Building back better – five years post-tsunami

Press release, December 22, 2009

Boxing Day marks the fifth anniversary of the tsunami which claimed more than half a million lives – one of the biggest natural disasters the world has ever seen.

In Sri Lanka alone more than half a million people were displaced, 31,000 people died and thousands more were missing. In addition 150,000 people lost their livelihoods, 25,000 acres of farm land lost due to salinity and 120,000 houses had to be rebuilt.

Since then, international development charity Practical Action has worked with more than 120,000 people in Sri Lanka to come up with traditional and innovative ways to rehabilitate communities, homes and businesses.

Hardest hit was the fishing industry with a third of Sri Lankan fishermen killed and more than 80 per cent of their boats destroyed – which equated to 30,000.

Practical Action introduced boat building yards to produce high quality canoes, bases on these fishermen’s needs. Many boats donated by other organisations after the disaster were often unsuitable and discarded.

One of the charity’s biggest successes was house rebuilding. By using technologies developed by Practical Action and locally available materials, people were trained in how to rebuild their homes.

This work led to the charity becoming a finalist in the World Habitat Awards, which recognises practical and innovative solutions to housing needs and problems.

With more than 300 masons and carpenters trained, people not only had somewhere to live but also a new way of earning money.

Vishaka Hidellage, Director, Practical Action Sri Lanka, said: “The 2004 tsunami devastated so many lives, yet people wanted to know what they could do move on to rebuild their lives with pride and dignity.”

Vishaka further commented: “Practical Action’s work has supported more than 120,000 people – from fishermen, to families, women and disabled people. As well as rebuilding homes and finding new ways of making a living, an important aspect was people regaining their independence.

“Five years later we are still working with communities; whether it is supporting lagoons and fisheries, paddy farming, or working with people on new enterprises such as dairy or growing new crops, the people of Sri Lanka refused to let this devastating event beat them. While we will all remember what happened with tremendous sadness we will continue to look forward to a brighter future.”

Other projects included:

• growing traditional saline resistant rice
• irrigation systems for those who can no longer fish and have turned to farming
• training youths on how to dive, both as an alternative employment while also clearing coral of debris - left in the tsunami’s wake – and protecting it for the future.

Further information

Taking on the challenge of re-building
Practical Action's response to the 2004 tsunami

For more information, please contact: Jane Eason, Practical Action Media Officer, Tel: 01926 634510, Out of Hours: 07970 285823, E-mail: jane.eason@practicalaction.org.uk