The Hindu : National : "Opportunity for integrated rehabilitation programme"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005

National

National

"Opportunity for integrated rehabilitation programme"

By G. Venkataramani

CHENNAI, JAN. 10. "The tsunami disaster has provided a unique opportunity for launching, through public and private sector partnership, an integrated psychological, ecological, agronomic and livelihood rehabilitation programme. To succeed, such programmes should be people-centred and managed by local communities with appropriate guidance and support from government and Panchayati raj institutions," said Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, Chairman, National Commission on Farmers (NCF).

Presiding over the consultation on "Beyond Tsunami: Saving Lives and Livelihoods", organised by the NCF here at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Prof. Swaminathan said that there were three time dimensions to rehabilitation. The first is the immediate relief, addressing shelter, water, sanitation, health and revival of livelihoods; psychological rehabilitation; and achieving a convergence and synergy among all on-going programmes with similar objectives. This should begin now and be over by March.

Long-term objective

The medium-term measures should focus on ecological, agronomic, economic rehabilitation, disaster preparedness and, mitigation and management. The long-term objective will be to strengthen the environmental defence systems; increasing opportunities for sustainable livelihoods based on a pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-women orientation to technology development and dissemination. It should also lay emphasis on improving the productivity, profitability and sustainability of agriculture and fisheries. On the programme to strengthen ecological foundations for sustainable human security, Prof. Swaminathan said that the "bio-shield" movement along coastal areas with suitable plant species would serve as speed-breakers during storms, cyclones and tsunamis. "They will, in addition, serve as carbon sinks, since they will help to enhance carbon sequestration, and thereby contribute to reducing the growing imbalance between carbon emissions and absorption. They will also generate additional income and make coastal communities eligible for carbon credit," said Prof. Swaminathan.

He listed measures for rehabilitating and managing coastal zones with the participation of the local communities in a sustainable manner. Setting up a network of rural knowledge centres along the coastline, and coastal bio-villages were the other long-term measures proposed. Many policy makers, societal organisations and organisations for the fishing community attended the meeting.

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