World Dialogue on Regulation

One of the results of WDR partner LIRNEasia's research on disaster warning was showcased on 6 April at the World Bank’s launch of the Small Grants Program (SGP) 2006 in Sri Lanka. The Webhamuva project was initiated by LIRNEasia as part of a series of projects that it has undertaken in the area of ICTs for disasters.

Unlike the bulk of the work in this area that focussed on the design of disaster warning systems with community participation, this project focussed on bringing social accountability in the planning, implementation of post-tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation in Sri Lanka by getting the voices of the people affected by the tsunami heard widely.

The Webhamuva Project was showcased at the World Bank’s launch of the Small Grants Program (SGP) 2006 in Sri Lanka on April 6, 2006, as an example of the previous year’s funding under the same program. Divakar Goswami, Director of Organizational Development and Projects at LIRNEasia made a presentation on the project and highlighted some of the findings. The presentation is available for download as a PDF document.

One of the traditional forms of community participation in the tsunami affected villages under Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka's largest community based organization, is the pavul hamuva (family gathering), where all the camp dwellers get together to share what is on their minds. The Webhamuva involves transcribing the ideas that emerge from the pavul hamuvas relating to people’s aspirations on their future, their opinions on government proposals and plans that deal with their resettlement and rehabilitation, and their knowledge and solutions to various challenges that they face.

The biggest shortcomings of post Tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation in Sri Lanka has been that affected persons have not been duly consulted in the process. The objective of the Webhamuva project is to ensure voices and interests of the displaced tsunami victims are heard widely by getting their views on the Webhamuva website. By getting media coverage of needs and concerns of tsunami victims it is hoped that NGOs, government agencies and others can see where they are falling short.

From statements made in different districts, the overriding concern among the tsunami affacted people is how to get back their livelihoods. Most tsunami affected at this point do not require clothing or food but assistance that will strengthen their capacity to re-start their normal lives. For example, someone from Gandara (Matara district) states: "We don’t need any aid. Now at least give us a loan at an easy interest rate. We shall show the ocean that beat us down how we can get up by raising an income from that ocean itself. Now we want only that."

Another area of concern that came up frequently was regarding “flat” or apartment style housing that the government and others have been building for the tsunami afected that doesn’t suit their way of life. Illustrating this concern is a statement that came from Athagama (Kalutara District): "There are about five to seven houses in a row. They are in Parangiwatta. Oh, we can’t stay in flats, no. What’s the point of housing like that? They’re given for free, that’s true. But they’re useless for us. Because they’re apparently making flats about seven connected to each other. The two floors are for two families. So there’ll be fighting about everything. We are losing all our independence because of this. We don’t know what kind of people we’ll fall next to. Also, we’ll be unable to leave a girl child in the house by herself even in an emergency. We feel that we’ll fall into a great difficulty."