Floristic inventory of plant biodiversity

List species and cultivars, traditionally grown by the farmers in the flood affected area (cereals; field crops; root and tubers; fruit crops; vegetables, perennial horticulture and industrial crops)

Local counterpart institutions and NGO's through which to act and follow-up

Availability of seeds, planting materials and agro-chemicals

Local seed suppliers and plant nurseries

Damages to agriculture land : Area affected by salt intrusion, erosion and levelling

Damages to irrigation infrastructure (irrigation canals , water reservoirs, drainage systems, infrastructure against sea/salt intrusion, etc.)

availability of water for irrigation purposes (including water microbiology and chemical analysis )

Locally available substrates for soilless microgarden systems (rice-hulls; coconut fibre; river sand, etc)

Phytopharmaceuticals' availability

Loss of draft animals, tools and implements, pre- and postharvest equipment, grain silos and horticulture crops storage facilities

Loss of human/farmers knowhow capacity

Emergency as well as medium/long-term rehabilitation needs

Restoring the capacity

In the medium and longer term, the aim of the intervention in crop production is to restore and enhance livelihood of the affected population in the devastated areas. More specifically concrete actions are envisaged to restore the food-production capabilities by restoring sustainable crop production systems (i.e. field and horticultural crops, forage/pasture) and the reintroduction of crop and agro-biodiversity that were lost as a result of the Tsunami.

Interventions will also aim at supporting national institutions in reinstating the farmers' know-how level that has been weakened as a result of the loss of experienced farmers. This entails training of trainers and farmers on good agricultural practices and environmentally-appropriate horticulture and livestock-based farming systems.

Special attention is needed to adapted small-scale horticulture systems in the refugee camps to diversify the diet with fresh produce to promote human nutrition and to prepare the population for the future resettlement phase.

Provide seeds and planting materials of species and varieties that have been affected.

Provide training to locally propagate species and varieties (seed multiplication, vegetative propagation and tissue culture).

Restore the crop productivity of major food crops including root crops and banana.