ADB responds<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post articles Homes remain elusive for Acehnese on
\nIdul Fitri (Oct. 31), and Tsunami survivors grow weary of wait
\nfor homes (Nov. 10) unfortunately offer an incomplete picture of
\nthe Asian Development Bank's efforts to assist the people of
\nAceh, Nias and North Sumatra with housing and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) was one of the first donors
\nto offer grant assistance to the people of Indonesia affected by
\nthe tsunami. These grants exceeded $300 million and were designed
\nto be flexible in order to offer the quickest assistance possible
\nacross a wide range of areas, including agriculture, fisheries,
\nirrigation, livelihoods, housing, water and sanitation, health,
\ntransport, power, spatial planning and fiduciary oversight.<\/p>\n
In the housing sector, ADB initially offered to support two
\npilot projects in and near Banda Aceh that would build more than
\n400 new houses and repair 40 others, benefiting about 1,700
\npeople. Plans are underway to ultimately build 11,000 new houses
\nand repair 5,000 others. ADB has worked closely with the Aceh-
\nNias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) to fast-track
\nthe design and implementation of these projects.<\/p>\n
However, it has not yet been possible to implement these
\nprograms because of procedural delays in finalizing the project
\nmanagement arrangements with BRR and the responsible ministry.
\nADB continues to work together with BRR and the concerned
\nministries to remove the bottlenecks to ensure the success of its
\nsupport, not only for the housing projects but also for the other
\ncomponents of the grant assistance.<\/p>\n
ADB and the BRR are also committed to taking a community-
\ndriven approach to housing that carefully assesses the needs of
\nthe people in the area before construction begins. This will link
\nhousing to related infrastructure projects, such as roads,
\nbridges and other facilities. Fully integrating the community's
\nneeds into the rebuilding process takes time, but it leads to
\nlong-term, sustainable communities whose homes and neighborhoods
\nare not simply replaced, but rebuilt to a higher standard.<\/p>\n
The reconstruction of Aceh, Nias and North Sumatra has not
\nproceeded as quickly as was hoped, but progress is being made.
\nADB has been working with Indonesia for nearly four decades and
\nit has made a long-term commitment to the task of helping to
\nrebuild the tsunami-affected areas.<\/p>\n
PIETER SMIDT
\nHead, ADB's Extended Mission for Sumatra<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/adb-responds-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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