Some countries and regions are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. This is the case of Indonesia, with its numerous active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes, on the “Pacific Ring of Fire”. Sulawesi (known in France as Celebes), the 4th largest island in the country, straddling 3 tectonic plates, is particularly exposed. On September 28, 2018, an earthquake of 6.1 on the Richter scale caused a rather atypical tsunami within the deep Palu Bay, causing several thousand casualties and a lot of destruction, still visible today.
Palu, Sulawesi
A project led by an Indonesian NGO and supported by the French NGO CCFD- Terre Solidaire aimed to ensure the resilience of coastal communities after this disaster, through the transmission of traditional knowledge and the planting of mangroves (natural barriers to the tsunami), as well as the reconstruction of the traditional economy, through the restoration of boats and traditional fishing equipment.
Taipa village, Palu Bay
The evaluation we conducted of this project highlighted the importance of professional recruitment practices, of relationships with local artisans involved in the reconstruction of fishing boats, and the knowledge of the local cultural, social and natural environment, for the success of this kind of project. It was also necessary to take into account the contextual elements that can complicate the realization of the project, such as the lockdown due to the pandemic as well as local and national elections.
We have been able to mobilize for this mission a solid network of consultants and French and national professionals present in this country, and find a skilled expert in disaster risk management to collaborate to this evaluation.
