Annex 2
COUNTRY REPORTS

2.1. Rehabilitation of agriculture in tsunami affected areas in India: one and a half years later1

N.B. Singh, Agriculture Commissioner, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India

Background

The severe earthquake of 26 December 2004 followed by the tsunami struck the Indian coast line causing extensive damage to property, crops and significant loss of life to communities in the island states of Andaman and Nicobar, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The greatest degree of damage occurred in Nicobar districts and in Little Andaman of Andaman district. Extensive damage also occurred in the South Andaman Islands and the intensity of the damage gradually declined towards the North Andaman.

Within the Andaman and Nicobar Island chain there are three clearly defined land use patterns associated with agriculture that include:

Areca nut, coconut and banana are established on slopes and highlands. The areca nut and coconut plantations are inter-cropped with spices that include black pepper, clove and jaiphal. This system has a high income potential and offers regular employment to the farmers. Vegetables (cowpea, cabbage, okra, cauliflower, bitter guard, cucumber, ridge guard etc.) and maize are grown in areas immediately below the foothills; and summer vegetables in the midlands and rice in the lowlands.

On the gentle sloping hills and foothills, the farmers practice a rice-vegetables, rice-cereal and rice-fallow systems. These areas are at a relatively higher elevation and are established on predominantly terraces. In the lowlands and valleys in close proximity to sea front, the farmers follow rice-fallow production system.

Extent of damage to Agriculture, Horticultural and Plantation Crops in Affected areas

In all four states the standing rice and plantation crops were significantly impacted upon. Among the plantation crops areca nut, coconut and banana stands were severely affected. Seawater intrusion not only affected the standing crop but also resulted in the salinization of soils and water bodies. In some areas in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands land was permanently inundated and cannot be reclaimed. The extent of damage incurred due to the tsunami in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the mainland states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu were as follows:

Andaman and Nicobar: In the Andaman and Nicobar Island some islands were completely destroyed with significant loss of life and property. Of the standing/harvested rice crop, approximately 2/3 area the total area (4 000 ha) was lost or severely affected in the island chain (Table 1.1). Other crops including vegetables, pulses and oilseeds were completely destroyed. Approximately 10000 ha of plantation crops (i.e. coconut, banana) crops were severely damaged or completely destroyed along with root crops on selected islands of the chain (Table 1.2). All coconut seedlings in the nurseries were completely destroyed. The total estimated cost of these losses was estimated to be US$149.58 million.

Table 1.1. Estimated area of rice and monetary value of the crop lost on the islands of the Andaman and Nicobar

^* Assuming Rs.40 to 1 US$

Table 1.2. Area and estimated monetary value of plantation and root crops destroyed in the island chains of the Andaman's and Nicobar's

Kerala: In the coastal districts of Kerala more than 7 051 ha of rice 282 ha of coconut, some areas of areca nut, vegetables and other crops were either loss or damaged. In addition, 68 744 seedlings of coconut were completely destroyed.

Tamil Nadu: The greatest impact of the tsunami was to 250 ha aqua farms that were owned by small and marginal farmers. The destruction wreaked by the tsunami included the loss of important breeding fish stocks and fingerlings. In the state of Andhra Pradesh losses to field crops was relatively small. In addition, there were extensive losses incurred in the livestock sector with cattle, goats, fish, poultry and other animals in all four states.

In general three distinct impacts on soil and topography could be identified:

• In those areas that were initially inundated by the seawater in which the waters receded immediately (those areas at a higher elevation) resulted in the deposition of salt in the upper surface horizons resulting in salinization of these surface layers.
• Areas that were initially inundated by the tsunami and since are routinely subject to inundation during high tides resulting in the soils becoming permanently saline.
• Some areas in close proximity to the sea have become permanently inundated and cannot be brought back into cultivation.

Action Plans to Rehabilitate Tsunami Affected Areas and Progress

The Government of India's immediate response to the crisis was to take care of the large numbers of displaced persons. Furthermore extensive surveys were conducted by central and state government teams within the affected areas to quantify the impact of the tsunami on the agricultural sector. The outcome of these activities was the development of short- and long-term plans in order to restore the agricultural sector and livelihoods of thousands of displaced farmers. Monitoring of progress with respect to the implementation of the plans is being undertaken by the central and state governments.

Immediate steps taken in meeting the short-term plan for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are described in Table 1.3. In the Nicobar district 5 000 m of protective dykes were constructed to prevent seawater intrusion to rice fields. Debris was cleared from 1 600 ha This included the clearing of debris from affected agricultural land, the scraping of surface deposits of salt and the application of organic manures and gypsum to salt-affected lands. In addition, equipment and implements were provided to affected farmers to assist in the establishment of agronomic, horticultural and plantation crops. Progress as of the 31 March 2006 in achieving the short-term goals are presented in Table 1.3.

Table 1.3. Progress as of 31 March 2006 with respect to meeting the short-term plan objectives for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

In Tamil Nadu and Kerala there was a significant effort to collect soil samples and make recommendations based on these tests for the application of gypsum and green manures. Major activities to restore agricultural production and livelihoods in Tamil Nadu and Kerala included the following:

• One of the major hurdles was identification of affected farmers and establishing the extent of damage to each farmer. It was therefore decided by the local officials to encourage farmers to form self-help groups. In all 478 tsunami farmer self-help groups (TFSHG) were established and formed the focus of the relief effort in the state.
• Lists of affected farmers were prepared and displayed on notice boards for public security in order to create awareness and facilitate transparency.
• A total of 25 531 soil sample were collected and assessed for salinity levels.
• Scraping of salt from affected land and leveling was undertaken through the TFSHG.
• Gypsum was made available free of charge to affected farmers based on soil test results.
• Seed of green manure (sesbania, sunhemp) crops known to tolerate salinity were distributed to farmers as a first step before the rainy season started.
• A further bottleneck was the creation of awareness among farmers about the long-term impact of seawater at the farm level. It was, therefore, decided to train farmers in reclamation of land. More than 13 000 farmers were trained in land reclamation approaches.
• Seeds of salt tolerant varieties of different crops were distributed to affected farmers.

A positive impact of these interventions has been observed in rice yields in affected districts (Table 1.4). Whilst there are no data that can be used to make comparisons between pre- and post-tsunami rice yields, the yields obtained post-tsunami are reasonable and clearly indicate a return to normality.

Table 1.4. Rice yields in tsunami affected areas after reclamation in Tamil Nadu

A long-term action plan for the rehabilitation of affected coastal areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been drawn up and include the following activities:

• The management of sea front that will include the establishment of strips 15 m wide of mangroves along a 100 km coastal strip.
• In those areas that have been permanently inundated (1 320 ha) mangroves will be established and farmers compensated for their loss of land.
• The provision of stable and strong dykes for a further 20 km with 40 sluice gates.
• The creation of brackish water ponds.
• Infrastructure development that includes the construction and procurement of office buildings, laboratory buildings, workshops, sub-depot staff waters, go downs, vehicles, farm machinery, etc.
• The development of aquaculture enterprises on 100 ha.

Similar activities associated with infrastructure rehabilitation and the sustainable management of the immediate coastal region are planned for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

Constraints faced in Rehabilitation of Agriculture

A major constraint immediately after the disaster was the procurement of sufficient quantities of quality seed and planting material to reestablish crops and plantation; the availability of appropriate varieties of seed and planting material suited to the prevailing soil conditions and in the case of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands the availability of local organic composts/manures and inorganic fertilizers. Care was taken to avoid the transportation of coconut seedlings source from the plains of India to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to prevent possible insect pest and diseases being introduced to the islands. Poor road infrastructure affected transportation of relief supplies and impeded the rehabilitation process. In addition, the inadequate availability of suitable earth moving equipment to remove debris from affected fields as the first phase in the rehabilitation process and to assist in the construction of dykes, water storage structures and roads hindered progress. Problems of attracting suitably trained and experienced persons to go to the Islands to assist in the rehabilitation process were experienced due to fear that further earthquakes and tsunamis would occur.

Lessons Learnt

The following lessons learnt have been identified and for the focus of future developments along the coast:

• The sea frontage or area immediately adjacent to the sea will be protected from the impact of future waves or storm surges through the establishment of mangroves.
• Human activities along the sea frontage will be restricted to only notified areas.
• An ecological balance should be maintained within the coastal area that would temper the impacts of human activities.
• The development of artificial water bodies and other water reservoirs will be confined to areas away from sea frontage.
• There is a need for the development of an early warning system in order to avoid human causality and loss of property from future tsunami's and storm surges.

2.2. Agricultural rehabilitation scenario in India2

Prepared by Tamil Nadu Tsunami Resource Centre (TNTRC)

Background

Farmers and agriculture workers in India and in particular those in the states and territories of Tamil Nadu and Andaman Nicobar Islands were shaken and traumatized by the destruction wreaked by tsunami of December 26, 2004. Crops were destroyed and fields contaminated with saline salts and deposited sediments. India had not experienced such destruction of this kind in the recent years.

The following provides a situational analysis of the agricultural sector one and a half years later, and covers to a large extent, the rehabilitation constraints, gaps, challenges and lessons learnt mostly from Tamil Nadu. This is based on feedback and the experiences of core group members of the livelihoods sector facilitated by the TNTRC at the state level, coordination efforts of NGO Coordination and Resource Centre (Nagapattinam), Government information on progress and has drawn upon reports and discussions with farmer networks affected by the disaster and field visits to affected areas.

Limited understanding of agricultur - little focus on agriculture

Efforts of some organizations and work of the coordination centres and groups succeeded in bringing the focus of some of the international organizations and the national and community based organizations, involved in rehabilitation to the role of the agricultural sector on which the livelhoods of significant numbers of persons depend. This resulted in organizations prioritizing agriculture land reclamation as an important area to address. Collaboration, knowledge networking of different stakeholders was initiated by the coordination and resource centres both at the state and district level. The government assessed the damage and announced their Rehabilitation of Tsunami Affected Agricultural Lands (ROTAAL) plans. The coordination effort at the district level by the NGO Nagapattinam Coordination and Resource Centre (NCRC) brought large areas of agricultural land into the reclamation process and successful livelihoods restoration to a large extent. Details of government package and implementation are presented in Annex 2.2.1.

Opportunities to build better and secure agricultural communities

The aftermath of the tsunami disaster offered an opportunity to build better and securer agricultural production systems and communities. A comprehensive approach to rehabilitation was required. In this respect the process did not stop with land reclamation activities but encompassed long-term sustainability through improving the fertility of the soil, improving the yield and income of farmers. Besides, the disaster has provided an excellent opportunity to revisit traditional knowledge and to incorporate it into the concepts of sustainable agricultural practices through organic farming, the growing of traditional species, and traditional practices.

Long-term approaches required include an integrated approach to farming systems development, diversification and value adding through various activities (promotion of horticulture and tree crops, food processing, agro-based enterprises), integrated disaster preparedness and proofing from floods/drought and other disasters, aimed at improved capacities and to provide institutional linkages to assist in the transfer of knowledge.

A second disaster - Consequent rains and flooding that ravaged Tamil Nadu

Close on the heels of tsunami, Tamil Nadu was hit by a second disaster - the floods, which inundated the fields, brought great losses to the farmers, both inland as well as the coastal. In Nagapattinam alone the total damages estimated from field reports were 80 000 hectares of paddy crops, 300 ha of horticultural crops, were either lost or lower yields were experienced. Only a few NGOs and government participated in flood relief. The positive side of this disaster is that the lands that had become salinized due to the tsunami were leached/flushed of soluble salts to a large extent thereby reducing/eliminating the saline affects.

Progress of Activities of the Government/NGOs in Tamil Nadu

The Government of Tamil Nadu provided a package under the Rehabilitation of Tsunami Affected Agricultural Lands (ROTAAL). Through this, the government announced compensation packages for crop and livestock loss. Tamil Nadu Government implemented a package of Rs.12500/ha for land reclamation for 3 years initially, which was increased to Rs.15 000/per ha subsequently . This includes soil testing, removal of salt, land leveling, gypsum application, green manures, sowing of seeds, ploughing and cultivation, subsistence allowance every season in the second and third years, and insurance premium for two years.

NGOs Packages ranged from Rs.4 000 to Rs.50 000/ha. NCRC initiated coordinated action and evolved a package with NGOs for land reclamation. TNTRC ensured state level information sharing and dissemination.

Coordination at state level (Tamil Nadu)

At the state level the Tamil Nadu Tsunami Resource Centre (TNTRC) ensured information dissemination, knowledge networking, and provided a platform for sharing of issues and good practices with regard to livelihoods rehabilitation with a focus primarily on agriculture. The strategy consisted of bringing different stakeholders together to form a 'core group' that facilitated the sharing of concerns and identified matters that needed attention.

Coordination at District level

NGO Coordination and Resource Centre, Nagapattinam (NCRC) coordinated the agricultural rehabilitation scenario at the district level (Nagapattinam). The various activities taken up by them included assessment of damages through a survey of 42 panchayats, disseminating the findings, developing a comprehensive package in a participatory manner with NGOs to address immediate, short-term as well as long-term needs for desalination of affected production systems. Geographical land allocations were made the responsibility of 22 NGOs who were involved in the reclamation of 5 500 ha of land. This allowed for bridging gaps and avoiding overlaps. The focus of the reclamation efforts were on individual farmer's lands as well as common lands on which the establishment of green manure crops, the growing of salt tolerant crop varieties and the application of organic manure were encouraged. An ensured common understanding among NGOs, created linkages and partnerships, capacity building of NGOs and coordination through review and planning meetings. In the second year the feasibility of integrating disaster preparedness into agriculture is being planned. The outcomes of these efforts in Tamil Nadu have resulted in the following progress:

• The majority of the affected lands are now fit for cultivation.
• 5880.96 ha have been sown with salt tolerant paddy crops and the balance of the land to oilseeds.
• 669.82 ha of horticultural land have been recovered.
• Water samples across Tamil Nadu are mostly fit for irrigation except in few places.
• In Nagapattinam, except in a few places, most water sources are largely unfit for irrigation. This is ascribed to the lack of visibility of the agriculture sector in this area where rehabilitation of the feeder canals/drainages needs to take place in a comprehensive manner.

(Source: GoTN status report, Feb 06)

Gaps Identified

• The compensation package awarded to agriculturists has been perceived to be low.
• Assessments made in compensation process were not perceived to be rigorous and scientifically based as uniform input subsidies were prescribed throughout the ROTAAL package. Lease farmers and farmers on temple lands were not eligible to receive these compensation packages.
• Most farmers were not well versed in reclamation procedures for saline land.
• Farmer associations and groups were not very active hence it became difficult for them to advocate for change.
• Farm lands that belong to larger farmers were left untreated by NGOs leading to loss of livelihoods opportunities.
• The tribal plantation owners in Nicobar - a very close knit community with strong democratic leadership, saw power shifts and conflicts occur in some villages.
• The Nicobarese are unable to maximize their returns from their plantation crops and are not open to new and innovative ways of managing plantation crops.

Challenges

There are several challenges that will confront the rehabilitation process as it moves into the medium- to long-term. These include the following:

1. Maintaining stakeholder interest in the reclamation process and support for integrated farming practices. In Nagapattinam out of 175 NGOs, initially only 23 were involved in reclamation activities. Now one and a half years later this number has been reduced to six clearly indicating the perceived low priority that agriculture has amongst these organizations.
2. Capacity building is still seen as a challenge.
3. Pre-tsunami production levels have yet to be attained in many places.
4. Clearance of irrigation/drainage canals has occurred to a limited extent but needs to be completed in order to normalize the situation.
5. The operations of most NGOs are rather small and limited and several inland affected areas have not yet seen the presence of an NGO in their area.
6. Desalination of indirectly affected villages more than 3 km from sea where water entered through canals has yet to be undertaken.
7. In areas where leaching is not feasible due to a lack of adequate drainage, it is estimated that it will take more than 3 years before reclamation is completed.

Pre-tsunami - Long-Term Issues

Certain pre-tsunami long-term issues need to be addressed in order to build a stronger, sustainable and viable agricultural sector. Issues to be addressed include:

Viability of Farming: Farming is fast becoming a non-viable livelihoods option due to increased costs of production, lack of affordable credit, and low productivity of the land. This is a serious issue as farmer debt levels increase resulting in elevated levels of suicides in several Indian states.

Water management: There is a need to enhance effective water management at the farm level. This can be achieved through the promotion of water harvesting techniques; de-silting irrigation canals; restoration and maintenance of drainage canals; building bunds and check dams; the construction of rainwater storage ponds/tanks through community participation and local government linkages. All of these efforts would assist in promoting and improving water management.

Post-harvest losses: Inadequate storage, preservation and transportation facilities pointing to a need to address the issue of post-harvest losses through improved infrastructure development.

Salization of agricultural lands due to aquaculture: Agriculture in the coastal areas is increasingly under threat from aquaculture farms that are being developed along the coastline. These farms lead to increased salinity of soil and water, thus directly affecting the productivity of agricultural lands. In the post-tsunami period there are instances of salinized agricultural lands being converted to aquaculture farms.

Lessons learnt

1. Assessment of damages: A participatory needs assessment is required to be undertaken with the full involvement of farming communities before making decisions associated with the rehabilitation process. Parameters for assessment of damage that have been incurred and the proposed rehabilitation programmes need to be based on transparent and a scientific basis.
2. Variation in damages and intensity: The impact of the tsunami was not uniform throughout the affected areas. Differences in the extent of damages and the contrasting soil types that were affected call for different rehabilitation techniques and approaches. Hence a blanket approach should not be encouraged.
3. Technical expertise: Mixed messages regarding the rehabilitation process was often experienced by farmers. Operational guidelines for rehabilitation need to be in local languages and made simple. Farmers were often confused by the different recommendations made by expert's. For example farmers were told to plough the marine sediments into their top soils along with removing the sand/clay deposits; the ploughing in of the green manure crops as wells as the burning of the green manure crops. Such recommendations resulted in significant confusion amongst farmers.
4. Targeting and policy: The rehabilitation programmes need to focus on the farmer working the land who may not always be the owner of the land. Progrmames need to be gender sensitive and provide opportunities for women to earn an income. Policies/programmes need to consider the food security needs of the farmers' families in order to ensure adequate dietary intake, enhanced health and reduced vulnerability.
5. Comprehensive approach: Since lands affected by the tsunami are contiguous, a comprehensive approach to reclamation from salinity should be undertaken that includes lands of larger farmers. Reclamation should be part of an integrated farming practice to include diversification, value addition, capacity building and linkages for more sustainable agriculture and vulnerability reduction.
6. Need for coordination: In the context of several actors involved in rehabilitation, each with differing priorities, there is a possibility for gaps and overlaps. The geographical coordination, coupled with consensual approach helps to effect uniform reclamation. The need to compliment and supplement the activities of each of the actors is important as has been demonstrated in Nagapattinam. A coordination committee should consist of all the stakeholders such as the members of the farming community/leaders, government representatives, NGOs/civil society and agricultural scientists. Evidences have shown time and again that initiatives with good participation of the communities have more chances for success.
7. Role of information collection, trends analysis and dissemination: There is the need for the collection of information, trends analysis and dissemination as a means of influencing stakeholders. This was effectively achieved in the case of NGO coordination centre in Nagapattinam NCRC. The NCRC was influential in persuading NGOs to focus on agriculture reclamation activities. TNTRC's role at the state level complemented those efforts.
8. Focus on traditional wisdom: There is a need to integrate indigenous traditional wisdom and practices into the rehabilitation process and to adapt them to the current situation. Organic methods were used to reclaim lands. The traditional varieties of salt tolerant and tall varieties of paddy used earlier in Nagapattinam have been found to be well suited in tsunami rehabilitation context.

Convergence between different activities in the rehabilitation process: In the post-tsunami development programme new facilities are being created through the construction of houses with the incorporation of associated sanitation infrastructure. There is the opportunity to incorporate the sanitation objectives into the agricultural rehabilitation programme. Currently these two sectors are viewed independently. The benefit of bringing these two sectors together will result in the development of ecologically sustainable waste disposal. Ecological sanitation is considered as an appropriate sanitation practice where there are high water tables and sandy soils as is common to coastal areas. There is a need to change the mindset of farmers towards using 'Golden manure' which will enhance and add value to both sectors leading to a sustainable environment.

Annex 2.2.1. Counting losses

Overall, 897 villages across 27 districts in 3 states and 2 Union Territories were affected by the 26 December 2004 tsunami. Farmers and fisher were the main groups affected by the tsunami. More than 600 000 agriculturists and agricultural workers were affected (According to the Tamil Nadu unit of the All India Kisan Sabha).

Approximately 25 000 hectares of farmland was affected across the states. Other than farm land damages which were in terms of crop loss, erosion of soil, salination of soil, accumulation of silt/sand and significant amounts of sea bed organic deposits of a sodic nature characterized the damages. Fresh water ponds were salinated and contaminated, were rendered unfit for irrigation, Irrigation/drainage infrastructure was damaged and livestock washed away. Intensity and type of damage varied across regions. Over 85 percent of the damage was in Tamil Nadu and Andaman's.

Losses across India (Tsunami Impact study, CII)

^* Govt. of TN Record for damages of farm land.

The worst affected districts within Tamil Nadu were Nagapattinam and Cuddalore and in the Andamans region: South Andaman, Middle Andaman, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar and Nancowry group of islands. Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have a coastal length of 1025 kms. Tsunami water ingress was recorded to occur up to 1-3 km inland from the coast. Average height of tsunami was 7-10 m. The total number of villages affected was 376 and 33 in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry respectively. Largely, soil testing across the region showed that there were no changes in pH but there were considerable differences in the Electric Conductivity (EC).

Government package for the state of Tamil Nadu implementation details

Source: GoTN status report, Feb 06.

Box 1. Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers Movement (TOFARM) A case study of successful organic reclamation of land In the aftermath of tsunami, Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers Movement (TOFARM), a network of farmer's associations based in Trichy, decided to assist people to reclaim the lands through the use of organic methods. The activities of the organization were successful in the reclamation of more than 1600 hectares of land through the application organic based approaches in 25 Panchayats, desalination of 1024 ponds, de-silting of 19 km of drainage canals and establishment of 3200 vermicomposting pits directly and influencing the reclamation process of agricultural lands in Nagapattinam. In Nagapattinam most families own less than 2.0 hectares of land. A handful of farmers in each village own more than 4.0 hectares of land. The land was degraded and saline due to the earlier cyclones and the tsunami rendered the land uncultivable. TOFARM was quick to rise to the occasion and worked with the district coordination centre in assessing the damaged lands, it took up South Poigai Nallur in Nagapattinam to demonstrate the effects of organic reclamation work which proved to be successful and in influencing the others in the district to adopt the same approach. Their understanding and focused work helped the farmers to regain their confidence and hope. ASB - Germany, CII, Care India, India today and OXFAM provided financial support and the moral and institutional support was extended by the Government Departments headed by the District Collector. The activities included removal of the clay/sand deposit by ploughing, constructing trenches along the bunds to facilitate lateral leaching of salts, the planting of green manure plants i.e. Sesbania maculata and the application of compost. The organization was instrumental in teaching and training of farmers vermicomposting techniques and helped to establish vermicomposting units. Trainings to farmers in organic methods of reclamation, vermicomposting and farming helped in capacity building of farmers. TOFARM is continuing with its work and in the short term is planning to train 800 labourers to take up economic - on farm and off farm activities such as honey bee rearing; mushroom cultivation; nursery raising; grafting and layering; compost and vermicompost preparation; goat rearing; poultry and dairy production; preparation and selling of bio-inputs; value-adding of farm products; leasing of lands and vegetable cultivation; native seeds production; herbal cultivation; and animal husbandry. TOFARM also plans to provide financial support for start up and also help with market linkages. Contact Address: Revathi, Tamilnadu Organic Farmers Movement, Nagapattinam, mobile: 919443343336; e-mail: Revathi7359@yahoo.co.in

2.3. Progress report on agricultural sector rehabilitation one and a half years after tsunami disaster in Aceh, Indonesia3

Sutarto Alimoeso, Director General Food Crops Ministry of Agriculture

Background

On Sunday December 26, 2004, Indonesia was hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami that developed in the Indian Ocean. The quake triggered a powerful 10 m high tsunami, which affected coastal settlements in Aceh and North Sumatra. The impact of the tsunami was felt in 10 districts in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province and 2 districts in North Sumatra (Nias Islands) (Figure 3.1). It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people were killed and injured and 400000 persons displaced.

Figure 3.1. Area affected by the tsunami included 10 districts in Aceh and 2 districts in Northern Sumatra

Besides the hundreds of thousands of victims, the earthquake and tsunami swept homes and buildings away and also caused the economic capacity of individuals to dramatically decline. The estimated total cost of the losses incurred is US$4700 million. More than 37 percent of the damage was in housing, education, and health facilities, 25 percent was in the productive centres such as agriculture, fisheries, industries, and trades; and about 19 percent was in the infrastructure facilities, including electricity, transportation, communication, water resources, sanitation, irrigation, and drainage; the remaining 19 percent was accounted for in the environment, government institutions, and economics sectors. In the agricultural sector, significant losses and negative impacts were incurred with respect to human resources, loss of land, livestock, office buildings, laboratories, housing complexes, and infrastructure (Table 3.1). The estimated loss of productivity in the agriculture sectors is estimated to amount to US$270 million. The damages directly affected by the quake and tsunami are salinity and sedimentation.

Table 3.1. Estimated losses in the agricultural sector associated with the impact of the tsunami on Aceh and Northern Sumatra

The recovery programme (R3MAS)

The recovery process in Agricultural Sectors undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture has been termed the R3MAS (Rehabilitation and Reconstruction for the People of Aceh and North Sumatra) which will be executed over a 5 year period (2005-2009). The estimated budget required for this programme amounts to US$397.6 million. The programme consists of 3 main areas of focus:

• The rehabilitation of land in order to facilitate the recovery of economic activities for rural communities.
• Rehabilitation of the capacity of agricultural support services (physical and human resources).
• People empowerment and institutional development through technical and organizational supports.

The overall focus of the R3MAS programme is to develop the agricultural sector with a focus on addressing food security, the development of agribusiness, and enhancing the social welfare of farming communities.

The budget for the year 2005-2006 is US$69.4 million. The R3MAS activities for the 2005-2006 that are currently being undertaken include the following:

• The rehabilitation of drainage, irrigation, and land (12 961 ha);
• A commitment to inject working capital into on agribusiness activities (on farm-off farm) totaling US$1.61 million;
• The rehabilitation of 15 000 m ³ of farm-roads;
• Food crops and horticulture production to be effected on 25 800 ha;
• Compensation for losses of livestock totaling 7 745 animals;
• Replanting the estate crops to cover 5 331 ha;
• Replanting the palm oil on 4 950 ha;
• The procurement of agricultural machinery and tools (1 256 units);
• A total of 4000 food security packages to be distributed;
• Development of the agriculture office facility, capacity building of agriculture organization, farmer groups, and agricultural personnel.

Progress has been made with respect to achieving targets within the rehabilitation of the agricultural sector. Estimates of the progress to restoring agronomic production systems, plantation crops and livestock production systems for Aceh and Northern Sumatra are presented in Table 3.2.

Table 3.2. Estimates of progress to date in rehabilitating the land and livestock production systems in Aceh and Northern Sumatra

Challenges currently being encountered in the implementation of R3MAS

In the implementation of the R3MAS programme some challenges have been encountered that can be grouped into the following:

Technical - The reclamation of soils with high salinity levels; the low productivity of food crops and livestock, there are some problems such as, the high salinity, low food crops and livestock productivity; and limited technological inputs.

Economic, social and human resource limitations - low farm incomes due to reduced productivity and poor commodity prices; a low level of farmer motivation; insufficient agribusiness skills amongst farmers; and limited agricultural extension services due to a lack of manpower.

Organizational structure - in general farmer groups and organizations are poorly organized with limited institutional structure; the lack of adequate extension services to cope with demand; and changes in the organizational structure with respect to executing agency from Ministry of Agriculture to Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Board (BRR).

Short- and long-term rehabilitation plans

Within the short-term plan (2005-2009) of the R3MAS programme the focus will be on the rehabilitation of the tsunami affected paddy fields that are classified as suffering from light and medium damages; optimization of the land used for dry land food and horticulture commodities; the establishment of new paddy fields; the replanting of green crops and fruit crops in backyards; procurement of facilities and agriculture inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and machinery; the evaluation of crops variety for tolerance to salinity; capacity building of the rural communities/ farmers/and extension workers; rehabilitation of peoples farms that include coconut, palm oil, coffee, rubber, cacao, and nutmeg; education and farmers training; the development of livestock processing facilities and local disease control; and distribution of livestock (goats, cows, buffalos, and poultry) to farmers. It is estimated that for the completion of the R3MAS short-term programme in 2009 a further US$328.2 million is required.

The long-term R3MAS rehabilitation programme set to go beyond 2009, will focus on the rehabilitation of heavily affected paddy fields with an emphasis on the rebuilding of new paddy fields; the establishment of new farms to produce coconut and palm oil; the development of workshops for the servicing of agricultural machinery; the rebuilding the market facilities for livestock; redevelopment of farmers organization and extension workers; redevelopment of the agricultural education and training; development of the new suitable technologies appropriate for agro-industries; the development of market oriented activities through the establishment of agribusiness terminals; and establishing of business partners.

2.4. Rehabilitation of agriculture in tsunami affected areas: Aceh and Nias after one and a half years4

Muhammad Ikhsan Sulaiman, National consultant for monitoring and evaluation at the UNFAO

Background

On 26 December 2004, Indonesia was severely hit by a powerful earthquake, followed by a series of aftershocks that triggered a tsunami that various coastal communities. The most affected areas in Indonesia were the provinces of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) and Northern Sumatra. In Indonesia alone, more than 131 000 people were killed, another 37 000 classified as missing ⁵, and over 400 000 survivors lost their homes and livelihoods. According to the initial damage assessments of the agriculture sector carried out by FAO together with Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), it was estimated that about 37 500 ha of wet land and 29 000 ha of dry land agricultural lands were inundated by the tsunami, causing erosion of bunds, salinization of soil, siltation of lands and irrigation and drainage canals. About one-third of the affected land was situated along the north-east coast and two-thirds on the west coast of Aceh. The earthquake damaged irrigation networks and canals rendering irrigation schemes inoperative. A significant amount of livestock in affected areas were lost to the tsunami. Survivors of the disaster found themselves without a means of livelihood and lacking the tools and capital to restart productive activities. Moreover, key infrastructure was destroyed and the Government's local capacity to rebound was severely compromised, as several district and provincial level staff and extension workers lost their lives in the disaster.

Given the scale of the disaster, and the need to restore normality to the lives of coastal communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as soon as possible, the Ministry of Agriculture and Development (MoA) and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) of the Republic of Indonesia officially requested emergency assistance from the international community on 30 December 2004.

Projects

Three projects in agriculture recovery have been completed 1.5 years after the tsunami. Support came from the government of Belgium, Japan and the European Community through the projects OSRO/INS/501/BEL, OSRO/INS/503/JPN, and OSRO/INS/509/EC. One project OSRO/INS/513/ BEL is still going on through time extension until October 2006 with the title "Support to farmers in tsunami affected areas through the provision of agricultural and livestock inputs".

The overall objective of the projects was to assist the Indonesian Government's efforts to safeguard the livelihoods of the earthquake and tsunami affected coastal communities and to enable them to resume their occupations and produce food crops for nutrition and income earning. The assistance was meant to rapidly kick-start basic agricultural activities through the supply of urgent agricultural inputs and the rehabilitation of basic farm infrastructure, thereby reducing dependency on food aid for some of the most vulnerable farmers.

Projects Implementation

i. Procurement

For the first phase of its overall agricultural relief programme, FAO procured 286 tonnes of rice seed, 119 tonnes of secondary crops, 8000 packages of vegetables, 373000 seedlings of estate crops, 2833.5 tonnes of fertilizer, 38000 pieces of tools, 770 hand tractors, 250 threshers, 50 paddy reapers, and 300 water pumps with a total value of US$2782217. Table 4.1 provides details on the procurement for the first phase of the overall agricultural relief programme.

Table 4.1. Procurement for the first phase of the overall agricultural relief programme

ii. Selection of Beneficiaries

The primary targeted beneficiaries were the poor farming communities in the tsunami affected areas that, having lost their production assets and consequently the means to support their livelihoods, were unlikely to meet the immediate food needs of their families without assistance. Priority was to be given to the most vulnerable households and poorest farming families who had sufficient experience in agriculture and had access to at least 0.5 ha (5000 m ²) of land.

iii. Agricultural package

There were four agricultural packages that were offered to each farmer/family, while the agricultural machineries were addressed to farmers group. Agricultural packages were distributed to farmers who had access to secure land. The rice package consisted of 20 kg rice seed, 75 kg urea, 50 kg SP-36 and 25 kg KC l. Secondary crop packages were distributed to farmers who had access to dry land areas. It consists of either 30 kg groundnut, 10 kg soybean or 5 kg maize seed along with 50 kg NPK and a hoe and rake. Vegetable packages consisted of 5 types of seed (kangkung, chilly, tomato, long bean, and lettuce) along with 20 kg NPK and a hoe and rake. Moreover, twenty to thirty farmers in a group could receive agricultural machinery such as a hand tractor, thresher, paddy reaper or water pump.

iv. Distribution of agricultural package

The distribution of agricultural kits to beneficiaries was undertaken through NGO partners. In 2005 and early 2006, FAO has signed Letter of Agreements (LoA) with 27 NGOs consisting of 10 local NGOs and 17 international NGOs. NGO partners undertook the selection of beneficiaries according to FAO's criteria, distribution of agricultural inputs in their working area as part of livelihood programme, and monitoring and evaluation during plant growth and harvest. The agricultural inputs were distributed in 742 villages in 8 districts of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province (NAD).

Almost 23000 farmers received benefit from the distributed rice seed. However, only 50 and 69 percent of the rice seed was cultivated by the farmers in the east and west coast, respectively, due to the lateness in distribution. In total more than 10000 ha of rice fields have been re-cultivated and harvested and only 36 percent of the rehabilitated area in west coast. Table 4.2 provides a breakdown of the distributed rice seed. The rice seed was used in the first planting season after the tsunami as the traditional planting season of May/June and September/October were was changed.

Table 4.2. Distribution and planted area of rice seed and percentage of cultivated rice seed

More than 15500 farmers received vegetables and secondary crop seed. Most of the seed have been planted in dry land areas or as share crops below coconut, cocoa, or banana trees. In addition, estate crops have been distributed to more than 5000 beneficiaries since the tsunami had a negative impact on these crops since they died due to salt toxicity. 20000 farmers have benefited from the distributed agricultural machinery. The machineries have been used in land preparation, watering and harvesting. However, the newly introduced paddy reaper used for harvesting is still relatively unfamiliar with farmers and is taking a greater than anticipated period for its adoption.

v. Cash-for-Work Programme

Beside distribution of agricultural inputs, FAO has two projects associated with the land clearing and rehabilitation of 240 ha of paddy fields in two districts, Aceh Besar and Aceh Barat. After tsunami, the fields were covered with debris and marine sediments preventing the establishment of crops. Communities have participated in the clearing of their own land. Around 500 people have participated in project with a total of 24500 worker days being consumed.

vi. Training

To complement the distribution of seeds and fertilizer, FAO also distributed motorized cultivators, including hand tractors and threshers to farmer groups (see Table 1). Some 147 community representatives were trained by FAO in the use and maintenance of the hand tractors. Thus, complementary projects helped increase the impact of the overall programme, as some of the farmers were able to utilize the distributed seeds and fertilizer more efficiently, through distribution of, and training in farm equipment.

Impact

It is difficult to quantify the impact of these interventions on the overall livelihoods and incomes of recipient farmers. Key indicators for measuring impact in the short, middle and long term in Aceh and Nias are being developed together with BRR, UNDP and other agencies.

However, agricultural activities in NAD are returning to normalcy after a break of one planting season in the east coast and one to two or even three seasons in the west coast. Agriculture can be viewed as a supplementary income generating enterprise since the effect of salinity are still clearly evident through the low productivity of rice (Table 4.3). Net income per farmer with an average area of 0.5 ha is low compared to income from other activities in the tsunami affected areas such as paid labour, fishing, etc.

Table 4.3. Productivity and price of rice, as well as net income from the rice cultivation of 0.5 ha land

^* 2005 1 US$ = 9 000 IDR

Constraints

In the implementation of the projects, some problems were encountered as summarized in the Figure 4.1. Inputs such as seed, fertilizers and hand tractors were sold off to generate cash. An excessively long time was needed in distribution of packages in the first phase of the project that caused the seed to become non-viable and reduced its germination ability.

Figure 4.1. Problem analysis in the distribution of agricultural inputs in NAD, Indonesia

There were several factors that contributed to these excessive delays in the distribution of agricultural inputs. Initially, the peace agreement between the GAM and the Indonesian government were not in place. Damage to infrastructure due to the tsunami made the distribution of these assistance packages extremely difficult.

Incomplete agricultural packages delayed the cultivation of secondary crops and vegetable and predisposed crops to serious damage from livestock. It is suggested that in future packages to be distribute the inclusion of materials for the construction of a fence to protect the plants from animals and wild pig should be considered. Some implementing partners did provide farmers with the fence so that the crops could be planted.

In many locations especially the west coast, farmers have paid greater attention to the shelter programme than livelihood programme. As they still receive daily food allocations from the WFP, activities including agriculture, become a secondary priority. Moreover, farmers were also targeted by the many activities of NGOs thereby reducing their time to pursue agricultural activities. In this respect coordination at the field level was very low. For example the same inputs as provided by the project were found also to be distributed by other agencies without coordination. Duplication often occurred with the BRR also taking on the role of implementer. Strengthening the BRR function as a coordinator in rehabilitation activities is a priority in the future and would enhance the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process.

Conclusion and recommendation

The FAO has been successfully reactivating agriculture activities in the 8 tsunami affected districts of NAD, Indonesia. More than 44000 farmers have received agricultural inputs in terms of seed, fertilizer, and machineries. More than 10000 ha paddy field has been re-established and harvested with productivity levels of 3-8 tonne/ha being achieved. Each farmer earned between US$84-178 in their first crop after the tsunami, thereby reducing their dependence on external food aid.

The capacity of farmers to increase crop productivity should be enhanced. This may take the form of growing high value products that would significantly enhance farmer incomes from agricultural activities. The development of agro-industry units in individual districts that promote specific products should be accelerated in order to enhance the value of agricultural products.

Finally, there is a need to harmonize coordination between implementation agencies to avoid overlap of service provision, enhance the impact of these activities and improve the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process. Improved systems and mechanisms of coordination must be developed at the sub-district or village level to avoid overlapping of programmes or duplication of the same inputs.

2.5. FAO post-tsunami agricultural support: Maldives6

Winston R. Rudder, OIC FAO Office, Maldives

Background

The Republic of Maldives is an archipelago of 1 190 small coral islands grouped into 26 atolls, widely dispersed over a distance of some 800 kilometres in the Indian Ocean, and located between latitude 7 degrees north to slightly south of the equator. The population of about 300 000 inhabited 199 islands prior to the tsunami. Only 28 islands have a land area greater than one square kilometre. One third of the inhabited islands have a population of less than 500 and 70 percent have a population of less than 1 000. The extremely low population density raises the cost of delivering social services and of public administration, since there is hardly any scope to generate economies of scale. The altitude of most islands is very low, just above sea level. As a result, rising sea levels cause many islands to disappear and new ones to appear. This has rendered some inhabited islands ecologically vulnerable, while others have become too densely populated to sustain their communities.

The tsunami which struck on December 26, 2004 had dramatic and nation-wide impact. Tidal waves ranging from just over one to about four metres inundated many islands. 83 people were confirmed dead and another 25 missing and feared dead and more than 1 300 were injured. Thirty-nine islands were damaged and nearly a third of the population or 100 000 people were affected. Fourteen islands were completely destroyed and had to be evacuated. Approximately 12 000 people were displaced from their islands, and another 8500 temporarily relocated within their home island; thus 7 percent of the population was displaced. The force of the waves caused widespread infrastructure devastation in the tolls. Flooding wiped out electricity on many islands, also destroying vital communication links. Water supply was disrupted in about 15 percent of the islands and 25 percent had major damage to the essential infrastructure such as jetties and harbours.

Economic loss was estimated at 62 percent of GDP; the latter recording a 5 percent decline in 2005. Employment was adversely affected by low hotel occupancy rates and loss of assets in the fisheries, agricultural and other productive sectors. Livelihoods needed to be restored. The relief and reconstruction effort encountered constraints of insufficient and untimely financing, inadequate human resource capacity (quantity and quality) and high costs and logistical difficulties of internal inter-island transport.

Notwithstanding, impressive gains were recorded in the months following the tsunami in terms of shelter, food, health, water and sanitation and education. This bore testimony to the strong coordination between Government, the UN system, the IFIs and international humanitarian partners. However, many challenges remain: approximately one-third of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are in temporary shelters or with relatives; a growing problem of waste management and groundwater pollution (with attendant health risks); inadequate information/communication/ participation involving the affected communities. This latter aspect has led to uncertainty and resulted in unrest in some communities.

Impact of the tsunami on Agriculture

Agricultural and rural livelihoods were particularly hard hit by the tsunami. It was estimated that the tsunami damaged field crops in 2 100 farms; destroyed home gardens and agricultural tools in 11 700 homesteads; and damaged more than 700 000 fruit trees and 840 000 timber trees in inhabited islands. The damage to land and groundwater resources was severe in 35 agricultural islands, and saline water intrusion has affected 112 inhabited islands. Damage was estimated at US$11.1 million. A further US$11 million are required for the re-establishment of the agricultural crops, for improving soils, forestry, and water resources, for importation of planting material and for strengthening institutional capacities and providing support services.

The geographical dispersion of the islands severely constrained the collection, collation and analysis of reliable data in a timely manner to inform the required immediate intervention responses of the Government and its supportive international development partners. The situation was further compounded by the lack of baseline data on the agricultural sector prior to the tsunami.

The FAO response

FAO responded swiftly and decisively to the crisis by immediately mounting a mission, coordinated by the Representation in Colombo, to assist MFAMR (Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources) in the initial agricultural and fisheries damage assessment surveys thereby establishing a basis for determining the requirements for immediate support. Prior to the tsunami, FAO was not physically present in the Maldives. This changed with the deployment an FAOR a.i. (subsequently designated Officer-in-Charge) who arrived in the country on January 29, 2005. An Operations and Programme Officer (OPO) was out-posted on February 5.

The establishment of the embryonic FAO ERCU Maldives was warmly received by the Minister and senior officers of MFAMR. However from the very outset, the Minister expressed his dissatisfaction with the dual accreditation modality according to which the Maldives falls under the FAOR Sri Lanka. It was claimed that distance and relative inaccessibility for continual interaction worked to the country's disadvantage and there was need for a permanent FAO presence in the country.

The foregoing constituted the socio-political context in which the ERCU was established and demanded the application of considerable tact and diplomacy to create a credible working relationship with the Ministry's hierarchy. Notwithstanding, MFAMR generously hosted and provided administrative support for the FAOR a.i./OiC and OPO in its already cramped facilities for five weeks until office accommodation could be arranged. This facilitated the development of excellent working relationships with the Minister and key counterparts; an introduction to the Maldivian bureaucracy; an understanding of the operations of the Ministry - its strengths and weaknesses; and contributed significantly to building trust and credibility between FAO and MFAMR. This first-hand appreciation of the Ministry's human resources capacity provided an informed context in which to design meaningful support interventions and modalities.

FAO ERCU Maldives opened its office on March 1 and local support staff was recruited in early March. A two-week AFFC mission provided invaluable assistance in setting up the financial management system and training in the related FAO procedures. A 3-day ITO mission from the Regional Office assisted with advice on interconnection arrangements, installing the ICT system, provision of hands-on training and selection of a local IT support service provider. By mid-April the office was fully operational and able to communicate with the rest of the FAO system.

The establishment of the ERCU ensured that attention was focused on working more closely with MFAMR counterparts on the urgent task of collating and refining data re: quantities and specifications (including verification of damage assessment surveys). This was a priority for accelerating procurement of needed supplies for the agricultural relief activities. In addition, considerable time was spent (up to April/May 2005) before eventually convincing the authorities that FAO procedures and arrangements should govern the procurement process. As a result, after much delay the outstanding issue of government signing the relevant project documents was resolved.

With the out-posting of the ERC in July, procurement on track and in-country activities taking off, there was a surge in the volume of transactions, with expenditure levels increasing almost ten-fold between the second and fourth quarters of 2005 and into 2006. Changing expenditure patterns, contract administration and the logistics and coordination tasks associated with procurement, delivery and distribution in this multi-island archipelagic state made heavy demands on the oversight, management and implementation capacity of the ERCU.

The blend of skills and competences of the OiC and ERC, their common vision on the modalities of office operations and their willingness to share roles and responsibilities resulted in the unique situation (and an unwritten agreement) where everything was discussed and communicated -whether emergency/relief or rehabilitation/recovery/development. In effect, this facilitated the ERCU to function both as a de facto FAOR, undertaking regular programme-related tasks and an emergency coordinating unit, delivering on the post-tsunami commitments; with the OiC and ERC sharing responsibilities across this divide as circumstances dictated. As an example, with respect to regular programme TCPs and hosting of missions, the OiC functions as an FAOR and the ERC as a Progamme Officer; in emergency tasks they equally serve as coordinators whether for agriculture, fisheries or forestry activities linking with the relevant headquarters and regional office technical units. This obviated the need for long-term coordinators in these technical areas.

This culture of work infused the entire staff of the ERCU so that office functions and responsibilities were seen as cross-cutting tasks, involving all, to be achieved irrespective of being regular programme type or emergency. In this way, Maldives was more comprehensively served by the FAO in-country presence. Importantly too, the Organization could more effectively interact and coordinate with the other key stakeholders, its modest personnel complement notwithstanding.

Current core staff of the ERCU comprise:

1. Officer-in-Charge
2. Emergency Rehabilitation Coordinator
3. Secretary/Administrative Assistant
4. Finance/Administrative Assistant
5. Logistics Assistant

The services of an FAO Volunteer were available from 3 May to 5 December 2005. An Information/ Reporting Assistant was recruited over the period 20 November 2005 to 20 May 2006.

FAO activities and achievements in the agricultural sector

Tsunami-related Agricultural Activities

The post-tsunami relief/recovery activities in the agricultural and forestry sectors were a key focus of FAO Maldives operations. Much effort was expended during the first four months in detailing and refining needs, including specifications for procurement of goods and services. The delay in finalizing agreement with Government on acceptance of FAO procurement procedures adversely affected delivery and inhibited progress in field activities. Notwithstanding, FAO was the first agency whose implementation and delivery activities actually reached beneficiaries in the affected agricultural communities of the Maldives.

FAO assistance to victims of the tsunami in the agricultural sector will impact approximately 4200 households comprising just about 21000 inhabitants of 50 islands in 13 atolls across the archipelago. An important feature of this intervention is the FAO collaboration with UNDP Maldives in the replacement of lost assets including tools and other inputs.

Main activities include the provision of a package of technical assistance through short-term consultants/experts, capacity building for farmers and MFAMR staff effected through training workshops and the distribution of replacement of agricultural assets (start-up agricultural kits comprising a range of selected inputs seeds, seedlings, cuttings, fertilizer, compost and assorted implements). Details on these are highlighted as follows:

1. Technical assistance: farmers and relevant Ministry staff benefited from 6 man-months of technical assistance. A soil salinity control expert undertook a soil assessment mission, developed guidelines for action in dealing with salinity and facilitated staff training. A water resources consultant surveyed the water table, analyzed the fresh water lenses in selected tsunami-afflicted islands and advised on follow up action. A plant pathologist assessed the pest/disease status of the nurseries contracted for supplying planting material, advised on the establishment of a plant quarantine/plant protection system and conducted basic awareness training to selected staff of relevant government institutions;
2. Capacity building/training: MFAMR staff were trained to use and interpret results from salinity metres. Two Customs and one MFAMR staff benefited from a one-week training attachment to the Sri Lanka Quarantine authorities to observe passenger/goods handling procedures at ports and airports. A two-week training workshop on plant quarantine/ plant protection was conducted for 20 persons drawn from staff of MFAMR, Customs, Ports Authority, Port Health, Airports and Immigration. A soil fertility expert conducted a two-day workshop on composting for 17 persons including Ministry staff and farmers, preparing guidelines and manuals for compost production. A technical consultant conducted a two-day workshop on the operation and maintenance of mist blowers and provided related hands-on technical assistance to staff of MFAMR. An intensive two-day training workshop on improved nursery preparation and plant propagation techniques was held for 20 extension staff of MFAMR;
3. Provision of agricultural inputs: The initial distribution of procured agricultural inputs to beneficiaries was launched in a formal ceremony attended by the Minister and the FAOR Sri Lanka and the Maldives in one of the affected island communities. So far 3376 farming families in 45 islands (13 atolls) have been assisted; 1,879 receiving the complete agricultural kit composed of 16 different items valued at US$260 per beneficiary. These included vegetable seed, seedlings/cuttings, compost, organic manure, inorganic fertilizer and agricultural tools/implements (hoe, rake, shovel, sprayer, bush knife, watering can and wheel barrow); for the remaining 1397 only the seedlings are pending. 250000 seedlings have been distributed so far. The distribution is continuing.

Development Assistance

FAO ERCU Maldives functions as more than a focal point for implementing the Organization's tsunami-related activities. The advice of the Unit is canvassed by the Minister and senior officers of MFAMR on matters pertaining to agricultural development generally. Field trips to outlying islands and attending meetings and interacting with farmers and island/atoll officials by both the OiC and ERC provide invaluable insights on the demand for, and state of, agricultural administrative and technical support services outside the capital. They also deepen understanding of the development challenges posed by the transportation logistics and the institutional distance of rural folk from centres of decision-making in the Ministry and government.

The ERCU briefs and makes arrangements for Ministry delegations attending FAO meetings, including the biennial FAO and Regional Conferences and also serves on one of the consultative committees for the preparation of the 7^th National Development Plan 2006-2010. In addition, visiting missions of the IFI’s (WB and ADB), IFAD and UN system and other development agencies call on the Unit for briefings on the agricultural sector and on overall development. There is particular interest in understanding how ongoing relief activities fit or may integrate into a broader rehabilitation and recovery framework and within a medium- to longer-term development framework and strategy.

The Unit anticipates and ensures it is prepared to cope, as far as practicable, with the full range of demands made of a regular representation. This is the expectation of our counterparts and partners in the external development community. The OiC and ERC continue to remain sufficiently flexible and agile to respond to these demands.

Main regular programme agricultural activities for which FAO Maldives provided/continues to provide oversight are highlighted hereunder:

• TCP/MDV/2904 - Integrated Pest Management of Coconut Beetle: project completed in July 2005. Consideration being given by MFAMR to follow up phase to support further development of a plant quarantine/plant protection system;
• TCP/MDV/3001 - Master Plan for Sustainable Food Security, Agriculture and Regional Development: ongoing; coordination of activities with MFAMR and participation on steering committee; in final stages of preparation; senior policy consultant recently completed a 6-week mission to advance this process;
• TCP/MDV/3101 - Production of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) and value-added products for the enhancement of livelihoods and food security through income generating opportunities: ongoing; inception mission in March/April 2006; project off to slow start.

As a follow up to the Minister's attendance at FAO Conference and the Regional Conference, the OiC and ERC assisted MFAMR re: preparation of TCP on assistance for review/development of policy and legislative framework for food security and agricultural development. In addition, the Ministry consults the ERCU continually on agricultural development matters generally.

Sector Coordination

Prior to the tsunami, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA were the only external development agencies represented in the Maldives. The period immediately after December 26, 2004 witnessed an explosion in the numbers of such organizations in the country. This has severely stretched the limited human resources in public sector agencies in terms of their capacity for coordination and implementation. What may have been a manageable problem before the tsunami has turned into a crisis following the influx of significant financial resources and the multiplicity of external partners and activities within a constrained time period.

MFAMR has been finding it difficult and challenging to cope satisfactorily with the sudden expansion and intensification of activity and especially with linking the emergency/relief response to its regular agricultural development work. Implementation of some approved donor-funded post-tsunami relief activities got off to a slow start. The Ministry continues to look to FAO for assistance and support in strengthening planning, organizing and implementing capacity. The external development partners understand this. The IFI’s, actively and regularly seek out FAO ERCU Maldives for guidance on matters related to agricultural development.

MFAMR has expressed willingness but has not yet been able to assume leadership responsibility for sectoral coordination. In this vacuum, the ERCU has convened ad hoc agricultural livelihoods coordination meetings of development partners. FAO attends the weekly meetings of the UNCT where it is called upon to provide leadership and direction on food security and agricultural development issues. It is also a member of the UN security team and plays an active role in the Waste management Theme Group.

Lessons Learnt

The lessons to be learnt from the past 18 or so months operational experience of the FAO ERCU Maldives constitute a mix of constraints to be loosened and opportunities to be grasped.

Key Constraints

Agricultural emergency operations in the Maldives were affected by two types of constraints; those which derived from the in-country situation and others which may be described as FAO institutional.

In-country: Significant in-country constraints which impeded progress and extended timelines for implementation of the agricultural activities, thereby delaying responses to the needs of beneficiaries include:

• Inadequate human resources: Effectiveness of operations inhibited by the inadequacy of quality staff in MFAMR, with consequential demands on time and resources of FAO Maldives, especially lack of technical support at atoll/island levels;
• Deficiency in database and planning: Considerable effort was expended in reviewing, validating and verifying basic data originally collected; beneficiary targeting was impacted;
• Inadequate coordination systems: Limited experience by MFAMR in coordinating so many activities and partners; staff more comfortable dealing with individual agencies; compounded by the fact that more than one partner requested to assist in the same area;
• Complex logistics: The dispersion of beneficiaries and islands made for tremendous difficulties in organizing and maintaining distribution/delivery schedules;
• High internal transport costs: This significantly limits internal travel, limits field monitoring and erodes budgets;
• Distribution by seas over long distances: The dynamics of internal transportation arrangements requiring sea transport of procured inputs over long distances often resulted in delays due to inclement weather; additionally cargo dhonis not designed to move plants.

FAO/Institutional

• Procurement and administrative mechanisms: Unsuitable/inadequate for emergency operations;
• Unpredictable delivery schedules of procured supplies: Created difficulties in planning and organizing delivery to beneficiaries;
• Insufficient delegation and cumbersome bureaucracy: Led to costly delays in operations;
• Lack of FAO in-country presence prior to the tsunami: Resulted in lack of institutional knowledge of local environment and in the immediate post-tsunami period, relative invisibility as a key player in development;
• Lack of coherent integrated organization-wide approach for dealing with emergencies: Evidenced by absence of linkages between emergency and development and ineffective coordination between emergency operations and technical units;
• Inability to tap locally available funds: Absence of well-defined mechanisms; uncertainty of FAO in-country tenure;
• Potential difficulty of maintaining effective in-country partnerships from Sri Lanka: Practical problem deriving from non-resident status.

Success Factors

The foregoing constraints notwithstanding, the ERCU was able to make considerable progress in delivering on its mandate. The achievements highlighted previously and below reflect the collective effort of the entire team. They were also the result of the generous support and cooperation of many understanding and helpful colleagues at headquarters, the regional office and the Representation in Colombo. Most importantly, these would not have been possible without the active collaboration of counterparts in the MFAMR.

Accordingly, the following key success factors are acknowledged:

• excellent team work of FAO Maldives staff;
• commitment of and effective working relationships with MFAMR (Minister and staff);
• advice, guidance and overall support of colleagues at headquarters, regional office and FAOR Colombo - TCEO colleagues were exemplary;
• close collaboration with development partners - the FAO/UNDP/MFAMR partnership in agricultural relief activities is noteworthy;
• FAO's acknowledged leadership role in the agriculture.

The Future

The immediate challenge for the ERCU is to successfully complete the approved tsunami-relief activities. These relate in the main to the distribution of remaining procured seedlings and cuttings. In addition it is necessary to design and implement an exit strategy that would facilitate smooth closure of the office. Fortunately, it is already agreed to extend operations to September 2006 to allow completion of project activities. Planning the related operational and financial/administrative management activities to effect the foregoing is already in train.

However, there is the larger question of FAO's role in the transition from relief to rehabilitation and recovery. This is a major preoccupation of Government and development partners alike. In this regard, many current activities have significance implications beyond the immediate. For example, the distribution of mist blowers needs to be located within the context of IPM; distribution of agricultural inputs and the follow-up discussions with farming communities have exposed the inadequacies of the agricultural extension services and underscored the need for training and enhanced technical assistance.

Discussions will be intensified with MFAMR and other partners on proposed new strategies and interventions for FAO to continue to support medium- and long-term agricultural development. These must be seen within the comprehensive framework of the 7^th National Development Plan (2006-2010) and the Agricultural Master Plan (2006-2020), both currently in preparation. Of relevance here too are the possible and required linkages with the shelter programme undertaken by UNDP and the Red Crosses; and initiatives being pursued with ADB, WB and IFAD.

How can FAO be more fully involved in all of this?

In recognition of a larger and continuing role expected of FAO, MFAMR (both the Minister and senior officials) has been advocating with development partners for FAO Maldives to be involved in implementing their planned and ongoing activities. In this regard, discussions are continuing with WB, ADB and IFAD. In the latter case, an inception mission for the approved post-tsunami Agricultural and Fisheries Post-tsunami Rehabilitation Project (Loan - SDR 1.4 m; Grant - SDR 140 000) will be in country in a few weeks to finalize implementation arrangements. MFAMR intends to pursue with the proposed IFAD mission the feasibility of FAO Maldives having an active role in the implementation. Meanwhile, a current IFAD/TCI formulation mission for a follow-up US$4 m agricultural and fisheries development project has also raised concerns about viable implementation mechanisms and is interested in the decisions on implementing the current IFAD project.

The Minister has formally approached the Director-General on the issue of a more permanent FAO presence in the Maldives. Cognizant of the financial constraints impacting the realization of this objective, he is using the full weight of his office to influence the extension of the current model of FAO operations in the Maldives until a more permanent solution is found.

The main driver of this approach is the recognition by M