The soul of Aceh reconstruction

The soul of Aceh reconstruction

M. T. Zen, Bandung

The earthquake and tsunamis that hit Aceh on Dec. 26 were a
demonstration of the power of nature. That is the price
Indonesians have to pay for having a country located exactly at
the confluence of four major tectonic plates that are in constant
motion.

The world community has pledged hundreds of millions dollars
of aid money for the reconstruction of Aceh since entire areas
were destroyed, like stretches of desert.

Aceh has been an area of political conflict for many decades.
Many have died, Acehnese, as well as Indonesian Military (TNI)
personnel. What does this mean?

It is worth remembering that Aceh was one of the first
provinces that contributed an airplane and money to sustain the
struggle against the Dutch during the revolutionary days. It was
also Kotaraja (present day Banda Aceh), which became the center
of the government of the republic "in exile", when the entire
republic, including Yogyakarta, was overrun and occupied by the
Dutch army during the revolution. Besides, the Acehnese are proud
of their cultural heritage, religious and very devoted.
Therefore, ethnological values should be taken into consideration
in rebuilding efforts .

Why is this approach being suggested? Many families lost their
relatives and their homes and belongings. It is quite
understandable that those who survived but lost their homes would
like to have a new house built for them -- instead of living in
tents or temporary barracks -- in the shortest possible time.

The central government is also very keen to provide permanent
homes for those people who lost theirs. The money is there; so,
there is no reason to wait any longer. However, if we reconstruct
Aceh quickly (particularly if efforts are profit-driven) then we
have learned nothing.

We should learn from the catastrophe so that we can better
protect ourselves in the future. What is suggested is nothing
more than synthesizing scientific and engineering principles with
socio-cultural values into a development program.

From geophysical, geological, and seismological information,
seismic zoning maps have been made on a variety of scales. The
largest scale maps identify the regions of a province that are
prone to earthquakes.

In North America, Europe, Russia, Japan, China, New Zealand
and Australia this is a common practice. In spite of their
uncertainties, local seismic-hazard zoning maps are becoming more
and more common.

On the maps, risk is conceived as either relative or
explicitly probabilistic. Most maps of relative risk mark zones
with an arbitrary numerical or alphabetic scale.

Maps of probabilistic risk give an idea of the underlying
statistical uncertainty, as is done in calculating insurance
risk.

In Indonesia -- where some areas are prone to earthquakes --
land-use policies should take into consideration geophysical
factors. Seismic zoning and building codes must also be used.

The word eco-development has often been mentioned in
discussions within Indonesia, but in practice this has always
been ignored. Particularly for earthquake/tsunami prone areas,
the full use of natural buffers or greenbelts is strongly
recommended. Several tree or plant species can be used
effectively.

Ecological considerations combined with the knowledge of
coastal morphology (topography) can be effectively used to
protect the coastline from tsunamis.

In the meantime, academic communities should do more intensive
research on the use of mangrove forests for protecting coastal
zones and for the economic benefit of the local populace. If not
the mangrove, what other tree species could be used, and in what
conditions?

Aceh is a land of tradition and culture and its people are
very religious. Therefore, Aceh should be reconstructed not only
according to sound scientific and engineering principles, but in
line with the "soul" of Aceh, meaning that traditional and
cultural values must be included in new structures and patterns.

This is not easy, and may take some time. To begin with, the
reconstruction work, from the very start, should include Aceh's
most knowledgeable people.

Scientists and engineers from Syiahkuala University, as well
as practitioners living outside Aceh, could be consulted on this
-- and they would gladly contribute.

The Aceh war was a bloody one and it took the Dutch several
decades to subdue Aceh. After independence, Aceh's relationship
with Sukarno, the first president, was an uneasy one. But, it was
only during the Soeharto era that an open rebellion broke out.
Right now, talks have been resumed in Helsinki, and new hopes for
a long-lasting settlement have emerged.

The problem seems to be centered around the words "special
autonomy". Let us hope that a real settlement emerges, and that
political questions left hanging are soon solved. With that in
mind, the reconstruction of Aceh can be undertaken wholeheartedly
by the central government, as well as by the Acehnese themselves.
The central government and the House of Representatives should
seize this opportunity to perfect the autonomy law so that it can
be implemented nationwide.

The tsunami created tremendous momentum. Let us ride on the
crest of the waves, and look at this terrible event as a turning
point in cultivating a new constructive attitude and behavior,
paving the way for reconciliation.

Let us create something good out of this disaster so that
those who were killed did not die in vain.

Let me end by quoting Alfred Tennyson, "To strive, to seek, to
find, and not to yield!"

These words were carved on the tombstones of Robert Falcon
Scott, Dr. Wilson, Capt. Oates and Lt. Bowers who perished in the
South Pole after loosing the race to the Norwegian team under
Ronald Amundson who reached that same spot two days before in
1912. The most far-flung grave on earth.

The writer is a lecturer at the Bandung Institute of
Technology (ITB) and a researcher at Geodynamics Laboratory,
Geophysical Engineering, ITB. He can be reached at
mtzen@gf.itb.ac.id