Institutional Arrangements for Managing Large-Scale Recovery: Key Lessons from 2004 Tsunami

Abstract

Disaster recovery programs, especially large-scale recovery programs, throw a number of challenges from planning to monitoring & evaluation and from implementation to exit. These challenges call for a robust but adaptive, central but localized and swift but consultative institutional arrangements, which is key for undertaking effective and efficient recovery program. The institutional arrangements need to be informed of scale of recovery, governance of the affected region, exiting capacity, internal and external stakeholders of recovery, socio-economic condition of the affected region, timeline, transition to development phase, etc. In order to undertake recovery programs in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004, different types of institutions were set-up by the five worst affected countries namely India, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand to meet their objective of recovery. As the socio-economic and geographical condition, governance, impact of tsunami, country capacity, engagement of stakeholders, etc of these worst affected countries varied, so was their institutional arrangements for recovery. This chapter analyzes these institutions and draws key lessons for setting up institutional arrangements in different context. The chapter provides guidance, along with examples, on lead institution for undertaking recovery, approach for recovery, different models of recovery institution, key features of these institutions such as adaptibility, human resource, etc, leveraging local institutions and exist strategy for recovery institution. These lessons will help policy makers and managers of disaster recovery in setting up efficient and effective institution for managing recovery programs in the aftermath of large-scale disasters.