On December 26, 2004, Southeast Asia experienced one of the worst disasters in modern history. In a matter of hours, a tsunami, triggered by a massive earthquake, swept more than 230,000 people, and injured thousands more in the region, including some parts of South Asia and East Africa. Thousands of families were left homeless, while buildings, roads, bridges and other physical infrastructures were totally destroyed. The total losses from the disaster amounted to more than 15 billion US dollars. This amount, however, is just a fraction of the massive effort and costs required in order to recover and reconstruct the affected areas.
Today, more than ever, 10 years after the Indian Ocean Tsunami devastated many countries in Southeast Asia, it is very much important for the region to look back and reflect from the region's experiences in disaster recovery and reconstruction in order to move forward, strengthen capacities, and rebuild much resilient communities in the aftermath of disasters. The commemoration of the Indian Ocean Tsunami provides a good opportunity for examining recovery and reconstruction systems, mechanisms, and efforts in the ASEAN sub-region in other to help inform future R&R decisions.
This forum intends to gather key government representatives on disaster reduction, recovery and reconstruction from Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other ASEAN Member States, technical experts, and the international development partners to discuss the recovery and reconstruction concerns, and the priority needs of Southeast Asian countries to be met over the next few years. Additionally, the discussion forum aims to discuss some emerging issues, concerns, as well as opportunities on recovery and reconstruction and post disaster needs assessment mechanisms.
The two-day forum intends to:
1. To share country experiences on post-disaster needs assessment and recovery, the institutional arrangements, mechanisms and capacities;
2. To consult and seek inputs for regional recovery initiatives and deepened regional cooperation, and
3. To discuss best practices and challenges as a means to move forward for a Southeast Asia region which is ready for recovery.