Community contribution to flood defence
constructionWe were invited by the Provincial Government
of Naggroe Aceh Darrusalaam, Indonesia to assist developing the
Aceh Post-Tsunami Reconstruction Programme – the main aim being to
focus on the provision of water/sanitation infrastructure services.
Public awareness education already underpinned the work of over 100
donors and 300 other agencies involved – while in our work,
infrastructure planning (eg multifunction refuge construction) was
integrated with both near-field and far-field early warning systems
– this required widespread consultation on communication channels
and preferences.
While initial priority activities centred around provision of
services to housing, recommendations were made for the design of a
‘Sea Defence, Flood Management, Early Warning and Refuge System’.
Initial planning involved a) policy analysis (BRR) b) extensive
community liaison and discussion and c) technical analysis and
design.
In Tajikistan, severe floods in 1998/99 led to a response from the
Asian Development Bank who appointed a five-person team from Mott
MacDonald to develop a strategy for reducing future impacts on the
country’s economy. Public awareness of causes was seen as a
significant part of the strategy with attention focusing on the
human contribution to high run-off rates, sediment loads and
blockages of streams and rivers. Non-structural recommendations
included: improving flood forecasting and disaster preparedness.
Public awareness and participation in watershed management were
seen as very important contributors to future mitigation.
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