A 'master plan' by the people, for the people

The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The initiatives taken by a number of villages that were badly hit by the tsunami is admirable. Needless to say, the homes where residents lived and worked are no more, but the remaining locals are intent on rebuilding their hamlets.

While others argue with the government about the new blueprint for rebuilding Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the residents of 22 villages have designed their own blueprint. The residents have benefited from facilitation by the Urban Poor Consortium Uplink, a Jakarta-based network.

"The design is really based on the wishes of the people," said Yuli Kusworo, a volunteer. He is among five architects and civil engineers helping with the master plan. He said they went door to door around the villages, asking people what they wanted as regards the rebuilding of their communities.

She said the initial phase was difficult. In all, they had spent two months talking to the people of three districts in Aceh Besar regency.

"What they want now is not only to rebuild their homes, but they say they need to become closer socially and to be able to fulfill their economic needs," he said.

But the people's "blueprint" contradicts that of the government. The government does not want people to live on the coast again, supposedly for their own good.

The locals say that as fishing communities they have no choice. Together with the experts, they have designed "escape routes" leading straight for the nearby hills in the event of another disaster.

Their plans to plant coconut trees, pines and mangroves are not exactly to safeguard inland areas from another tsunami, as the government intends.

"The mangroves are to provide shelter from the wind breeze as this rusts our equipment in a short time. The mangroves wouldn't be able to hold back a tidal wave like the one we recently experienced," said Tarmizi, a village secretary.

The villages have different plans for the future of their settlements. "For our village, Meunasah Tuha, we'll live 500 meters away from the sea," Tarmizi said. Houses would be located near the hills, while the rice fields would be near the sea.

The villagers here, mostly farmers and fishermen, plan to rebuild their homes soon so as to replace the current wooden buildings. In so far as possible, the houses will be designed to withstand earthquakes.

"Each home will cost around Rp 35 million," Yuli said.

Proper spatial and environmental planning, Yuli said, should be the focus of the rebuilding effort, instead of relocating communities.