International Recovery Platform
Hitomiraikan 5F 1-5-2 Wakinohamakaigan-Dori Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0073
Tel: +81 78 262 6041 Fax: +81 78 262 6046
E-mail: irp@RecoveryPlatform.org http://www.RecoveryPlatform.org

IRP Regional Workshop held in Yogyakarta, 3-5 November 2009
The International Recovery Platform (IRP), the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC),
and the Department of Architecture and Planning of Gadjah Mada University (DAP/UGM)
organized the IRP Regional Workshop “Action by Stakeholders for Effective Management ofPost-Disaster Recovery” from 3-5 November 2009 at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta,Indonesia. The ASEAN Secretariat and the National Disaster Management Agency ofIndonesia (BNPB) also co-organized the event.
The Workshop was aimed at disseminating recovery lessons drawn from the Yogyakarta
2006 earthquake to help enhance recovery operations across Southeast Asia. Around 200
participants comprising policymakers, practitioners, and academics from ASEAN region andJapan attended the workshop. The workshop facilitated the identification of constraints andgaps in recovery operations and explored specific measures to address them in a morecollaborative approach.

Photo taken at Gadjah Mada University during the first day of the workshop, 4th NovemberiOn 3rd November, a field trip to three selected villages (Kotagede, Imogiri, and Kasongan)
was arranged for representatives of ASEAN countries and resource speakers. The threevillages highlighted lessons on livelihood recovery following the Yogyakarta earthquake of2006. In the evening, a welcome reception was organized at the Phoenix Hotel Ballroom.
The first day of the workshop was held on 4th November (Wednesday). High ranking
individuals from UGM, ADRC, ASEAN Secretariat, and Ministry of Public Works of Indonesiadelivered inspiring inauguration speeches. The keynote speech was delivered by Professor
Dr. Ir. Danang Parikesit of UGM highlighting the emerging regional frameworks for recovery
operations as well as lessons and experiences drawn from Yogyakarta. Technicalpresentations concerning disaster reduction and recovery were presented by Dr. German
Velasquez (UNISDR) and Mr. Ahmad Zaki Fahmi (WB). The session was followed by Ms.
Adelina Kamal, who presented the vision of the ASEAN Post-Disaster Recovery. Theafternoon sessions covered reports from BNPB, local government, NGOs, and academic
institutions concerning the recovery status from Yogyakarta Earthquake of 2006. Thisparticular session highlighted the collaborative study conducted by IRP Secretariat, ADRC,and Gadjah Mada University. In the succeeding session, country presentations from thePhilippines, Thailand, and Vietnam provided the opportunity to compare recovery lessonsand experiences. Wrap up of the first day session was provided by Mr. Sanjaya Bhatia ofIRP Secretariat.
On the second day of the workshop, parallel thematic sessions on shelter, livelihood,environment, governance, and gender were held. Sessions chairs were Dr. Yoyok WahyuSubroto, Dr. Laretna T. Adishakti, Dr. Marqueza Lepana Reyes, Mr. Gerald Potutan, and Dr.
Siti Hariti Sastriyani respectively. In the presentation of thematic outputs, the following
actions for “Effective Management of Post-Disaster Recovery” were suggested.
Shelter: One of the areas of importance to effective risk reduction and recovery lies in theprovision of safe, structurally secure shelter, which is closely related to the sustainability
issues of the type of construction. It is important that the provision of shelters be of asustainable nature, with the aim to ensure increased permanency of the dwellings.
Community empowerment program in terms of non-physical aspect is necessary to bedeveloped in any condition, both before and after a disaster.
Livelihood: Livelihood approaches in post-disaster recovery put people and their priorities
at the center of development. The decision to provide food, cash, a combination, or
something else entirely should be based on an objective problem analysis. Capacity building
for livelihood recovery is a must, especially in the case of traditional crafts.
Environment: In considering environment in post-disaster recovery operations, publiceducation and awareness is the key to understanding environmental issues and increasing
perceptions of risk by the people. Social acceptability (i.e. local people and communities
decide on the kind of risk reduction and recovery projects as well as on the continuity andsustainability of the projects) must be ensured. Technical approach must be combined with asocial approach to have a holistic understanding of environmental issues that can be usedii

as a basis for more effective recovery and risk reduction measures. Collaboration of theacademe with local stakeholders is crucial in translating scientific and technical know-how
into techniques and tools that the community can easily understand and use. Using
indigenous knowledge of the local community is also a key to making technical knowledge
locally owned.
Governance: Governance could be one of the tools for decision-makers and community
leaders. For long-term recovery operations, it is particularly important to advocate for “goodgovernance” at the local government level. As the immediate public service provider and theinterface with citizens, local governments are naturally situated in the best position to raiseawareness of the citizens on resilient recovery and listen to their concerns. Recovery
operations may fail, if the communities are not properly informed and engaged. It is
important to determine the conditions, wherein strategies and frameworks work and do notwork in order to effectively manage recovery operations. Proactive recovery planning must
likewise be advocated at the local levels.
Gender: Gender shapes the disaster experience and the ability to recover. It explains why
certain groups of people are at greater risk or why some others recover at a slower pace.
Gender mainstreaming is a key strategy to reduce inequalities among gender groups.
Mainstreaming gender into disaster management strengthens the resilience of entire
communities, cuts recovery time, and leads to more efficient recovery and reconstruction. It
can be achieved by taking into account the needs, concerns and capacities of gender groups
in planning and implementing disaster reduction and risk recovery activities.

A panel discussion dealing with the gaps in recovery operations in ASEAN countries took
place in the afternoon. It was chaired by Dr. Iwan Gunawan (WB) with all thematic session
chairs acting as panelists and Mr. Atsushi Koresawa (ADRC) served as commentator.
Voices from the community were also heard in the panel discussion. Following the panel
discussion was the reading of the “Call for Action” by Mr. Koresawa. The workshop wasformally closed after votes of thanks were delivered by Mr. Yoshihiro Imai (IRP Secretariat)
and Dr. Diananta Pramitasari (UGM).
The Workshop concluded with a clear and simple message. Recovery phase may offer an
opportunity to further reduce risk and make communities more resilient to future disasters if
necessary measures are incorporated into post-recovery operations. In Southeast Asia,solutions exist. The challenge is to put these solutions into action through collaborativeworking.

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