William Sabandar

Nias good model for disaster management: Local agency

Mon, 12/22/2008 11:05 AM | National

The executing agency for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Nias (BRR Nias) closed its offices in Nias and South Nias regencies Friday after spending three and a half years rebuilding the isolated Nias Island after it was devastated by the tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004, and a deadly earthquake a few months later. The Jakarta Post's Adianto P. Simamora talked with BRR Nias regional director William Sabandar about the achievements of his agency and any lingering problems that may arise in managing assets worth trillions of rupiah there following the planned exit of the BRR.

Question: What lessons were learned from the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Nias?

Answers: There are at least four main keys to our success in rebuilding and reconstructing Nias Island and helping local economic development.

The first is trust. The central government and BRR head Kuntoro Mangkusubroto entrusted us (BRR Nias) with recovering the isolated island. This was a very important asset for us in doing our job, because it allowed BRR Nias to create initiatives to speed up reconstruction programs.

With this trust, BRR Nias was able to make its own decisions including in strategic matters. We could execute our plans directly based on the urgent needs in the field.

The second key is strong leadership. The government gave the BRR clear authority to reconstruct devastated Aceh and Nias. We interpreted this by simplifying the bureaucracy in the field. BRR Nias was able to respond as fast as possible on problems faced in the field. If we had to wait for normal procedures such as two-month tender processes, more people would have died because just one day of delay in assistance, and the more people will suffer.

The third is good cooperation with both the central and the local governments, and the last key is the accountability report that ensured all people, including the international community and donors, knew the details of the assets built by the BRR in Nias.

These four factors helped us accelerate the rehabilitation and reconstruction programs in Nias. This could be a good lesson that could be applied in managing any disasters across the country.

As BRR Nias has closed its offices, could you explain a little bit about what your programs have achieved?

For me, this has been a great success. I myself never imagined this before. We started from zero and practically in the first year, we were in consolidation process. But in just three years, we constructed about 20,000 houses, built about 750 kilometers of roads and rebuilt over 600 schools.

We have so far handed over public assets valued at Rp 1.8 trillion. That amount does not include private assets such as houses and projects from donor countries.

The first basic role of BRR Nias was to build houses and public infrastructure. However, although the BRR has closed its offices in Nias, we still have two projects valued at about Rp 680 billion that will be carried out next year. The projects will be run by the local and central governments.

We are now pushing for the development of the economy in Nias. We need to improve the capacity of the local people. They still rely on BRR or donors' projects, but they are temporary income sources. We want to move further to develop the local people's economy, such as in the agriculture and tourism sectors.

We have allocated Rp 200 billion as part of the multidonor fund to finance the development of a village-based economy in Nias.

How do you see the readiness of the local administration and Nias people in managing the assets handed over by the BRR?

I think it is impossible for the local administration to manage all the assets themselves. They need help. Therefore, the central government should help them do so.

But the Nias administration also needs to study harder and open themselves wide to adopting systems applied by the BRR or donor countries in developing the region.

I also hope the government can set up a mechanism after the BRR's exit to make sure coordination between the central and local governments run well. The mechanism should be as simple as possible.

The mechanism could create special policies requiring the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) and the Home Ministry to join the local administration in managing those assets. They also need to set up a steering committee.

I also hope the administration of North Sumatra province will give greater attention to the development of Nias Island after the earthquake.

Could you explain your role as chief technical adviser for Myanmar's recovery from the cyclone disaster?

To be honest, I have not yet received a formal task from the ASEAN office and the Indonesian government regarding the reconstruction of Myanmar after the devastating cyclone disaster. This is still under discussion.

What I can share here is lessons learned during my two visits to Myanmar to help the ASEAN office map and assess the problems in the reconstruction phase there.

The disaster in Myanmar is far bigger than in Aceh and Nias, so a great deal more effort is needed to reconstruct Myanmar. The problems is that the financial assistance from donor countries pledged to help Myanmar is far lower than we received in Aceh and Nias, at US$7 billion.

I think there is also the matter of trust and leadership of the government in Myanmar. The country needs to build trust for the donors to come and help. The country needs to trust ASEAN to help reconstruct Myanmar.

In the case of Aceh and Nias, the BRR and the government assured donors that every cent of the money would be used to help and manage the disaster areas.

Nias hospital rebuild in third phase

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 08/30/2007 1:54 PM

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) for Aceh and Nias said it expects to finish the third phase of the reconstruction of Gunung Sitoli Hospital by March 2008.

The head of BRR's Nias office William Sabandar said the hospital, which is the only large health facility in the region, cannot yet fully serve the public.

""The condition of Gunung Sitoli hospital was never optimal, even before the 2005 earthquake hit,"" he said Wednesday.

He said people in Nias usually went to Medan in North Sumatra for medical treatment because the hospital was not well equipped.

""If we want to help the Nias people, we need long-term goals, including reconstructing this hospital,"" William said.

Nias is 125 kilometers west of Sumatra Island and is part of North Sumatra province.

Before 2003 it was administrated as one regency, but today it has Nias and Southern Nias regencies.

The 8.7 Richter scale earthquake that struck Nias on March 29, 2005 killed almost 1,000 people.

The earthquake was the second biggest in the world since 1964.

The US$5 million reconstruction project of the third phase is funded by the government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation System, a non-profit foundation authorized by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The third phase project includes the construction of wards, an intensive care unit, a pharmacy, a morgue, a laboratory, an image room and clinics.

The reconstruction project is divided into four phases. In the first phase, the project was funded by the non-governmental organization MERCY Malaysia, which succeeded in building maternity and pediatric ward facilities, an administration unit and an operating room.

The second phase, funded by the government of the People's Republic of China, built wards, a laundry and a kitchen.

For the fourth phase, the BRR is still waiting for donors to build more clinics, an emergency room, and a rehabilitation center.

""The hospital used to have a capacity for 105 beds, but after all phases are completed, we will have 160 beds, some specialized doctors and a disaster management zone,"" said Norazama Abu Samsa, the operational head of MERCY Malaysia for Aceh-Nias.

BRR has also provided scholarships for doctors and for some of the best senior high school students from Nias to continue their studies at the University of Indonesia and Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.

In February 2007, the agency had finished building 9,000 houses, reconstructing 200 kilometers of roads, 70 bridges and a number of irrigation networks.

The island needs about 15,000 new houses and repairs to some 45,000 damaged homes and buildings.

""We're targeting to finish building 15,000 houses in 2008,"" said Mirza Keumala, BRR spokesman.

Mirza said BRR will finish its duty both in Aceh and Nias next year and all projects will be transferred to the respective local administrations.(

Breaking News

may 2009
Welcome aboard,
Dr. William Sabandar!
Dr. William Sabandar has been appointed by Dr. Surin
Pitsuwan, ASEAN Secretary-General, to serve as the
Head of Operations for the Coordinating Office for the
ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force (AHTF) based in
Yangon and ASEAN Chief Technical Advisor for the
Tripartite Core Group. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan has also
designated Dr. Willim Sabandar as his Special Envoy of
the post-Nargis recovery in Myanmar.
With extensive experience as the Chief of Nias Recovery
Program for the Indonesian Bureau for Recovery and
Reconstruction Agency (BRR) where he promoted
coordination mechanism in the Nias recovery process,
facilitated communication with various stakeholders, and
addressed on-the-ground challenges in the
implementation of the recovery program in Nias, Dr.
Sabandar will provide strategic and technical direction
for the Coordinating Office for the AHTF and contribute
to the implementation of the Post-Nargis Recovery and
Preparedness Plan.

Chief of Nias post-tsunami body tasked to help Myanmar

The Jakarta post, , Jakarta | Sat, 12/06/2008 11:33 AM | Headlines

A top official at the post-tsunami reconstruction agency in Aceh and Nias has been assigned to assist in the rebuilding of cyclone-devastated Myanmar, the Foreign Ministry announced Friday.

William Sabandar, Nias regional director at the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR), was named the chief technical adviser to formulate the Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan, ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah told reporters.

Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar in early May this year, killing more than 170,000 people and affecting 2.4 million others living in the Irrawady delta, the region's main rice-growing area.

Following the disaster, a tripartite core group was established comprising high-level representatives from the Myanmar government, the UN and ASEAN.

"I will be reporting to the ASEAN secretary-general," William said Friday after the launch of the latest BRR Nias report.

He added he would only be able to work "with the support of the leadership" of the BRR and ASEAN.

Having returned recently from a trip to Myanmar, William said refugees there had gone back to the hardest hit areas of the Irrawaddy, but he noted aid commitments were slow in coming, compared to those following the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia and other Indian Ocean countries.

Those affected by Nargis, mostly poor even before the cyclone, now live in their own homes, William said, though some still lived in tents.

The relief operation immediately after the disaster was "a success", he said, with the World Health Organization gaining access to critical areas and preventing several feared infectious outbreaks.

"We're now entering the reconstruction phase (in the cyclone-ravaged areas)," William said.

According to the UN's relief agency, a recovery plan involving the international community is needed to "complement" Myanmar's recovery and reconstruction efforts. The UN and its partners will develop medium-term recovery plans for 2009-2011, says the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The parties will cooperate in disaster risk reduction, education, health, livelihood (agriculture and non-agriculture), shelter and water, and sanitation, according to the agency's website, www.reliefweb.int.

The plan is scheduled to be presented at the ASEAN-UN summit, planned for mid-December.

Disaster management lessens the mess

Duncan Graham , Contributor , Wellington | Tue, 07/29/2008 10:03 AM | Environment

How do two nations celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations? To play it safe, stage a traditional cultural event with a lushness of finger-flicking maidens swirling batik and rolling their enticing eyes.

Thirty minutes of gamelan gonging and it's all over for another half century.

That's not the way it will be next month when Indonesia and New Zealand recognize five decades of a mostly harmonious and relatively stable marriage.

Instead a clutch of Kiwis will fly to Jakarta, Aceh and Yogyakarta, eventually sharing skills on disaster risk management at a conference in Jakarta on Aug. 5 at Hotel Borobudur, which is expected to attract up to 200 participants and impact nearby nations.

This isn't a topic for fatalists who believe there's nothing mortals can do when the wrath of a vengeful deity is unleashed, punishing the faithless and tormenting the transgressors with tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Those who take a more scientific view argue that many things can be done to prepare, though not always to prevent, natural disasters. Their key word is "mitigation", not earthquake-proofing.

"We've got some real skills here in NZ, developed over the years," David Hopkins said, civil engineer and co-leader of the 21-strong Kiwi contingent.

"We have a different attitude -- we work with people, we enjoy rolling up our sleeves. Let's see if we can make a real difference here, not trying to do everything but working in specific areas of expertise because we're a small country with limited resources."

Decoded, this means New Zealand cannot compete against big-donor nations like Japan and the United States so it has to deliver quality, not quantity.

Hopkins, a specialist in earthquake risk management, looks differently at disaster photos, like those from China's Wenchuan earthquake in May. While most people gape at the damage he seeks out the constructions that have survived. Then he wonders why.

In most cases, the upright buildings have been robustly built using top materials and following best practice. These included steel reinforcement of concrete, cross-bracing walls and no heavy loads at high levels. Critical is the use of materials that can flex not fracture, sway not crumple.

Inevitably the cost is initially higher, which is why some are built to lower standards and building inspectors are bribed to ignore noncompliance with regulations.

This isn't rocket science. Hopkins knows Indonesian authorities are just as well read on the building codes that have been developed in New Zealand, Japan, California and other unsteady locations. The problem is getting the rules implemented. To make his point he employs the image of a skyhook using a chain to hold a huge weight above the people.

"Each link is critical," he said. "We're very good at strengthening the strong links but not so good at looking at the weak."

The idea of discussing disaster risk management to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations came from Amris Hassan,the Indonesian ambassador to New Zealand who lives in Wellington, one of the world's shakiest capitals.

Three faults run north and south through the harbor and city of about 500,000 people. Wellington is also the center of government and the parliament so if disaster strikes the nation's leaders would be among the victims. Managing the risks is treated seriously and the city has become a center of excellence in earthquake research.

An audit of public and private buildings recently found hundreds needed strengthening and the work is underway. A technique called "base isolation" using rubber and lead blocks between the foundations and beams of old buildings was pioneered in New Zealand.

Few Kiwis can be unaware that their land is dangerous. The government has a minister of civil defense and emergency management who will be at the conference.

"It does us a power of good to remind ourselves that we live on two volcanic rocks where two tectonic plates meet, in a somewhat lonely stretch of windswept ocean just above the Roaring Forties. If you want drama -- you've come to the right place," former New Zealand prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer said.

The last major earthquake in Wellington was in 1855, but there have been several recent disasters nearby. Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island was hit on Dec. 20, 2007, causing considerable damage. New Zealand gets about 14,000 quakes a year; like Indonesia it's part of the Pacific Rim of Fire.

Hopkins worked for almost a year in Turkey looking at apartment blocks. He expected fatalism but was "mind-bogglingly overwhelmed" by the positive response to ideas of mitigating the impact of natural disasters.

His message to public officials, builders and developers is to ask: "Do you have a defensible position?"

"This means asking if you've identified the hazards and potential damage," he said. "You must have taken all reasonable steps prior to the event to reduce its impact under the four Rs of emergency management -- Reduction, Readiness, Response and Recovery.

"You won't be doing enough to be in a defensible position until you examine these issues seriously and develop a sensible action plan that balances the risks, funding constraints and community expectations."

Geomorphologist (landforms scientist) Noel Trustrum, the other co-leader of the conference, spent time in Aceh after the 2004 tsunami identifying projects where New Zealand know-how could be of use. He focused on the Sumatran highlands where heavy clearing had threatened water supplies.

"We want to marry NZ expertise with Indonesian experience," he said. "NZ is best at doing what's absolutely necessary, not looking for Rolls-Royce solutions. For example, twisting reinforcing iron a different way can be significant.

"The Bureau of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (BRR) hands over to local and regional governments after April next year and there is still a lot of unspent money," he said.

He was referring to the agency created by the Indonesian government after the 2004 tsunami. William Sabandar, the BRR regional director for Nias, was educated in New Zealand.

"We want to maintain relationships with Indonesia and together look beyond to helping in Southeast Asia and the Pacific," Trustrum said.