JAMES LEE WITT RELEASES LONG TERM RECONSTRUCTION REPORT AT TSUNAMI SUMMIT
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE… CONTACT: Kim Fuller
May 12, 2005 202-585-0780 (office)
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JAMES LEE WITT RELEASES LONG TERM RECONSTRUCTION REPORT AT
TSUNAMI SUMMIT
US-ASEAN Business Council-Sponsored Report Reveals Long-Term Reconstruction Priorities for Thailand, Sri Lanka, & Indonesia
Click here to access the full report.
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) --James Lee Witt, Chairman and CEO of the public safety and crisis management consulting firm, James Lee Witt Associates (JLWA) released findings of a US-ASEAN Business Council sponsored mission to assess and report on response operations and reconstruction planning in the tsunami stricken regions of Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
Witt presented his report "Building Back Better and Safer. Private Sector Summit on Post-Tsunami Reconstruction" during the US Chamber of Commerce and Asia Foundation sponsored "Corporate Social Responsibility in Action: Private Sector Summit on Post-Tsunami Rehabilitation and Reconstruction," at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, in Washington, DC, on Thursday, May 12, 2005. Also speaking on the program were former presidents George H. W. Bush and William J. Clinton.
The Asia Foundation hosted this vital forum to identify the needs, to help properly allocate funding that has been pledged-but remains unused, to recognize accomplishments already made in delivering relief, and to share lessons learned on the challenges that have been met. The major focus of this Summit is to maintain the momentum of the international support.
Witt and his assessment team, which included Frank P. Hodge, Jr., President of the International Code Council (ICC), traveled to Asia in March of 2005 and at the invitation of the regional governments met with the political leadership of each region and toured the affected areas to help identify both short and long-term recovery needs. Along with the US-ASEAN Business Council the assessment was made possible through the Coca-Cola – US-ASEAN Council 2004 Disaster Relief and Renewal Fund and Dow Chemical Company.
Report findings will include recommendations on how the US business community can be more effective in maximizing the impact of its tsunami assistance.
"I have seen many disaster scenes in my career—but none like these," said Witt, who has worked in many of the hardest hit areas of the world, as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, on both natural and man-made disasters. "For these countries, technical assistance for coordination of implementation of the long-term plan is critical. It is one thing to have a plan, but quite another to have the knowledge or experience for implementation. We hope to leave this Summit today with ways to move forward so that implementation in these regions is successful."
Among Witt's recommendations were:
• Reconstruction is different from relief. Much of the $6 billion committed to the region is for relief and can not or will not be spent on reconstruction. Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will move on once they think relief efforts are complete. Most who stay for reconstruction and recovery will not stay for the long-haul.
• Women and children present special challenges. More women than men were killed by the tsunami, leaving many women and children vulnerable to exploitation. Many now find themselves as heads of households and breadwinners; but for many reasons, including cultural and religious traditions, they lack access to jobs, and they may be unable to hold title to land.
• National level master planning is needed before reconstruction starts. Governments and volunteer organizations have begun to build housing. However, these efforts are often not well coordinated, and in some cases, they will precede the infrastructure needed to support them. Relocation of villages requires a comprehensive planning process to insure that rebuilt housing and public facilities function together to create coherent, safe, and sustainable communities.
• Coordination is essential. High quality technical assistance will be the primary ingredient for successful recovery and reconstruction. Now is also the time to improve national emergency management coordination systems, so these countries will be better prepared for the next disaster.
• Warning systems need higher priority. The international community must establish a tsunami detection system in the Indian Ocean. Each country must have a disaster warning system, all endangered coastal areas must be equipped with solar powered siren warning systems with voice-over capability, and each fishing boat must be equipped with at least a simple radio.
• Business sector participation is crucial. Even the most capable governments must rely on the private sector not only for financial support, but to provide goods, services, and technology necessary for an effective response. Business participation is even more vital to a successful reconstruction of the tsunami affected areas, as livelihood restoration becomes a priority and construction begins in earnest.
Highlights of Witt's recommendations include:
• The US business community would be more effective in maximizing the impact of its tsunami assistance if resources were pooled and strategically targeted through public private partnerships.
• One of the greatest needs of all is the restoration of livelihoods. If the ingenuity of US businesses were unleashed on this problem, much could be accomplished.
• A consultative process should be organized among the national and local governments, NGOs, and the international donor community, both to create "buy-in" at the local level and to convince the people that something is happening. A capable and respected person should be identified as the principal coordinator, as the focal point for coordinating activities at provincial and district levels and in major local communities.
• National governments must give priority to developing mechanisms to ensure accountability of funds and tracking resources allocated to various localities.
• More temporary schools should be built and community services provided to help maintain the community identity and cohesion that might still exist among the displaced population.
• Training programs should be designed and implemented aimed at addressing the needs for replacing lost health care workers, teachers, and hotel workers. Villagers should be trained to construct houses and other buildings to quickly begin to provide support for their families and to put money into the economy.
• The displaced population should be viewed in a positive way. They represent a huge pool of talent and skill that is easily transferred to many of the reconstruction activities.
• It is essential that mechanisms be designed into the projects to insure that specific, attainable goals are realized and that strict accountability is assured. Progress should be reported to donors and the undertaking should be fully documented and evaluated.
• We must take this opportunity to "do it right," to improve living conditions in these countries, not just return lives to "normal." These countries have entered a critical phase. Given the massive cost and effort involved in reconstruction, there must be more organization and coordination. But most countries are not adequately equipped with the needed technical expertise to do so. This is a gap the US private sector could help fill. If corrective action is swift, one or more of these countries could be a model for the future of how reconstruction should be managed.
Witt sees this mission as an opportunity to rebuild with stronger and more sustainable communities and to improve the emergency management capabilities to lessen the impact of future disasters, to "build back better, so that the next time there will be much less devastation."
The full 31 page Report, "Building Back Better and Safer. Private Sector Summit on Post-Tsunami Reconstruction" can be found at www.wittassociates.com. CDs of the complete report were provided to all participants of the Summit.
James Lee Witt Associates is a leader in crisis management and public safety consulting. With a multi-faceted range of relevant experience, JLWA is uniquely positioned to help avoid, address, or recover from virtually any crisis or conflict. Headquartered in Washington, DC, JLWA assists countries, international organizations, universities, hospitals, non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, and local and state governments in preparing for and responding to all hazards.
The US-ASEAN Business Council is America's leading private business organization dedicated to promoting increased trade and investment between the United States and the member nations of ASEAN. The Council's membership includes 150 of the Fortune 500 American companies with trade interests in the region. More information about the US-ASEAN Business Council can be found at www.us-asean.org.
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