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.