Lessons Learned from West Sumatra Recovery

It’s always a big question after humanitarian efforts in disaster affected area, how to keep all lessons learned, and strategic documents and all sort of that so everyone can easily access it? Bigger disaster and bigger intervention make the question even more valid. In West Sumatra recovery, for instance, there are more than 70 international and national agencies works on recovery following the September 2009 earthquake disaster. Every agency has their experiences, approaches and expertise. It is rich variation on the way each agency undertake the recovery works. But I found out an important component to speed up recovery process those are come from sharing resource and joint effort amongst recovery stakeholders. Other important component to enhance the recovery quality and in the same time reduce the unnecessary cost is the replication on the best practices.

To answer the question above, West Sumatra Recovery Network website http://www.rn-unrc.org collects lessons learned from agencies that carried out recovery effort in west Sumatra. In this website we can find strategic documents produced by working groups such as shelter, disaster risk reduction and other working groups. We can download meeting, workshop and training materials as well so this website is like a living library which its document always regularly updated.

Arwin Soelaksono - Disaster Response and reConstruction

Eco-Friendly Reconstruction

This paper was presented on Training for Facilitators, West Sumatera Post-Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, 12-15 May 2010
Abstract:

As part of rebuilding effort following September 30th, 2009, earthquake in West Sumatra, the Government, Society and various Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs), both local and international, launched interventions to help victims of disasters. One form of support is housing reconstruction. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of hundreds of thousands of homes would need a lot of resources including building materials derived from nature. Learning from the cases of Aceh reconstruction, all parties should be wary of the potential environmental damage. Therefore all parties involved in the process of West Sumatra rehabilitation and reconstruction needs to think strategically to balance development efforts with ensuring environmental sustainability. The entire strategic plan must be able to be executed by the whole community and all actors of rehabilitation and reconstruction to protect the environment.

To download all paper content just click here

Arwin Soelaksono - Disaster Response and reConstruction

NGO and Donor Coordination to Speeds up Reconstruction and Avoid NGO Competition

This paper was presented on 4th Anual International Workshop & Expo on Sumatra Tsunami and Recovery in Banda Aceh November 24, 2009.

During 2005-2006, in cities like Banda Aceh, Meulaboh and other parts in West Coast, the presence of Non Government Organizations (NGOs) made these places feel small. These places were crowded of organizations. Nearly everyone was in a high spirit to run their program. Bad things happened when NGOs persuaded beneficiaries to receive someone's program and in the same time reject others.

Conflicting programs amongst NGOs was another problem as a result of the lack of NGO or donor coordination. The presence of one program affected the quality and delivery schedule of other program. When it getting worse the size of the program reduced and impeded. And at the end it created bad attitudes amongst the beneficiaries. There should be a way on strengthening NGO coordination otherwise there will be a hard competition amongst NGO.

Keyword: tsunami, reconstruction, NGO, competition, coordination

To download all paper content just click here.

Arwin Soelaksono - Disaster Response and reConstruction