Sustainability from ruin

Sustainability from ruin

Emil Salim, Jakarta

Two weeks after the tsunami hit, the devastation it left
behind in Aceh is comparable to that in Europe and Japan after
World War II.

Factories, roads, offices, schools, hospitals and private
residences have all been wiped out. Stories of husbands having
lost their loved ones as they were carried away by the huge waves
in front of their eyes are commonplace.

The worst hit are the traditional fishermen of Aceh. With
their small boats, their fishing season is only eight to nine
months of a year, as heavy winds prevail during the remaining
months and prevent them from sailing. They must live for an
entire year on the meager catch of these few months -- and the
reason why fishermen have the lowest income in Indonesia.

After World War II, Europe was vastly rehabilitated under the
Marshall Plan, which was offered generously and realized within a
relatively short period of time; this was followed by the
rehabilitation of Japan. The programs not only benefited Europe
and Japan, but also boosted the pace of modernity and development
worldwide.

Most importantly, the assistance sparked optimism and hope in
the hearts of millions.

Of additional interest is that the Allies had reached out to
assist their former enemies -- Germany and Japan -- to raise them
out of the torments of the war. Although the past has been
forgiven, history has not been forgotten.

Indonesia, along with India, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nicobar,
Somalia, Sri Lanka and Thailand were hit by a tsunami that left
an impact like the devastation of war on many areas in South and
Southeast Asia and across the Indian Ocean to the eastern coast
of the African continent.

The cause of the tsunami is known -- the 9.0-magnitude
earthquake off the Aceh coast. What is lacking, however, is a
sufficient number of Indonesian experts with the necessary
instruments to monitor developments in tectonic activity.

Indonesian experts have known for many years that Mentawai
Island is sinking, which indicates that its submarine foundation
is continually depressing from the Indian plate folding under the
Australian plate.

Eventually, the edge of the plate will snap, causing an
earthquake that will inevitably produce a tsunami that will again
hit the western coast of Sumatra.

When will this happen? Experts talk about a 100 percent
probability within 100 years, but the exact time is unknown --
yet not necessarily unpredictable.

If nothing happens during this 100-year cycle, investment and
insurance firms will still be willing to accept projects with a
reasonable return on investment within 20 years.

This factor has played a role in the lack of most developing
countries to prepare for, predict and to meet the impact of
tsunamis. The December tsunami was a wake-up call, and we must
learn from this experience.

It is interesting to note that mangrove forests and coconut
trees survived the heavy blow of the tsunami, and that few wild
animals perished in the tidal wave. Birds knew they had to fly
away from the coast when they sensed some climatic anomaly, and
the people that followed the animals to higher ground or sought
shelter in coconut trees also survived.

These factors point to a need for more experts in ecology,
environmental sciences, zoology, botany and marine sciences --
and the need for huge scholarships, capacity building and
education in the natural and environmental sciences.

In the short term, massive assistance is required to provide
basic needs for the victims of the tsunami. This must be combined
with building and restoring infrastructure, such as roads,
bridges, electricity, telecommunications, irrigation systems and
other supporting facilities to get the economy moving again.

The disaster, ironically, also provides an opportunity to
rebuild the region according to a more sustainable path,
including economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Spatial planning at the provincial and district levels is
required to identify the environmental capacity of the region,
and areas susceptible to geological hazards must be identified
and avoided. City and village development, telecommunications,
electrical power and building construction must be based on
geologically and environmentally friendly technologies, while
road construction must not cut through forests.

In brief, the destruction of "old" Aceh is a chance to build a
"new" Aceh on the principle of economic, social and environmental
sustainability.

Prior to this, the Acehnese must recover from their physical
and psychological suffering, and their emotional wounds of losing
loved ones must be given the time to heal. All Indonesians,
regardless of ethnicity and faith must join forces to rebuild
Aceh.

In this spirit, we reach our hands out to friendly foreign
countries and invite them to unite in a massive effort to
implement a common "Tsunami Aftermath Plan" that, like the
Marshall Plan, will rebuild a city of ruin into an economically
prosperous, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable
Aceh.

The writer is a former state minister of the environment.