a. Joint Sub-Committee on Post Tsunami Rehabilitation: The Government established this sub-committee in January 2005 aimed at strengthening coordinated efforts among all concerned agencies. Three Task Forces have been appointed by a Joint Sub-Committee on Post Tsunami Rehabilitation of Ecosystems and Livelihoods in the Tsunami Affected Areas with the participation of international organizations, donors and GOs/NGOs: (1) Taskforce I on coral reefs and coastal habitats; (2) Taskforce II on geo-hazards; and (3) Task Force III on land subsidence, saline intrusion and livelihoods. H.E. Mr. Nimit Damrongrat, Vice-Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, acts as the Chairman of the Joint Sub-Committee. Please find below details which were prepared based on the information available at the meeting on 8 February 2005.
b. Task Force I: The Task force (includes mangrove, forestry and environment) emphasizes the need for a quick clean-up of the marine and coastal areas. The Chairman of the Task Force has requested all interested parties who would like to propose specific areas for potential cooperation and partnership to submit their proposals. The Embassy of the United Kingdom (UK) will be available to undertake rapid assessments and prepare integrated coastal zone management plans that include GIS and remote sensing technology. IUCN offered to assist with management, rehabilitation, development, zoning and vulnerability assessment of Marine Protected Areas. A team of experts from IUCN is currently undertaking a field assessment on Ko Phrathong Island, Phang-Nga province. JICA will dispatch an expert on the sustainable management of coral reefs.
c. Task Force II: The interested areas of cooperation under Task Force II (including agriculture and soil salinity) are: affected coastal zone management, strategic plans for geo-hazards, geo-hazard mitigation, public education and awareness, sinkholes collapse and landslide, saline intrusion and sediment contamination. Foreign governments as well as international agencies have indicated their willingness to support field-base research activities and provide short-term and long-term expertise. The offers which were received from embassies and international agencies are in the areas of: expertise on sinkholes and early warning systems; saline intrusion; agricultural area; geo-hazards and geo-science; city planning; post-disaster assessment by using Land Sat data; ecosystem management; and environmental impact assessment.
d. Task Force III: The coordination of international cooperation for the post-tsunami rehabilitation of community livelihoods (including fisheries) was discussed with embassies, international agencies, and academic institutions. The areas of discussion are: (1) information systems; (2) developing livelihood plans with community participation; (3) funding micro finance mechanisms; (4) capacity building; and (5) technical expertise. The “WHO-DOES-WHERE” matrix of international organizations and donors, as prepared by the task force dated 22 January 2005, identifies the following ongoing activities:
Joint FAO/MOAC detailed damages and needs assessment mission.
Emergency assistance to support rehabilitation in tsunami-affected areas - supported by FAO/TCP.
Livelihoods recovery program coordination and the establishment of regional consortium - by FAO/NACA/SEAFDEC.
Procurement of humanitarian relief items upon request from the Thai Government using a rapid relief and recovery fund - supported by UNDP.
Dialogue and capacity building to secure the rights of indigenous people to inhabit and subsist in marine and coastal national parks in Thailand - supported by UNESCO.
Short-term immediate needs such as provision of new boats, materials for aquaculture reconstruction - supported by the German Embassy.
Possible small and medium enterprise (SME) assistance such as tourism, fisheries, retailing, processing bank loan applications, and business advisory services - supported by USAID RDM/Asia.
The ongoing and planned assistance in the fisheries/aquaculture sector provided by other partners/donors/NGOs (excluding FAO and DOF) as of 28 February 2005 are summarized as follows:
The Cement Thai Group Foundation has supplied wood for boat repairs and building and established community shipyards at the most severely damaged villages.
The American Refugee Committee (ARC) Thailand has launched a project on the restoration of livelihoods and village boat replacement through the supply of new 800 fibreglass and wooden boats (at least 275 boats within the initial three months). ARC also pays victims and their families for their labour when they help in boat building and in the assembly of fishing gears so that they will have money to meet their living expenses. The prototype of a fibreglass boat has been provided by the Ayutthaya College of Technology and Shipbuilding and tested in Ban Nam Khem village, Phang-Nga.
NACA/STREAM provides recovery support to selected fishing villages in Phang-Nga.
Many technical colleges in cooperation with Yanmar, Kubota, Honda and Yamaha engine companies have urgently repaired, without charge, some boat engines, air compressors and water pumps in small-scale hatcheries.
SEAFDEC has provided immediate rescue services by mobilizing the M.V. SEAFDEC vessel and a 1 200 ton skip boat for boat retrieval, and food for victims. SEAFDEC also assists in the compilation and sharing of information on the impacts of the tsunami in the fisheries sector.
Many donors/NGOs/government agencies have recruited the victims at the rate of approximately baht 200/day to work in house and school re-construction or boat repair/building programmes.
It was also reported during the mission that the EU may provide 6 000-8 000 used fishing boats from Europe for the victims.
Briggs & Stratton International Regional Office in Australia has proposed to provide some of their petrol engines for the smallest size boats under the ARC programme.
There have been many self-reliant programmes, e.g. victims have borrowed money from village funds to repair their boats and cages.
The Government of Japan, through FAO, committed to finance emergency assistance to tsunami affected fisher folk and farmers through the provision of fishing gears and other agricultural inputs (US$ 240 000).
ECHO through NGO Terre des Hommes - Italy plans to rehabilitate livelihoods for most vulnerable fishers.
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) plans to provide training to Government officers and fishers on natural disaster and sea safety.
Norway intends to provide technical support on off-shore fish cage culture.
Canada plans to provide technical support for fishing community development and fisheries through Chulabhorn Research Institute.
Australia plans to assist coastal zone management and enhancing the capacity of Marine Research and Development Center for Andaman Sea (DOF, Phuket).
Japan (Kochi Univ.) intends to provide technical assistance on aquaculture and fish toxicology.
The Czech Republic plans to provide sawn timber to build homes of fisher folk.
NGOs Network in Andaman Area provides boat repair, boat/shipyard building and revolving funds to fishing communities to purchase fishing gears and engines.
USAID plans to starts sustainable coastal communities programme (3 years).
The EU/DOF Coastal Habitat and Resource Management (CHARM) Project in cooperation with the NGO network in Phang-Nga Bay has planned to contribute US$ 513 000 for emergency assistance to fisheries to the 15 most affected villages.
The Network of Cooperation on Community Rehabilitation in the Andaman Sea Coast (NGOs) has provided at least US$82 700 for boat repairs and shipyard building in various sub-districts.
The Crown Princess’s Foundation plans to assist in fish cage construction in many severely affected villages.
Rotary Thailand has also proposed to donate new boats to some non-registered victims in Phang-Nga.
The Government of Italy has proposed, through FAO, to provide funds for emergency assistance (US$650 000).
UNDP/FAO have proposed the provision of fishing equipment and boat repair equipment and services capacity building.
The German Embassy will provide new boats, materials for aquaculture reconstruction (at least Euros 24 000 have been allocated to a German NGO in Ranong).
Italian funded TDH/Children of the Sea Project in Phang-Nga Bay plans to provide US$ 25 650 for emergency assistance to damaged fishing villages.
The ongoing and planned assistance provided by other partners/donors/NGOs in the agriculture sector is summarized as follows:
A seed company in Thailand has provided local vegetable seeds through the Department of Agricultural Extension to the affected farmers in Ranong, Phang-Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. The amount has ranged from 300 - 500 kg per province. The Land Development Department, MOAC, will assist in the rehabilitation of salinity affected soils.
No assistance has been proposed by partners/donors in the livestock sector so far, except for FAO. The anticipated areas of cooperation include the rehabilitation of grasslands for improved animal feed production.
Under Task Force I: (1) the Embassy of the United Kingdom offered mobile field teams of experts that are available to undertake rapid assessments and prepare integrated coastal zone management plans using GIS and remote sensing technology; (2) IUCN offered to assist with the management, rehabilitation, development, zoning and vulnerability assessment of marine protected areas; (3) JICA offered to dispatch an expert on the sustainable management of coral reefs, and (4) ADB plans to assist the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in the preparation of a regional development plan which will include natural resources and environment rehabilitation.
A large number of livelihood support programmes to tsunami affected coastal communities are integrated under technical sector/sub-sector interventions such as coastal fisheries, aquaculture and agricultural rehabilitation.
Following on-going or planned livelihood support projects (which are not included in sector/sub-sector interventions or listed in section above b), c) and d) were identified in the WHO-DOES-WHAT matrix of Task Force III issued on 22 January 2005:
DANIDA through the existing CODI project has proposed a project to promote decentralized community driven rehabilitation and environmental management in low income areas affected by the tsunami.
France plans, through the Red Cross, to assist the reconstruction of a village.
UNOP plans to provide micro financing services and capacity building support for community livelihood rehabilitation.
JICA (Japan) intends to organize seminar and study on community disaster prevention and rural community rehabilitation.
GTZ proposed to provide support to tsunami impacted SMEs.
ILO plans to support employment promotion and small business management.
