Jakarta, 18 September 2020 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) this week kicked off two major reconstruction projects that are set to support the livelihoods of hundreds of families in the provinces of Central Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara, following the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged these areas in 2018.

The projects, which include the reconstruction of the Tuva suspension bridge in Tuva Village in Sigi District, Central Sulawesi and the reconstruction of an irrigation channel in Sajang village in East Lombok, in West Nusa Tenggara, are vital to the communities who have been severely affected since the natural disaster cut off access to markets and disrupted water supplies to farms.

Officials from Sigi District in Central Sulawesi gathered on Thursday at the Tuva bridge to mark the start of the reconstruction of this vital piece of infrastructure that will ease the lives of farmers who rely on the bridge to help them cross the Miu river to the markets in the provincial capital Palu.

Earlier this week a ground-breaking ceremony was held at the site of the new irrigation channel, a lifeline for economic development in East Lombok’s Sejang village. More than 500 families rely on the irrigation to water their farms. They have been forced to resort to temporary measures since the quake destroyed the irrigation system.

Both projects are part of UNDP’s Programme for Earthquake and Tsunami Infrastructure Reconstruction Assistance (PETRA) project, financed by the Federal Republic of Germany through its development bank, KfW. The project has been working in the region since 2018, tasked with assisting in the transition from immediate response to longer-term recovery.

“The natural disasters caused devastating losses for several families in West Nusa Tenggara and Central Sulawesi. Through our partnership with UNDP we hope that the reconstruction of this vital infrastructure can help these communities rebuild their lives and allow them to, regain their livelihoods and restore their overall wellbeing,” said Antun Hidayat from KfW

In addition to the setbacks caused by the natural disasters, both regions are also suffering from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current travel restrictions have also hampered the logistics supply to both regions.

The reconstruction of these infrastructure facilities will provide short term employment for a few and will improve prospects for the community at large in the long term.

“Natural disasters disrupt daily life and so many communities have struggled to regain a sense of normality. These reconstruction projects, which involve the participation of the local community, will help ensure that no one is left behind as livelihoods are restored. In rebuilding the affected areas, UNDP is committed to ensuring that vital infrastructures are being built with the principles of ‘build back better’ in mind to support the communities. Hence, we are also keen to help enhance the overall economies of these areas in the months ahead, ultimately steering Indonesia towards successfully achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Sophie Kemkhadze, Resident Representative, a.i. of UNDP in Indonesia.

Partnerships are key to UNDP’s work. In Palu, the project works with YKMI, a national Civil Society Organization (CSO) which has been linked to UNDP’s work in post-disaster recovery. In Lombok, the project works with Wahana Visi Indonesia. Both CSOs have assisted in the design process and recruitment and training of construction crew including both women and men. The work will be carried out following strict physical distancing protocols.

“The reconstruction of these vital pieces of infrastructure will benefit over 300 households in Central Sulawesi and around 500 households in East Lombok. By involving the communities in the process, we continue to ensure no one is left behind as we work towards improving their quality of life,” said Christian Usfinit, Team Leader, Resilience and Reconstruction Unit of UNDP in Indonesia.

In 2018 Indonesia was struck by two particularly severe natural disasters: a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) on 5 August and, less than 8 weeks later- on 28 September-a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami and a rare phenomenon known as ‘soil liquefaction’, in Central Sulawesi.

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Media Contacts

Christian B. Usfinit Team Leader, UNDP Resilience and Reconstruction Unit Christian.usfinit@undp.org

Olyvianus MP Dadi Lado, UNDP Communication, Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Officer olyvianus.lado@undp.org

Tomi Soetjipto, UNDP Communication Specialist Suryo.tomi@undp.org

Ranjit Jose, UNDP Communications Advocacy Specialist ranjit.jose@undp.org