ADB to Extend Livelihood Project in Sri Lanka to Help Tsunami Survivors
AMPARA, SRI LANKA (25 January 2005) - In a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) here, Ganesh Thuraivasa, 38, is a fisherman who lost his fishing boat and nets in the tsunami that struck Sri Lanka's eastern coastline on 26 December.
He says he's never been anything else but a fisherman and says if he gets a new net he can fish from the shore without a boat.
In another IDP camp nearby, Janaka Amaresooriya, 27, his wife Ansula and their one year old baby girl were living in Trincomalee when the big waves carried away their coastal home. Janaka used to break up ice in a fish enterprise and already he has found new work in Ampara loading wood into lorries. He doesn't much like the new job, however, and is open to alternatives.
ADB is planning to help tsunami survivors like Ganesh and Janaka earn a living again by extending an ADB-financed livelihood project on the east coast.
The project can be expanded quickly since several agencies - including many non governmental organizations (NGOs) - are already in place to implement it.
The North East Coastal Community Development Project (NECCDEP) was about to start implementation in the eastern districts of Ampara, Batticoloa and Trincomalee when the tsunami struck.
"The tidal waves greatly expanded the number of people in need and changed significantly conditions on the ground, creating new and urgent requirements," says Alessandro Pio, Country Director for ADB's Sri Lanka Resident Mission in
The project is designed to help over 56,000 families whose livelihoods - mainly fishing and farming - have been disrupted by 20 years of civil conflict."
"NGOs are poised to carry out schemes to support individuals and communities with existing or alternative livelihoods," says Sanath Ranawana, an environment specialist with ADB's South Asia Department. "Alternative livelihoods could include jobs in food processing - fruit or fish, for example - or in eco-tourism by acting as guides or interpreters in local nature tourism sites. Much of the east coast is in pristine condition and ideal for eco-tourism."
As well as providing livelihood options, the project will carry out small infrastructure projects identified by village communities. "These include drinking wells, minor roads and culvets, mooring facilities for fishing vessels and community halls," says Mr. Ranawana.
The project will also help to restore natural habitats destroyed by years of over-exploitation and, more recently, the tsunami.
"It will also help provide alterative technology to reduce dependence on local natural resources," says Mr. Ranawana. "For example, energy-efficient cooking stoves could be provided to reduce dependence on firewood, much of which is obtained from mangroves."
Originally targeted at 225 grama niladhari divisions (or GN divisions, a local government unit that typically looks after a handful of villages), the project may now be increased to cover an additional 95 GN divisions). These will include some of the worst-affected villages where people have lost families and homes as well as livelihoods.
At a time when many NGOs are complaining that they are being left out or marginalized in the relief and reconstruction activity, NECCDEP is being implemented by three sets of NGOs. The coordinating agency is the North East Provincial Council.
The US$28.4 million project is being financed by ADB ($20 million), the Sri Lanka government (US$5.6 million) and the Netherlands ($1.5 million). Villages originally agreed to contribute to costs to increase their sense of project ownership.
Mr. Ranawana says that expanding project activities to deal with the impacts of the tsunami will require additional funding of about $25 million. This may be done as part of an emergency reconstruction operation that ADB is currently assessing.
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