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Disaster Management - Projects

Action for Environment and Disaster Mitigation (AEDM)

Environment management is a critical strategy to prevent disasters, and reduce risks/vulnerabilities of disaster prone countries and communities. Disaster risks and vulnerability can be considerably reduced through effective and long-term environmental and natural resource management practices.

Linkages between significant environmental changes and frequency/magnitude of natural disasters need to be closely monitored, mapped and communicated to vulnerable communities and disaster management teams at the local and national levels.Thus, environment aspects need to be recognized and emphasized as a part of the holistic process of disaster reduction/humanitarian relief, and the need to strengthen the positive cyclical interrelationships between environmental management and disaster preparedness.

IETC's Disaster Management activities will focus on implementing environmental strategies for disaster preparedness in the Asia Pacific and other developing regions.

Objective(s):

1. To identify the causes and effects of disaster with specific reference to the environment,
2. To develop environment management strategies that will help reduce the vulnerability of high-risk communities to disasters, and
3. To mainstream environmental management practices for disaster mitigation within the overall perspective of poverty alleviation.

DM Project (1)

Title: Use of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) in forestry waste management for disaster prevention in Indonesia

Project summary:

The extensive rate of deforestation in Indonesia during the 1960s to the 1990s as a result of excess processing capacity by the industrial timber industry and an over commitment to forest based production has resulted in severe effect on deforestation and ecosystems services. As a consequence, this has also increased the risk of exasperating the impact of hydrological disasters such as flooding, rains and storms, typhoons, etc. At the macro level, there has been a lack of baseline monitoring of the extent of deforestation.

At the micro level, indiscriminate logging practices with no regards to waste arising out of logging has resulted in accentuating the impacts of disasters such as flooding.

Recent policy recommendations made by a number of local and international organizations call for appropriate and sustainable solutions to overcome shortcomings in controlling deforestation and its consequent impact on disaster prevention. Of particular importance was reducing the probability of disasters happening as a result of improper management of forests and its timber and non-timber wastes.

The challenge that is presented by this scenario is the maintenance of longer-term sustainability with respect to forest management practices in Indonesia. This challenge can effectively be met by the use of appropriate environmentally sound techniques and technologies in forest management, particularly in the use of timber and non-timber wastes for economic activities. A prudent policy mixture for forest products and services, non-timber products, and environmental services (such as eco-tourism) will be necessary for effectively and simultaneously meeting the needs of forest communities and local governments.

This project is being implemented in the Banyumas district of the Java island of Indonesia.

Objective(s):

1. To implement environmentally sound techniques and technologies to ensure sustainable forestry management and thus the growth of the local economy based on forest products and wastes.
2. To identify appropriate and sustainable solutions for the use of wastes from timber and non-timber production and services
3. To design sound sustainable forest management practices and measures to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of disasters such as flooding, rains/storms and typhoons.

DM Project (2)

Title: Tsunami Waste Management: Demonstrating ESTs for Building waste Reduction in Indonesia – The DEBRI Project

Project summary:

The Indian Ocean Tsunami hit many parts of Asia in December 2004, particularly hitting Banda Aceh and surrounding areas very hard. Besides the huge human tragedy, the tsunami also resulted in a large amount of building waste. Presently, this waste has, in most cases, been moved out of the built area and dumped into existing landfill sites to give way for reconstruction. More waste is likely to be generated as the old foundations and remaining debris are removed to construct new buildings. Not only are the landfill sites full, it is difficult to find avenues for permanent disposal of this waste.

Under the circumstances, the aim of the DEBRI Project is to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation in Banda Aceh through developing partnerships for the application of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) to the treatment/reuse/recycle of debris waste generated by the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and subsequently the construction/demolition waste generated on a day-to-day basis. The project is executed by building partnerships with the Indonesian Ministry of Environment, and working closely with local governmental agencies, civil society organizations, technology suppliers, and other UN Agencies. The International Solid Waste Management Association (ISWA) provides expert input to the project.

The project takes a three-pronged approach, looking at the issues of technology support, capacity building and economic instruments. The project develops a waste management mechanism for handling, treatment, reuse and recycling of tsunami-generated debris, which can subsequently be applied to day-to-day construction/demolition wastes. It identifies and demonstrates ESTs for debris management, and builds capacity of local government officials in debris handling and processing. It also develops a package of economic instruments to ensure long-term viability of ESTs, and disseminates knowledge and experiences gained to other affected countries in Asia.

The project supports, and is inherently linked to, ongoing programmes and projects of the local government in the affected region. The experience gained from the project is to be shared to strengthen the ongoing post-tsunami recovery and rehabilitation work in other affected countries as well.

The project is being implemented in Banda Aceh for two years, in 2006-2007.

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