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Myanmar: Stranded Rohingyas rescued at sea

Source:  Mizzima News Country:  Myanmar, Indonesia

(Mizzima) – Fifty-four ethnic Rohingyas seeking to flee Burma were found adrift in the sea and rescued by Indonesian fisherman on Wednesday, according to the Jarkataglobe website.

Hungry and dehydrated, the seafarers were crammed into one wooden boat whose motor broke down.

The leader of a fishermen’s association in North Aceh’s Dewantara subdistrict who was involved in the rescue said the Rohingyas were about 12 miles off the coast. They were taken to a mosque in Blukat Teubai village, where villagers gave them food and shelter.

“Their condition was serious,” he told the newspaper. “A number of them were very weak. They saw a vessel full of passengers, just being washed back and forth on the waves. The boat’s passengers were calling out for help, food and water.”

There have been four known incidents in the past three years of Rohingya refugees rescued in Indonesian waters.

Many Rohingyas flee Burma, citing the lack of citizenship rights and economic and religious discrimination. They usually have hopes of settling in Malaysia or Australia.

Normally, if they are found at sea, they are handled by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which then attempts to find a third-party country willing to accept them.

According to Amnesty International, the Muslim Rohingya people have suffered from human rights violations under the Burmese junta for decades and many have fled to neighboring Bangladesh as a result.

"The Rohingyas freedom of movement is severely restricted and the vast majority of them have effectively been denied Burma citizenship. They are also subjected to various forms of extortion and arbitrary taxation; land confiscation; forced eviction and house destruction; and financial restrictions on marriage. Rohingyas continue to be used as forced labourers on roads and at military camps, although the amount of forced labour in northern Rakhine State has decreased over the last decade,” it said in a report.

Starting in the 1990s, an estimated quarter of a million Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh. Many now live in refugee camps along the border, often in dire living conditions.

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Haiti: A decade of donations

Source:  Irish Red Cross Country:  Haiti, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Japan, Malawi, Niger (the), Pakistan, Philippines (the), Russian Federation (the), Sudan (the)

Ireland Donates €70 Million to Emergency Appeals

It was announced today that Ireland has donated more than €70 million to Red Cross emergency appeals over the last 10 years. Speaking at the Irish Red Cross in Dublin, Annita Underlin - Director of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent’s Europe Zone, said that, ‘the generosity of the Irish public has literally changed thousands if not millions of lives around the world’.

During her visit to the Irish Red Cross, Ms Underlin paid tribute to ‘this extraordinary show of compassion for those in need’ and said that ‘families whose homes had washed away, children who had no chance of survival, communities with no income, food or hope, now have homes, have food and have hope for their future’.

The Irish Red Cross has run over 20 emergency appeals in the last decade, to which the Irish public have responded in a most generous way. In that time, the public has assisted those affected by the Bam Earthquake in Iran, the conflict in Darfur, the school siege in Beslan, Russia, food shortages in Malawi and Niger, the 2004 Asian Tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, flooding in Pakistan, the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, flooding in Ireland and most recently Typhoon Washi in the Philippines.

Ms Underlin was speaking during a visit to the Irish Red Cross headquarters in Dublin, where she is advising the Society on the development of a new 5-year strategic plan.

“The Irish Red Cross has played a vital role in channelling the generosity of the Irish people and is ambitious to sustain that success. We in the International Red Cross movement are here to support their efforts in every way possible.”

In Ireland the Irish Red Cross has a network of 5,000 volunteers who assist communities throughout the country. Programmes in Ireland focus on community care and responding to domestic emergencies such as the 2011floods. For more information please see www.redcross.ie.

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Indonesia: Partnerships for Sustainability: Multi Donor Fund Progress Report December 2011

Source:  World Bank Country:  Indonesia

MDF Enters Its Final Year on a High Note: Partnerships Delivered Promised Results

Contact:
Puni Anjungsari, MDF External Relations and Communications Officer
Phone +6221 5299 3437 (direct), cell +62 8188 77 016, or pindrayanto@worldbank.org

Jakarta, 31 January 2012 – The Multi Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (MDF) today reported strong results as it enters its final year of implementation. In its Progress Report 2011, entitled Partnerships for Sustainability, the program highlights key achievements in its reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Aceh and Nias to date, in which strong leadership of the national and regional Governments has been the cornerstone of success. In the report, the MDF also reveals plans for its final year. “Today we are pleased to report that the overall portfolio is achieving high quality results as we enter our final year,” stated Stefan Koeberle, Country Director of the World Bank. “Positive impacts are well established in both Aceh and Nias and we will continue to implement projects until December 2012.” MDF reported that nearly 20,000 homes, 511 local government offices or village/town halls, and 670 schools have been reconstructed or rehabilitated. The program has reconstructed and built key transportation infrastructure, including five critical ports, 570 km of national and provincial roads, 87 km of district roads, and more than 3,0000 kilometers of village roads.

Moreover, improvements in water and sanitation facilities have also received special attention. The program has built nearly 1,600 km of irrigation and drainage channels and nearly 8,000 wells or other sources of clean water and 1,220 sanitation units.
This substantial reconstruction effort in Aceh and Nias is widely considered to be a success and has attracted global attention. The program ascribed its notably strong success to a unique, highly collaborative approach amongst stakeholders and Government of Indonesia’s strong leadership and coordinating role.

“The partnerships created by the MDF have played a key role in the strong performance of the MDF program and the robust results achieved, most notably in harmonizing donor efforts and bringing together stakeholders from various levels of government, donors, communities and civil society, ” said T. Said Mustafa, 2nd Assistant to the Governor of Aceh. “This program has truly raised the standards for results through partnerships and sets an example for any future recovery and reconstruction programs that intend to create lasting impacts beyond its program years.”

The Head of Operations of the European Union, Erik Habers, stated, “We are proud to be part of this partnership. The experience of MDF highlights the importance of pursuing a shared agenda through joint implementation and ensuring that the reconstruction conducted by the program is in line with government priorities.” The European Union is the MDF largest donor with contributions amounting to US$271.3 or 41% of total grant.

The MDF has fully allocated available funds to its portfolio of 23 projects. US$645 million or 99 percent of contributions have been allocated as of September 30, 2011. Most of the allocated funds have been disbursed to projects and will be spent on project implementation during 2012.

As a critical program entering its last year of implementation, emphasis is now on developing exit strategies, transferring reconstruction assets, promoting sustainability, and documenting lessons learned for future responses.

“We have put in place sustainable systems in governance, management, and service delivery in order to maintain the impacts of the MDF beyond its closure. As such, the MDF has prioritized mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and sustainable management of the environment in the development agendas of Aceh and Nias, leaving behind skills for building safer infrastructure and more resilient communities,” said Shamima Khan, Manager of the MDF.

Physical construction is nearing completion, and the last set of projects focus on capacity building, economic development and key infrastructure to support economic growth. Transferring assets created under the MDF to local governments and beneficiaries will be critical as projects close, so that the benefits of reconstruction are secured for the future.

Ms. Khan concluded, “We are pleased with the strong commitment of our stakeholders to work together to ensure successful implementation and achievements of the MDF. We are keen that this partnership remains strong as we enter our final year of mandate, and we are confident that stakeholders will continue to support the continued economic growth and development of Aceh and Nias into the future.”

About MDF:

Multi Donor Fund (MDF) pools approximately US$655 million in grant funds provided by 15 donors to support implementation of the government’s rehabilitation and reconstruction agenda. This amount is equivalent to approximately 10% of the overall reconstruction effort for Aceh and Nias. At the request of the Indonesian Government, World Bank acts as trustee responsible for managing the MDF. MDF donors consist of the European Union, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the World Bank, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Canada, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United States of America, Belgium, Finland, New Zealand and Ireland. The MDF works in six outcome areas: recovery of communities, large infrastructure and transport, strengthening governance, sustaining the environment, and enhancing recovery and economic development. The MDF program will come to a close in December 2012.

Permanent URL for this page: http://go.worldbank.org/FM8E76J7Y0

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Indonesia: Indonesia cleaning up in wake of Cyclone Iggy

Source:  Australian Broadcasting Corporation Country:  Indonesia

Indonesia is cleaning up after Tropical Cyclone Iggy swept through the nation, killing 16 people and destroying more than 2,000 homes.

After four days of severe weather across Indonesia's western islands, Cyclone Iggy has moved towards the coast of north-western Australia, where it's now weakening.

"I thought it was only like a normal wind," says local villager Sukamto. "It was from the morning and getting stronger until 8 at night."

Most of the deaths are attributed to falling trees, with 11,000 trees uprooted in East Java province alone.

The body of an 18-month-old girl was retrieved after heavy rains caused land slides in Bali.

Search and rescue authorities say the baby had been moved to a food stall for shelter, moments before a 12-metre adjacent cliff gave way.

In total, 35 regions across the country have been affected.

Indonesia is accustomed to severe weather patterns, with a climate where monsoon season often brings flooding and landslides.

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Bangladesh: Maxi Project for Micro-Insurance for Small Farmers

Source:  Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Country:  Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines (the), Thailand, Viet Nam

On the margins of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, SDC Director-General Martin Dahinden held a meeting on 26 January 2012 with representatives of the AllianzRe insurance company for an exchange on a joint project to provide millions of rice farmers in Asia with enhanced security against crop losses. Thanks to vanguard technology, a substantial improvement is to be made in forecasting crop yields, thereby enabling smallholders to conclude micro-insurance policies. In a large number of cases, Asian rice farmers with small rice paddies are deprived of access to insurance coverage protecting them against production shortfalls. The project known as RIICE (Remote sensing-based information and insurance for crops in emerging economies), in which the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is participating, seeks to change this situation. Also involved in the project is the Ticino enterprise sarmap SA which processes satellite data and feeds it into a databank. The results are used to forecast the rice crops. Thanks to their high degree of reliability, the forecasts can then be used as the basis upon which insurance companies can assess risk. In this way, even small rice producers will be enabled to conclude micro-insurance policies.

Further to the talks with AllianzRe, which is also participating in the project, SDC Director-General Martin Dahinden had this to say: “RIICE will provide support to the governments in Asia in reducing the risks associated with food security, while at the same time, small farmers will receive protection from financial losses due to natural disasters.”

The rice paddies of millions of small farmers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam are a basic component of the RIICE project, thus making it the largest project targeting micro-insurance in the domain of agriculture. In the first phase of the project, at least five million rice farmers are to be enabled to obtain micro-insurance coverage. In a second phase, the goal is that other countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America replicate this technological approach. In this sense, RIICE can indeed by seen as a pioneering project.

In addition to the SDC, AllianzRe, and sarmap SA, the German Development Organization GIZ and the International Rice Research Institute IRRI are also engaged in the RIICE project. The first phase has been planned to last three years. The SDC is participating with a credit line of some CHF 5 million.

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Indonesia: Rights groups urge release of Papuan activists

Source:  Integrated Regional Information Networks Country:  Indonesia

JAKARTA, 30 January 2012 (IRIN) - Human rights groups have urged Indonesian authorities to drop treason charges against five activists in the easternmost province of Papua.

The activists - Forkorus Yaboisembut, Edison Waromi, August Makbrowen Senay, Dominikus Sorabut and Selpius Bobii - went on trial on 30 January, their lawyer said.

They were arrested on 19 October after they read out a declaration of independence for Papua during the so-called Papuan People's Congress in Jayapura, the provincial capital.

Police and soldiers fired warning shots to break up the gathering after the declaration and arrested dozens of activists. Three people were found dead near the scene of the congress the following day, police and rights activists said.

"The Indonesian government should show its commitment to peaceful expression by dropping the charges against these five Papuan activists," Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said.

"It's appalling that a modern democratic nation like Indonesia continues to lock up people for organizing a demonstration and expressing controversial views," she said.

Poengky Indarti, executive director of the Indonesian human rights group Imparsial, echoed HRW.

"The action of the activists did not amount to treason," Indarti told IRIN in Jakarta.

"They did not take up arms. They were simply expressing their views in a peaceful way. So rather than prosecuting them, the government should sit together with them to talk about the grievances of the Papuan people."

Indarti said the activists were simply voicing Papuans' concerns about human rights violations committed by the military and the police and the exploitation of the region's natural resources.

"The government's heavy-handed approach is likely to worsen the situation and taint Indonesia's international reputation," she said.

One of the defendants' lawyers, Latifah Anum Siregar, said they could face a life sentence or 20 years in prison if found guilty.

"Our clients are not charged for organizing the congress, but for reading out the declaration of independence," Siregar remarked. "We believe that their action was within the boundary of free speech and as we can see, Papua has not seceded and remains part of Indonesia," she added.

Following the October crackdown, eight police officers, including the Jayapura police chief, Imam Setiawan, were given written warnings for committing a disciplinary infraction, but no other action was taken against police or military personnel.

According to HRW, at least 15 Papuans have been convicted of treason for peaceful political activities in recent years.

Marginalized

Remote, sparsely populated and rich in natural resources, Papua has experienced a low-level separatist insurgency since the 1960s.

According to aid agencies, despite its vast natural resources, the region remains one of the poorest and least developed in Indonesia, with some of the lowest health and education indicators nationwide.

In 2001, Papua was granted special autonomy status in an attempt to offset renewed calls for independence. After its original short-lived independence, the region was temporarily administered by the UN before being officially annexed by Indonesia in 1969.

Activists and experts say rights abuses and economic marginalization of the indigenous Papuans, who are ethnic Melanesian, are fuelling the conflict - one largely forgotten by the west.

In 1999, the government divided Papua into the provinces of Papua and West Papua.

About 60 other people throughout Indonesia, mostly activists from the Moluccas Islands, have also been imprisoned after being convicted of treason for flying separatist flags, according to HRW.

atp/ds/mw

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Indonesia: DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and World Bank officially start flood mitigation project

Source:  World Bank Country:  Indonesia

Jakarta, 30 January 2012 – The DKI Jakarta provincial government and the World Bank today announced the official launch of the Jakarta Urgent Mitigation Flood Project, also known as the Jakarta Urgent Dredging Initiative, which will help improve the operation and maintenance of Jakarta’s flood management system.

Specifically the project will rehabilitate sections of a number of major waterways in the city. About 67.5 km of 11 key channel sections and 65 hectares of four retention basins will be dredged to help restore their operating capacities. About 42 km of embankments will also be repaired and where necessary, mechanical equipment such as pumps and gates will be replaced or repaired. Approximately 3.4 million cubic meters of sediment and 95,000 cubic meters of solid waste are expected to be dredged out of the waterways and basins.

Studies on Jakarta’s recurrent flood problem show that restoring the city’s waterways and basins back to its original design capacity is the most beneficial step in flood mitigation. Rehabilitation of waterways under the project will augment efforts already made by the Jakarta Government in reducing flood risks such as erecting sea walls and completion of the east flood canal.

Involuntary resettlement is expected at six out of the 15 project sites. Any unavoidable involuntary resettlement will adhere to a Resettlement Policy Framework prepared by the DKI Jakarta provincial government which is consistent with international best practices. People displaced by the project will be given access to adequate housing as stipulated by regulations.

“With the availability of funds, we now have progress to rehabilitate the Jakarta’s waterways. The various stakeholders involved in Jakarta’s flood management system must now start work to expedite implementation of the project,” said Jakarta Governor, Fauzi Bowo.

Funding for the five year project was approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors on 17 January 2012. The project will be financed by a loan worth US$139.64 million, while the Indonesian central government and DKI Jakarta provincial government will contribute an additional US$49.71 million.

“Now that the funds are secured, the World Bank is looking forward to take the next step in supporting the Jakarta Government to mitigate flood risks in the Indonesia capital,” said Stefan Koeberle, World Bank Country Director for Indonesia. He added, “The project will help improve Jakarta’s flood management system, in line with international standards for environmental and social safety.”

In addition to rehabilitating waterways, as part of the project the World Bank will also assist in providing technical assistance for project management, social safeguards and capacity building.

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Indonesia: 8 dead as dengue fever spikes in Jambi

Source:  Jakarta Post Country:  Indonesia

Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post, Jambi | Mon, 01/30/2012 2:29 PM

The Jambi administration says it will extend its alert for dengue fever after 8 people died in January.

There were 118 people infected by the mosquito-borne disease in the month alone.

Jambi Health Agency Head Polisman Sitanggang said that the agency would take emergency measures, including mapping existing cases and inviting local physicians and public health workers to discuss how to contain the outbreak.

Sitanggang said that most of the recent infections occurred in the last week of January, defying a decrease in cases recorded earlier in the month.

“I hope the alert status will end within two months,” he added.

Sitanggang warned residents to be aware of the onset of dengue fever symptoms and to keep their environment clean.

“Aedes aegypti mosquitos usually come out from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. and from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.,” he said, adding that residents should immediately go to the hospital if they had high fevers. (swd/mtq)

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Indonesia: WFP - Investing in Indonesia’s future by fighting under-nutrition

Source:  World Food Programme Country:  Indonesia

Marking 2012 National Nutrition Day of Indonesia, WFP in Indonesia is highlighting its partnership with the Government in the fight against under-nutrition.

JAKARTA– The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is marking today’s National Nutrition Day of Indonesia by highlighting its partnership with the Government in the fight against under-nutrition.

“WFP is committed to Indonesia’s vision of food security for all – working with the government to reduce under-nutrition is one of our three core strategies,” said WFP Indonesia Country Director, Coco Ushiyama. “Proper nutrition is at the heart of all progress, contributing to the development of healthier, stronger and brighter citizens. It has an integral role in poverty reduction and sustainable economic development achievements. WFP is in Indonesia to work with all partners and leave the best of all possible legacies for the generations to come.”

While significant progress has been made in reducing the prevalence of underweight children in Indonesia, studies show that stunting in particular remains a challenge, especially among the youngest. The prevalence of chronic malnourishment (or stunting) among children nationwide was ranked ‘high’at 35 per cent by the Ministry of Health in 2010. Provinces such as Nusa TenggaraTimur (58 percent) and Papua (48 percent) registered a ‘very high’ prevalence of chronic malnourishment.

“Stunting leads to higher childhood mortality, lower cognitive development, and reduced economic productivity in adulthood. Recent studies have also shown that stunted children have an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and chronic vascular diseases later in life. Prevention of stunting therefore also needs to be incorporated into the national strategy in preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs)” said Martin Bloem, Chief of Nutrition Policy Division for WFP Headquarters in Rome during his presentation on a Global Perspective to food and nutrition for the early age in Jakarta last week.

WFP’s nutrition policy focuses on delivering the right food, at the right time, in the right place and has a particular focus on the first 1,000 days of life – from the womb to two years of age – a critical window of opportunity where a poor diet can mean irreparable losses to physical and intellectual development.

WFP is working closely with the Indonesian government and the private sector on sustainable solutions to under-nutrition in the country, including the best ways to encourage dietary diversification and enhance and scale up access to nutritious foods through government social safety nets and the market.

As part of efforts to share best practices, WFP last week joined government officials, academic experts and other key stakeholders at a Seminar on Food and Nutrition Security organized by the Food and Nutrition Community in Indonesia (PERGIZI PANGAN) with the theme, “Food and Nutrition for a Healthy, Bright and Strong Generation towards an Eminent Indonesia” (Pangan dan Gizi Mewujudkan Generasi Sehat,Cerdas, dan Kuat Menuju Indonesia Prima).

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media, @wfpindonesia, @wfpasia

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Gina Meutia, WFP/Jakarta, Tel. +62 21 570 9004 ext. 2110; mobile +62 811 987 371
Candy Sihombing, WFP/Jakarta, Tel. +62 21 570 9004 ext. 2116; mobile +62 811 987 363

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Indonesia: Indonesian storm death toll rises to 14

Source:  Agence France-Presse Country:  Indonesia

JAKARTA — The death toll from heavy rains and strong winds in Indonesia has risen to 14, an official said Sunday, with the victims of a tropical cyclone crushed by falling trees.

"In total, 14 people died, 60 people were injured," National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a text message to AFP.

"The 14 killed were crushed by falling trees," he added.

More than 2,300 houses in 35 districts and cities across the central island of Java and resort destination of Bali were also damaged due to heavy rains in the last four days, Nugroho said.

The "massive" rainstorms were brought about by Tropical Cyclone Iggy in the Indian Ocean, south of Bali and the nearby Nusa Tenggara islands, he added.

"But now the Tropical cyclone Iggy has weakened and it's moving away from Indonesia," the official added.

Last week, the Jakarta Globe newspaper reported a ferry carrying more than 200 people, including five Australians, heading to the Gili islands off Bali nearly capsized after being caught in waves up to three metres (10 feet) high, but there were no casualties.

Storms, landslides and floods are common in Indonesia during the annual rainy season, which peaks between December and February.

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved.

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Indonesia: Earthquake preparedness works, Indonesians show

Source:  UN Development Programme Country:  Indonesia

26 January 2012

Banda Aceh, Indonesia - When a powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Aceh province in the northern tip of Indonesia on 10 January there was no damage or casualty—a very different situation compared to seven years earlier when a devastating quake and tsunami killed more than 230,000 people across South East Asia, more than 70 percent of them in Aceh alone.

Now, the Acehnese population is better prepared to face disasters.
Despite the nervousness, this time most residents knew what to do and how to react when the forceful quake hit, following an effective government-led public campaign with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-sponsored disaster preparedness training programmes.

“I was still at the office with my friends when [the earthquake] happened. We took a hiding underneath the tables and we waited until the quake stopped before venturing out of the building,” said Razi Gade, a 32-year old Acehnese. “I tried to remember what I learnt.”

Gade was one of 2,500 Acehnese who took part of a UNDP-supported training on disaster preparedness in the past two years. Teachers, journalists, workers, men and women, were taught basic skills on how to react when an earthquake hits, recognizing signs of danger such as a noticeable fall in the water level. These thousands of Acehnese are replicating the training session in their own communities, helping expand the awareness raising campaign.

Teuku Firsa, UNDP disaster risk project manager, said residents’ reaction to last week’s earthquake indicated a vast improvement of knowledge amongst the population in Aceh.

“There was no sense of panic, which was different from the situation say three or four years ago,” Firsa said. “Even in more remote Simeule island in Aceh, people knew what to do: They rushed to higher ground but there was no commotion.”

In addition to playing a critical role in helping the national and local government prepare and carry out the public awareness campaign, UNDP has helped develop a provincial risk map of key areas in Aceh, supporting the national and the local government in designing strategic policies on disaster risk reduction.

One key focus has been education. In partnership with Aceh’s education department, a UNDP-assisted project is shaping the curriculum for elementary, junior and high school so students are better prepared to respond to disasters. With simple activities such as map drawing and disaster simulation, students in Aceh are now better equipped with basic survival knowledge and skills on emergency response.

UNDP has also helped create a post-graduate degree programme on disaster management at a leading Aceh university and has provided technical advice on setting up a think-tank for disaster science and mitigation in the province.

Local broadcasters are also keeping up with informing the population. Prominent community members, key government officials and UNDP experts regularly take part of TV and radio programmes to discuss the importance of disaster preparedness and emergency response.

Looking ahead, as part of the government’s disaster risk reduction campaign in partnership with UNDP, a comprehensive five-year disaster management plan is likely to be endorsed this year, helping ensure that Indonesians will never again experience the horror and devastation of the December 2004 tsunami.

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Indonesia: Seven killed in Indonesian storms

Source:  Agence France-Presse Country:  Indonesia

JAKARTA — Seven people were killed and 51 injured as heavy rains lashed Indonesia, bringing down trees and powerlines and damaging hundreds of homes, an official said Thursday.

"Seven people died, 51 wounded and 1,012 houses were damaged in 23 districts and cities due to rainstorms on Wednesday," National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said via text message.

"Those killed were crushed by falling trees."

Rainstorms and strong winds were brought about by Tropical Cyclone Iggy in the Indian Ocean, south of the resort island of Bali and nearby Nusa Tenggara islands, Nugroho said. "Tropical cyclone Iggy resulted in wind speeds of more than 60 kilometres (37 miles) per hour and waves four-to-six metres (20 feet) high in the waters in several parts of Indonesia."

The Jakarta Globe newspaper reported a ferry carrying more than 200 people, including five Australians, heading to the Gili islands off Bali nearly capsized after being caught in waves up to three metres high, but there were no casualties.

Storms, landslides and floods are common in Indonesia during the annual rainy season, which peaks between December and February.

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World: From Combatants to Peacebuilders - A case for inclusive, participatory and holistic security transitions

Country:  World, Burundi, Colombia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Nepal, Serbia, South Africa, South Sudan (Republic of), Sudan (the) Source:  Berghof Foundation

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Indonesia: Wild weather delays Sunda Strait ferries, forces power cuts in NTB

Source:  Jakarta Post Country:  Indonesia

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung

Four-meter-high waves disrupted ferry service across the Sunda Strait between Bakauheni Port in Lampung and Merak Port in Banten on Tuesday.

Long lines of buses and trucks were seen snaking outside Bakauheni Port, due to delays which began on Monday evening. Several privately owned vehicles were also parked at the port as owners waited for the seas to calm, although some ferries were still operational.

Service from Merak was halted on Monday night, even as ferries continued to depart from Bakauheni, albeit with delays attributed to a lack of suitable ferries.

Only 16 of the 25 ferries that usually plied the Sunda Strait between Bakauheni and Merak route were available for service. “Only the large vessels were operated,” Bakauheni Port administrator Syamsul Rizal said on Tuesday.

Syamsul said that the port did not suspend service as captains could still maintain a speed of about 20 kilometers per hour and wave heights were less than 3 meters. “On Sunday evening, waves reached up to 3 meters and endangered the safety of passengers,” Syamsul said.

The operational manager of PT Indonesia Ferry for Bakauheni Port, Heru Purwanto, said that rough weather and high seas had created ducking difficulties that led to increased travel time between Bakauheni and Merak.

“During normal conditions, the Bakauheni-Merak trip takes around 2.5 hours, but it takes 4 hours now due to the huge waves,” Heru said.

One truck driver who usually hauls basic necessities from Java to Sumatra said he had to wait in line for 24 hours to cross from Merak to Lampung.

“During the trip many passengers seemed to be afraid that the ship was rocking due to very strong and huge waves,” Parwoto, 32, of Sekayu, South Sumatra, said.

In a separate weather-related fallout, state-run power company PLN has imposed rolling blackouts for the last five days in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and Lombok Island, as residents have suffered under additional, unplanned service outages.

The rolling blackouts often take place from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. and from 10:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. local time.

PLN said that the planned blackouts were needed to protect power lines and stations from the extreme weather.

“Blackouts have often taken place in the past five days, apparently due to unfriendly weather. Besides disrupting the network, we have also imposed power cuts for the sake of the safety of the power generating stations,” PLN’s NTB technical manager, Anang Widjajanto, said on Tuesday.

Anang added that rain and strong winds over the past week had downed 23 power poles in West and Central Lombok, while two power transformers were damaged by fallen trees in Mataram.

“We have to impose blackouts during the repairs. We hope the public can understand,” he said.

Meanwhile, West Java was buffeted by winds reaching a speed of 25 kilometers per hour on Tuesday.

Forecasters at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geology Agency’s (BMKG) weather station in Bandung, West Java, urged residents to be on the alert for storms.

BMKG meteorologist Susiana said the station had recorded strong winds for the last several days, which she attributed to a low pressure system off of the southern coast of West Java.

The system also triggered waves along the coast with heights ranging as high as 6 meters.

“Everyone on land and at sea must be alert for the dangers of low pressure, despite reports of insignificant damage,” Susiana told reporters in Bandung on Tuesday.

Seven residents were injured after being hit by fallen trees and roofs blown away by the wind.

Panca Nugraha contributed to this article from Mataram, while Yuli Tri Suwarni reported from Bandung.

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Afghanistan: Asia Pacific Food Situation Update - January 2012

Source:  Food and Agriculture Organization Country:  Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic (the), Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines (the), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam

Food prices fall at year’s end, but still at record highs

Bumper crops of cereals, sugar and oils led to a sharp decline in the FAO Food Price Index as 2011 drew to a close, but the Index’s average for the year was still a record high, and FAO analysts said near-term trends were difficult to predict.

December saw the FPI shed 5 points, or 2.4 percent, from November, finishing the year at 211 points. That represented a 27 point, or 11.3 percent fall from its peak in February 2011.

FAO analysts said that three factors contributed to the decline in the Index. First, increased output of wheat, rice, maize, sugar and edible oils helped push prices down. Second, demand was slowing because of weak economic conditions in some major markets. In a related trend, several countries in Asia had been rebuilding and replenishing stocks of key grains such as rice. Lastly, a strengthening of the US dollar in recent weeks effectively pushed prices down.

Although concerns were rife earlier in 2011 that food prices might sharply rise because of a historic drought in China’s wheat-growing region and devastating floods in the rice basket of Southeast Asia, bountiful harvests in other areas more than made up for crop losses in regions affected by severe weather and fluctuating climatic conditions.

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Indonesia: Landslide forces six families from their homes

Source:  Jakarta Post Country:  Indonesia

Jon Afrizal, The Jakarta Post, Jambi | Tue, 01/24/2012 10:55 AM

A landslide caused major damage to houses in West Tanjungjabung,Jambi, Sumatra, causing six families, consisting of 26 people,to seek refuge.

The landslide happened during heavy rain that had inundated the village for quite some time.

West Tanjungjabung Social Affairs Agency has already donated clothing and food to the landslide victims.

“We have channeled the donation through the local sub-district office,” agency chief Deky Subianda said on Monday.

He said that apart from receiving donations from the agency, the victims had also been assisted by the local administration in rebuilding their damaged homes.(dic)

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World: Food for All: Investing in Food Security in Asia and the Pacific—Issues, Innovations, and Practices

Source:  Asian Development Bank Country:  World, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan

Introduction

“F ood security is a huge challenge. No single entity can address the issue. You have to connect all the dots. To me, that is the key, because knowledge dissemination, application on the ground, and faster delivery—all these will require all stakeholders to come together.”

A participant in the first Asia- and Pacific-wide Investment Forum on Food Security summed it up well. This book seeks to connect the dots that make up the issue of food security by providing a compilation of knowledge, good practices, innovations, and lessons. All drawn from the forum, it weaves these together to enlarge understanding of the issues involved and to share the rich output of the forum with a broader audience.

The book presents the highlights of the proceedings of the three-day Investment Forum (Appendix). Each chapter closely corresponds to a session of the forum where presentations and interactive discussions took place. Some presentations have been shortened or condensed due to space considerations.

Introductions to several chapters acknowledge specific entities (e.g., FAO, IFAD, The Asia Foundation, USAID, ADB units) that were pivotal in organizing and providing support for particular sessions that parallel the content of these chapters.

As with the forum sessions, the chapters flow from one into the other. Taking off from the objectives of the forum, multisector response and innovative partnerships are key themes addressed in the opening chapters to overcome food security challenges in the region.

Another key theme links individual country plans under the common goal of making food security the underlying element of inclusive and sustainable growth. The forum focused initially on four countries and one subregion that are representative of the different areas of Asia and the Pacific and have existing policy, institutional, and strategic frameworks that readily support upscaling of food security investments in partnership with international organizations (ADB, FAO, IFAD, etc.), the private sector, and others. These are Bangladesh, the People’s Republic of China, India, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the Pacific subregion, which are featured in Chapter 3.

Fostering food security through regional cooperation is a clear thread that runs through the book. This is particularly highlighted in the discussion of noted development economist C. Peter Timmer about the role of rice in Asian economies and the collective actions that can be explored to stabilize rice prices as a “public good.”

The range of food security issues is varied and complex and respected scientists, technical experts, and hands-on managers guide us through the maze with presentations that not only inform but inspire. The articles spotlight innovations and good practices—success stories for replication—as well as the necessary areas for reform and action.

In five succeeding chapters that mirror forum sessions, the book delves into the following thematic areas:

• enhancing productivity investment, which spans food security research, information and communication technology, agriculture advisory services, irrigation and land use, high-yielding technologies, veterinary services, aquaculture management practices, and post-harvest management;

• upscaling innovations and good practices in natural resource management, such as forest and coastal resource management, land/soil management, land use planning, and water resource management;

• increasing investments for resilience, which include risk management, early warning systems, financing for climate proofing and climate change adaptation, weather index insurance, food fortification, and nutrition;

• innovative financing for food security through credit, farmer access to finance, contract farming, and commodity exchange; and

• enhancing connectivity investments for food security through rural infrastructure, market facilitation and value chain development, fostering rural small- and medium-sized enterprises and producer organizations, improving food safety and quality standards, and market information dissemination.

The participation of civil society organizations from across Asia and the Pacific enriched the forum’s output to reflect the actual needs and interests of the grassroots sectors. In a manifesto, they expressed hope and openness to the possibility of real changes that could happen in the countryside as a result of a more engaged partnership with development agencies on rural investments.

The forum culminated with the signing of the Asia and the Pacific Regional Food Security Partnership Framework by the three major organizers—ADB, FAO, and IFAD. This partnership document is published here in full.

The publication of this book was a collective effort under the supervision of ADB lead agriculture specialist Lourdes Adriano, with the invaluable editorial assistance of Fides Lim, Ma. Lourdes Ronquillo, Amelia Esteban, Stephen Banta, and Jill Gale de Villa, and the logistics support of Rhea Juliano and Bernadette Agustin.

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Indonesia: Flood, Lebak, Banten Province, Republic of Indonesia, Emergency Situation Report ESR (1) 18 January 2012

Source:  World Health Organization Country:  Indonesia

HIGHLIGHTS

• On 13 January 2012 at 11.00 AM Western Indonesia Time (GMT+7), heavy rainfall affected 7 sub districts (Banjarsari, Rangkasbitung, Kalang Anyar, Cibadak, Sarageni, Binuangeun and Luewidamar,
  Lebak district, Banten province. The impact of the floods was intensified by the damage of Ciujung river’s dam;

• On 14 January 2011, the flood was followed by landslide in 4 sub-districts: Banjarsari, Sarageni, Lebak Gedong and Leudamar;

• The number of casualties and damages reported so far are: 3 people died, 1 person with minor injury, 3,131 IDPs and seven damaged houses. 938 houses, 2 mosques and 1 mushola (Muslim worship place) were inundated;

• National Board on Disaster Management (BNPB) reported 26,499 households were affected, two people died, 1 missing and 1 person is being treated at the hospital. Two bridges collapsed; 27 houses, 22 subdistricts’ offices and 5 villages’ offices were damaged;

• The district governments have declared local emergency for two weeks;

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World: UN-Spider - December 2011 Updates

Source:  UN Office for Outer Space Affairs Country:  World, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines (the), Somalia

(extract)

1. Technical Advisory Mission to Myanmar

The Government of Myanmar, through the Director General of Relief and Resettlement Department, invited UN-SPIDER to conduct a Technical Advisory Mission to this country. The purpose of the mission will be to advise the Government of Myanmar, and the Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD) of the Ministry of Social Welfare in particular, regarding how to enhance their capacity to use space-based information in all phases of the disaster management cycle, aiming also at being better prepared for the 2012 cyclone season. A team of experts will meet with key disaster management authorities from the Government, UN agencies, regional and international organizations/initiatives and private entrepreneurs to discuss, make recommendations and to develop guidelines to improve access to and use of space-based information in disaster management.

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Indonesia: Rehabilitating waterways in Indonesia’s capital to mitigate flood risks

Source:  World Bank Country:  Indonesia

By rehabilitating sections of Jakarta's floodways, canals and retention basins, flood risks will be mitigated in Indonesia's capital

Floods in Jakarta are expected to become more frequent in coming years causing severe socio-economic damage

One major cause of floods is the reduction of waterways’ capacity flow due to sediment build up and lack of solid waste management

The World Bank will support the Jakarta Government by rehabilitating some of the waterways to mitigate flood risks

Jakarta, January 17, 2011 -Throughout this January 2012 thus far, very rarely has there been a bright sunny day in Jakarta. Rain has become more frequent and intense accompanied by strong winds, increasing flood risks to the city. Jakarta suffers from perennial flooding, with the last major events occurring in 1996, 2002 and 2007. The February 2007 event inundated 235 km2 or about 36 percent of the city by up to seven meters in some areas. That year, 70 people were killed and 340,000 thousand had to flee their homes. Some people talk about the so-called five-year cycle of big floods, anticipating one in 2012.

After 2007, floods continue to occur in Jakarta under any sustained rainfall conditions. In 2008, floods closed the airport toll road, cancelling over 1,000 flights and caused serious disruptions for the city. Flood incidences in 2009 also occurred at high intensity and have continued into 2010, which became the year without a dry season due to the La Niña effect.

A city prone to floods

Floods in Jakarta have been recorded as early as the 17th century, long before the city was called Jakarta. The city is surrounded by dormant volcanoes whose slopes form the upstream catchment areas of 13 major rivers that flow through Jakarta leading to the Java Sea. Jakarta sits in the lowest lying areas of the basin. Today, forty percent of the city lies below sea level, and acute and ongoing land subsidence threaten to make matters worse.

With around 250,000 new residents coming to live from other parts of the country annually, rapid expansion of the city has added to the cause of floods. City infrastructure, buildings and houses built along river banks and critical catchment areas have severely reduced the flow capacity of waterways. Increased sediment loads and inadequate management of solid waste have contributed to waste choked canals and floodways, with some operating at less than a third of their original capacity.

Rehabilitating waterways to mitigate floods

To reduce flood risks in the city, the Government has in recent years made significant investments and efforts to protect Jakarta against floods, such as constructing sea walls and the east flood canal. However, huge challenges remain on this complex issue. As the next step, the Government with the support from the World Bank will implement a project to rehabilitate some of the city’s waterways. Under the Jakarta Urgent Flood Mitigation Project, also known as Jakarta Emergency Dredging Initiative, selected priority sections of floodways, canals and retention basins will be dredged allowing the flow capacity to return to their original state. Garbage pile-up which has also clogged the city’s waterways will be disposed using proper facilities at separate locations.

Flood mitigation cannot be limited to physical work alone. “Flood management in Jakarta is complex requiring efforts to resolve difficult issues on many fronts, each of which may be under the institutional responsibility of different stakeholders,” said Fook Chuan Eng, Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank’s Office in Jakarta. To address this, the five-year project will also look into the capacity and coordination between national and local agencies responsible for the city’s flood management.

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

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