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Jobs, infrastructure and disaster prevention
emerge as key priorities for India
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Number of fatalities: 12,405
- Number of people injured: 6,913
- 2.79 million people and an estimated 1,089 villages
have been affected by the tsunami in four states (Andhra
Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry) and the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- An estimated 157,393 dwellings were destroyed.
- An estimated 730,000 individuals had to leave
their homes.
- 83,788 boats were damaged, 31,755 livestock
were lost and 39,035 hectares of crops were damaged.
Damages and losses: According to the
Government of India, overall damages have been assessed
at approximately $2.56 billion. The largest damages occurred
in fisheries, housing and infrastructure. Overall losses
are estimated at $410 million. The most affected areas
include coastal fisheries, agriculture, and micro-enterprise.
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Supporting
the Recovery
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Immediate Response
Following the onset of the tsunami disaster, UNDP provided immediate
support by deploying United Nations Volunteers (UNVs) working
on the on going Disaster Risk Management (DRM) programme to affected
district authorities in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry to assist in
emergency information management operations.
UNDP India provided support to affected neighbouring UNDP countries
offices to assist in relief co-ordination and information support.
UNDP programme staff and UNVs associated with the on-going DRM
programmes were also deployed to Maldives and Sri Lanka Indonesia
to support UN teams in these countries.
Coordination and
Policy Support 
To support the Government of India’s efforts in recovery and rehabilitation,
UNDP India, in collaboration with other UN agencies, established a joint
UN Team to draw up a recovery framework in support of Government of India
for the post-Tsunami Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Programme. The entire
UN Country Team Recovery Rehabilitation and Reconstruction framework has
been estimated to be at around US $ 40 million funded through core resources
and resources mobilized from bilateral donors.
Under the UN Recovery Framework, UNDP will be supporting project implementation
in the areas of capacity building for disaster risk management, coordination,
knowledge networking and policy support; psychosocial support; restoring
livelihoods; shelter and habitat development; and environmental sustainability.
In response to the State Government’s request for support to drawing up
micro level model recovery plans, UNDP conducted a recovery needs based assessment
for Tamil Nadu in partnership with the State Government.
A team of shelter specialists from the UNDP carried out the assessment in
three villages in Cuddalore, among the worst affected districts in Tamil
Nadu, to prepare a model recovery plan and long-term rehabilitation strategies.
This was done with community participation with special focus on resettlement/
in-situ redevelopment and housing reconstruction and livelihoods restoration.
The Central Recovery Resource Centre project in Chennai has been launched
as a joint initiative between UNDP and non-governmental organizations, with
participation of government, civil society and the private sector.
The Chennai Resource Centre will also be networked to district resource
centres. The resource centre will comprise staffs, equipment and a working
method to support and host the coordination mechanisms among all concerned
stakeholders as well to provide knowledge resources to better plan recovery
activities in synergy with Government.
As part of the ADB loan and Technical Assistance programme implementation,
a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will be established in Chennai and Thirvananthapuram.
The PIU is joining the UN office in Chennai for close coordination, complementary
monitoring/supervision of the ADB programme and UN Recovery Framework and
cost effectiveness.
UNDP is also supporting the Nagapattinam district NGO Coordination and Resource
Centre. The Resource Centre will provide mapping services to support coordination
of stakeholders. The Centre will facilitate access to knowledge and know-how
including access to documentation, assessment and research findings. The
Centre will also seek feedback from communities on policies and guidelines. The
database available at the Nagapattinam Centre has a hamlet-wise compilation
of the damages and compensation details. It’s also possible to access detailed
profile of villages in the Nagapattinam district. The Centre will ensure
regular and transparent interaction between Government and NGO representatives
in a way that the needs of the effected are adequately and properly represented.
Nearly 400 NGOs working in the district have been registered at the Nagapattinam
Centre. Over 200 volunteers have been assigned to establish a two-way system
of information flow.
A grievance desk for legal aid for families of missing persons has been
established.
An ICT solution to support coordination and recovery planning, monitor the
delivery of government recovery packages and track stakeholders' activities
to avoid overlap is under development. Deployment of pilot village IT Kiosks
in Tamil Nadu is expected to take place once the donors accept the project
proposal.
Five National UN Volunteers have been placed in district collector offices
in Tamil Nadu to support coordination mechanisms in the affected districts
of the state
Partnership in UNCT Joint Office functions
In order to coordinate the activities that support the Government for recovery
and rehabilitation, the UN has established a Team for Recovery Support, which
operates both in New Delhi and Chennai.
In order to further develop and implement the UN Recovery programme, a UN
coordination office for Tamil Nadu and south India -involving UNDP, UNICEF,
WHO, UNIDO, FAO, ILO, UNOPS, ADB, among others, is in the final stage of
establishment in Chennai. This office will help facilitate information sharing,
ensure synergies in interventions in different sectors and joint learning
by UN Agencies involved in the reconstruction process.
For the UN Country Team Recovery Group based in Chennai, UNDP has the responsibility
to recruit staff to strengthen capacities in the joint UN Chennai office
in Chennai.
Psychosocial Support
WHO has developed a framework for providing psychosocial support to affected
populations along with UNICEF and UNDP. Expertise will be sourced from leading
mental health institutions such as NIMHANS, Bangalore; VIMHANS, New Delhi;
SCARF, Chennai; Medical College, Alleppy; JIPMER, Pondicherry, and SMHA,
Kerala, for training on psychosocial support. A total of 2300 Volunteers
from the community as well as relief workers have been identified and provided
training using the manuals developed by WHO.
WHO and UNDP provide technical support for the establishment of a psychosocial
monitoring cell in the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Tamil
Nadu.
Study of the tsunami’s impact on the coastal environment
A study and statement on the Coastal Regulation Zone was commissioned by
the UNDP Recovery Team to an environmental institute in order to support
Government of Tamil Nadu in designing its housing policy and disseminate
objective related information among stakeholders.
The donors has endorsed the environment programme submitted to UN Foundation
in principle. It is expected to address the environmental and ecological
effects of the tsunami and to build capacities of government agencies, civil
society and local communities for holistic and integrated coastal area planning
as well as incorporating environmental sustainability concerns in livelihood
activities.
Shelter and Habitat Development
The Government of Tamil Nadu with UNDP technical support has developed guidelines
and layout and design of disaster resistant houses. A workshop was co-organized
with Government of Tamil Nadu to disseminate these guidelines and, the CRZ
study findings commissioned by UNDP in consultation with NGOs/institutions/Govt
Agencies on these topics.
Strengthening Governance for Sustainable Recovery and Risk Reduction
Under the on-going Disaster Risk Management Programme, sustainable mechanisms
for community-based disaster preparedness have been introduced in six districts
and two seismic zone III (moderate risk) cities of Tamil Nadu. In Samiyarpettai
village in Cuddalore district that had been one of the sites of the model
village training programme under the risk management initiative prior to
the tsunami, more than 100 lives were saved thanks to their training in disaster
preparedness and rescue operations.
In Kerala, three seismic zone III (moderate risk) cities with populations
of over half a million are undertaking earthquake vulnerability reduction
activities. In Kerala the natural disaster management faculty at the Institute
of Land Management is being supported to conduct regular training programmes
for government officials. The state has several academic and research institutions
that work on coastal environmental management and development issues. This
programme would be expanded to other tsunami affected districts in Andhra
Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
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