RAP PUBLICATION 2007/06 Proceedings of the workshop on coastal area planning and management in Asian tsunami-affected countries 27 29 September 2006, Bangkok, Thailand Compiled and edited by Jeremy S. Broadhead & Robin N. Leslie FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Bangkok, 2007
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Foreword The Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December, 2004 destroyed lives, property and land all around the Indian Ocean. Unprecedented levels of funding, both from national and international sources, were subsequently mobilized to restore order and rebuild the lives and livelihoods of the millions affected. Following the emergency period, priorities moved towards rehabilitation and reconstruction extending across a wide range of sectors. FAO has been deeply involved in supporting the rural sectors through a large number of projects, among which are: the Finnish-funded Forestry programme for early rehabilitation in Asian tsunamiaffected countries (OSRO/GLO/502/FIN), the SIDA-funded Coordination and Technical Support Unit to Tsunami Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Fisheries and Aquaculture (GCP/INT/984/MUL), and the OCHA-funded Regional coordination and information management on strategies for early recovery of agriculture in coastal regions (OSRO/RAS/503/CHA). Thanks to the donors of these projects, the agriculture, fisheries and forestry groups of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific joined together to hold this workshop in Bangkok from 27 to 29 September 2006. The aims of the meeting were to increase understanding of coastal area planning and management and of issues related to sectoral integration, and to identify actions to improve coastal area land use planning and management in the Asian tsunami-affected countries. The emergency conditions after the tsunami, the number of actors involved and the roles of planning and integration in conserving coastal environments and defraying future costs were key background themes. Ninety-four representatives of governments, regional and international organizations and NGOs participated. The workshop centred on presentations provided by resource persons from Asian tsunami-affected countries which highlighted pre- and post-tsunami trends and issues in coastal areas. Three thematic papers were also presented and eleven presentations covering experience and activities in coastal area planning and management were made by NGOs, projects and agencies working in the region. Emerging from the workshop was the message that coastal area planning and management was hindered by the unexpectedness and magnitude of the tsunami, but that an opportunity continues to exist for building back better. The development of long-term coastal management plans which incorporate disaster management contingencies was identified as a key long-term goal and mechanisms to allow increased sectoral integration and effective coordination were highlighted as critical needs. He Changchui Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations iii
Contents Foreword Introduction Welcome speech iii vii ix Session I: The regional prespetive Land tenure and land-use change in relation to poverty, livelihoods, the environment and integrated coastal management in Asian tsunami-affected countries 1 and issues in Bangladesh 55 and issues in India 81 and issues in Indonesia 111 and issues in Malaysia 131 and issues in Maldives 147 and issues in Myanmar 165 and issues in Sri Lanka 167 and issues in Thailand 199 Session II: Improved coastal zone planning and management Integrated coastal zone planning in Asian tsunami-affected countries 229 Integrated land management to improve long-term benefits in coastal areas of Asian tsunami-affected countries 253 Special information-based approach for integrated coastal resource management in Asian tsunami-affected countries 287 Session III: Prespectives on coastal zone planning and management (abstracts) Tsunami impacts and implications for coastal management in the Asia-Pacific region 313 Impacts of post-tsumani rehabilitation and reconstruction in Aceh 313 Supporting post-tsunami activities and coastal zone management: The draft promotion of marine and coastal resources management act. 314 Coastal planning development lessons from policy analysis by Green Coast in Aceh 314 Land-use planning in the Maldives: creating sustainable and safe island communities 315 Mangroves for the Future: Investing in coastal ecosystems as development infrastructure 315 Restoration and improvement of coastal environments devastated by the tsunami in Sri Lanka 316 The role of information in integrated coastal resource management 316 v
Regreening a coastal desert: 50 years experience of Erimo Town, Hokkaido, Japan 317 Tree crops for environmental protection and livelihood enhancement in the tsunami-affected coastal zone in West Aceh, Indonesia 317 Conclusions and recommendations 319 Appendixes Appendix 1: Agenda 321 Appendix 2: Participants 323 Appendix 3: Results of the working group sessions 337 vi
Introduction Sound coastal area planning and management are key factors influencing the success and sustainability of rehabilitation and reconstruction in areas affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In many places, unsustainable land management practices had degraded lands and vegetation prior to the tsunami and, to build back better, improved land and resource management systems are required. The lessons drawn from rehabilitation efforts in countries whose coastal lands were severely affected by the tsunami may also be applied by other countries seeking to improve their coastal area planning and management. The balance between the environmental, economic and social values derived from different land uses has often been suboptimal, owing to underlying processes that consider short-term economic gains, but fail to account for long-term costs and benefits. Prevailing regulatory environments may also adversely affect investment in economically and environmentally sound activities, while promoting conversion of land at the expense of poorer people and natural habitats. Furthermore, social structures may result in an inequitable distribution of benefits that can lead to management difficulties, privation and political tension. However, win-win solutions are often possible, such as identification of the positive influences adjacent land uses may offer one another that can lead to realization of benefits for all parties and sectors involved. Greater spatial integration of land uses and seasonal integration of activities associated with different livelihood strategies can similarly offer benefits in economic, environmental and social terms. Single objective, single output land management, however, frequently provides superior economic returns, although sometimes at greater social and environmental cost. Determining the optimum land-use allocation is something that can only be achieved through analysis, consultation and a policy process that involves all relevant stakeholders. Such processes also facilitate the rationalization of policy and eradication of conflict and overlap. Key factors influencing outcomes at the local level that are of interest across the Asian countries affected by the 2004 tsunami include: policy and legislative frameworks that support coastal area management; means of addressing conflict over land and resource tenure and use; and institutional structures and mechanisms that enhance cross-sectoral coordination, community participation and intersectoral planning. Analysis, review and comparison of these factors across countries provides stakeholders in different sectors and coastal land-use planners with the opportunity to increase their awareness of issues that are often overlooked as a result of the sectoral nature of management interventions. Thus, FAO organized this workshop to bring together field practitioners, policy analysts, coastal planners and technical experts from relevant sectors to exchange information on issues of key importance to post-tsunami rehabilitation with an emphasis on multisectoral interventions involving agriculture, fisheries and forestry. The workshop was supported by the Government of Finland, through FAO s Forestry Programme for Early Rehabilitation in Asian Tsunami-Affected Countries and also by projects run by the agriculture and fisheries departments of FAO and funded by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) respectively. vii
The objectives of the workshop were as follows: To increase understanding of coastal area policies and coastal area planning, management and institutional issues in Asian tsunami-affected countries, with particular reference to the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. To share experiences in coastal area planning and decision-making, the factors that influence policy and plan implementation and approaches and mechanisms for intersectoral integration and coordination. To identify actions to improve coastal area land-use planning and management for rehabilitation and reconstruction in tsunami-affected countries. The workshop centred on the presentation of country papers for each of the eight Asian tsunami-affected countries, and three overview papers. The country papers covered the following topics: Main patterns and trends in coastal land cover and land and fisheries use, the main driving forces and resulting issues and conflicts; Post-tsunami land tenure, fisheries access and use issues and conflicts; Policies and regulations and plans governing coastal land/resource management and use: conflicts and gaps; and Governance, decision-making processes and institutional structures for coastal land management and associated fisheries resource use. The overview papers were concerned with the following areas: Land tenure and use change in relation to poverty and the environment in Asian tsunami-affected countries; Integrated coastal zone planning in Asian tsunami-affected countries; and Integrated land management to improve long-term benefits in coastal areas of Asian tsunami-affected countries. Discussion groups were also held to identify common issues among countries, share experiences, and identify actions that could be taken at various levels to support improved coastal area management. Recommendations from the working groups are included in this document, as are the results of the individual working groups. Over 90 participants attended the workshop, including individuals from local and national governments in the eight Asian tsunami-affected countries, other Asian countries, and representatives of regional and international organizations and NGOs. These proceedings document the efforts of the participants and the final outcomes of the meeting and constitute a valuable resource for those engaged in the tsunami rehabilitation efforts and other similar activities. viii
Welcome speech Mr He Changchui, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific Distinguished participants, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen: It is my great pleasure to welcome you, on behalf of the Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to this important regional workshop on Coastal area planning and management in Asian tsunami-affected countries. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, drew national and international attention to the condition of coastal zones in countries across the region. Prior to the tsunami, the need for relief from poverty and for economic growth had driven extensive land-use changes in coastal areas, much of which was unplanned. This left coastlines and coastal populations in a highly vulnerable state both physically and economically. The 20 months of rehabilitation and reconstruction that followed the tsunami have, in some cases, perpetuated this pattern coordination and planning were difficult due to the many actors involved and to the urgent need to restore the livelihoods of tsunami victims as quickly as possible. Almost two years after the tsunami, the situation is normalizing and the focus is shifting from emergency response to long-term rehabilitation. The opportunity to plan the sustainable development of coastal areas is now upon us. This means: the opportunity to alleviate future hardship resulting from inadequate risk assessment, consultation and analysis; the opportunity to preserve precious coastal zones for the environmental and economic benefits they offer; and The opportunity to elevate marginal populations beyond the risks that prevail in coastal areas. Our own experience during the rehabilitation period shows that greater cross-sectoral integration and coordination can provide for more effective rehabilitation with longer-lasting benefits. It is for this reason that the agriculture, fisheries and forestry groups of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific have joined together to organize this meeting. As livelihoods in rural areas are multisectoral in nature, interventions by individual sectors alone can leave communities in a state of imbalance. We recognize, therefore, that there is, as always, room for improvement. We also recognize that coordination and integration can impose additional costs and so we are faced with the constant need to strike a balance; a balance that provides rightful stakeholders with both short- and long-term benefits and also protects our coastal resources for future generations. Integration may take place on many levels between local, provincial and central governments, among economic sectors and within agricultural, fisheries and forestry production systems. Pitching management in coastal areas at the right level requires knowledge of these alternatives and identification of the appropriate degree of cross-sectoral integration. It also requires the recognition that, in these dynamic coastal zones, decisions that provide short-term benefits may lead to higher costs in the future. Integrated planning can yield many desirable outcomes but the question is not simply how to make integrated plans, ix