A ripple in development? - Channel Research

example in health or women’s livelihoods. It is widely agreed in aid
practice that such integration achieves better results, and that women,
which have been identified in many programmes, play a key role.
Taken in a wider context, in Sri Lanka trauma and fear were
ranked fourth in importance, out of nine issues in 2005 (after loss of
property, livelihoods and day-to-day life), whereas today it is ranked fifth
out of nine (after loss of property, livelihoods, day-to-day life and local
infrastructure). In Indonesia trauma and fear ranked seventh most
important out of eight issues immediately after the tsunami, bottom of
the list at the end of 2005 and fifth out of nine issues in 2008, with the
same issues considered as more important as those reported by the Sri
Lankans.
The increase in women’s participation in societal decision-making
and involvement in recovery activities is another factor of success. In Sri
Lanka, only 21% of survey respondents considered that the status of
women in society is better today than before the tsunami with 43%
believing there is no change. In Indonesia, 32% say it is better today
than before the tsunami whereas 36% believe there is no change.
National and international NGOs alike have succeeded in facilitating
and encouraging women to establish and run their own group.
Interventions that do not take these dimensions into account would
inevitably face difficulties when attempting community mobilisation.
Over time, there has been an increase in the number of organisations
which have taken this approach.
4.3 Effect of local initiative on functional communities
The primary importance of attitudes to change is also affected by the
material dimensions of recovery. In areas where vital infrastructure,
such as access to electricity, water and sewerage systems, roads, schools
and health services, has not been assured, social relations often remain
dysfunctional. This is due to people being deterred from leading lives
according to their own expectations, as well as loss of former livelihoods.
Waste management programmes in the Maldives for example have
not had the desired effect of providing communities with safe and sustainable
waste disposal facilities. The Canadian Red Cross Society and
UNDP built waste management centres on several affected islands, but
these stand empty and locked, because there is no possibility of disposing
of the waste beyond piling it up. Sensibly, communities have chosen
to continue with their traditional methods of burning, burying or dropping
waste at sea rather than having it be a nuisance and, quite possibly,
public health hazard (a complaint voiced in Gaafu Alifu), in the newly
provided spaces. To assume that waste becomes government responsibility
once it has been gathered in the waste centres is an example of
inefficient linkage: if governments had not found a way to safely dispose
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