The dual disasters of the tsunami and war brought about significant challenges towards conservation efforts.
Atmosphere of Conflict
None of the aid agencies working in Aceh had ever experienced a disaster of such monumental magnitude. The direness of the situation was further complicated by the fact the civil war was still ongoing. The motives of external organisations in helping communities in Aceh were questioned as they were perceived as having underlying political goals. As such, the Indonesian authorities required every NGO to submit their project proposals for verification. The lengthy time delays which resulted prevented vital aid from reaching the Acehnese people.
The Need for Rapid Response
Post-crisis environments are highly stressful and demand rapid response. This compromises conservation programmes, which are always aimed at the long term. Local communities might reject long-term sustainable plans for measures which target their urgent needs. Even worse, it can lead to measures which further harm the natural environment. For example, there was a massive demand for wood in order to repair infrastructure damaged by the tsunami. This lured people into committing illegal logging activities.
Ravaged Local Economy
Aceh is one of the poorest regions of Indonesia, which herself is an economically weak country. The tsunami destroyed the two lifelines of the Acehnese: tourism and fishing. The impact of local communities was devastating with high losses of income earners and the sources of income. Thus, recovery does not just mean the provision of food, shelter and clothing. Industries have to be rebuilt so that the people can continue to survive when there is no disaster.
Read on to find out how nature and people triumph over these obstacles.