FAO is in direct contact with government officials in the affected countries, experts from other agencies, development banks and civil society organizations to ensure a coordinated approach to the reconstruction efforts.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
CSOs have mobilized through the regionalized network of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC) to respond immediately and effectively to the tsunami disaster. FAO's national partners - and in particular fisher folk and farmer organizations - have identified persons and organizations as focal points to coordinate their efforts locally. These CSOs receive and send vital information to their members and respective constituencies. The countries currently covered are India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

For an overview of activities and the coordinates of the local CSOs collaborating on their response to the crisis, go to the related Pesticide Action Network link.

Development Banks
As part of the overall FAO efforts to assist the affected countries, close collaborations have been maintained with the International Financing Institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (AsDB), and the Islamic Development Bank, who are dealing primarily with longer term rehabilitation and development of large infrastructure such as irrigation schemes, roads, markets, fishing ports, fishing fleet, as well as policy and strategy matters. Specifically FAO is collaborating with IFIs in the areas of:

- Needs and damage assessments in agriculture and fisheries sectors;

- Formulation of rehabilitation and recovery strategies;

- Participating in missions to help design project/programme intervention;

- Facilitating the exchange of technical and operational information between the FAO and IFIs.

In practical terms, staff from the Investment Centre and from Fisheries Department will participate in a joint World Bank/Asian Development Bank/ UN team to India (1- 15 February). The team would visit the states affected by the Tsunami and work with the state Governments to assess how rehabilitation and reconstruction work should proceed. Investment Centre's staff will also lead a team to the Maldives on behalf of IFAD to define how best to provide assistance (2-16 February). The team will examine various options for IFAD support.