This presentation briefs the Practical Action Sri Lanka's advocacy effort on post tsunami rebuilding in 2005.

1. Facing the Challenge of
Rebuilding
Buddika Hapuarachchi
Practical Action – South Asia Programme
Sri Lanka

2. Extent : 65000 Square km Sri Lanka
Population : 19.6 Mn
Ethnicities: Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim

3. Practical Action–about us
Practical Action is a development organisation
interested in identifying and offering appropriate
technology options to combat situations of poverty
and marginalisation.
The brainchild of an economist of the 1960s, Dr. E F
Schumacher, the organisation has grown to reach
communities in several countries, the work being
co-ordinated from 7 offices from around the world
located in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Zimbabwe and Peru

4. Agro-Processing & Food
Production Programme
• Access to markets
• Technology
development
• Micro enterprise
development

5. Infrastructure Programme
• Labour based road technology for
rural roads
• Intermediate mode of transport
• Cost effective housing
• Bricks &
compressed
soil blocks
IITTDDGG -- SSoouutthh AAssiiaa

6. Energy Programme
• Micro-hydro
• Bio-gas
• Small wind power
generation systems
• Energy from
biomass
• Energy Forum
• Wind-solar hybrid

7. Disaster Mitigation Programme
• Livelihoods options for
disaster reduction in
South Asia
• Livelihoods security
• Regional network –
Duryog Nivaran
• Lanka Rain Water
Harvesting Forum
Disasters are not isolated happenings, they are a
combination of hazards & vulnerability

8. • In Sri Lanka, the tsunami that
struck on the morning of
December 26, 2004 left behind
widespread destruction
– killed over 41,000 people
– destroyed over 85,000 homes,
– Displaced 443,000 people
– Affected more than 1 million
– 250000 livelihoods
– 24,000 boats (75% of the fishing fleet)
– damaged natural ecosystems
– Damage to infrastructure US$ 1.7 billion

9. Rebuilding effort
• Civil society played a significant role in relief
• International community pledged US $ 3.2 bn
• Private sector came forward to support the
government
• New structures are formed to coordinate the
effort (TAFREN, RADA)
• Approx. 3000 INGOs/NGOs started work in
Sri Lanka

10. The problem of the rebuilding Process
• overlook special needs of particularly vulnerable
groups
• affected Community participation minimal
• agencies overlook locally available human and
physical resources
• no long term and sustainable development
thinking
• poor standards and practices
• top down planning
• resource intense approach

11. Advocacy Programme
Goal/Aim:
To influence the plans and practical
implementation of reconstruction activities in Sri
Lanka (and South Asia more generally) following
the December ’04 Tsunami, so that integrated,
sustainable and participatory approaches to
reconstruction are practiced and promoted.

15. Core Advocacy Messages of Practical Action
Recovery process should be:
1. Participatory / Consultative
2. Include disaster risk preparedness
3. Community Specific (appropriate)
4. Environmentally sensitive
5. Conflict sensitive
6. Gender sensitive
7. Disability sensitive

16. Reconstruction
and
Development Agency
Tsunami Affected Communities
•Human Rights Commission
•Practical Action
•Universities
•Like Minded Organizations
Practical Action

17. Activities Carried out
• Participating to coordination meeting
• One to one discussions with policy makers and
implementers
• Presentations and formal letters targeting key
officials
• Alliance building
• Workshops –Building Back Better – Are we on
track?
• Providing recommendations and guidelines

18. Achievements
• Revised rebuilding policy included the people
participation, disaster risk sensitivity, special
attention to vulnerable groups, transparency
and environmental sensitivity
Challenges ahead
• Policies are changed but the practice?
• Building the capacity of stakeholders

19. Towards a regional road map for
disaster risk reduction
• South Asia Policy Dialogue
• South Asia Disaster Report
• Duryog Nivaran – Regional network for
disaster management
• Policy influencing and monitoring

20. Thank you!
www.practicalaction.org www.janathakshan.org