The seaquake in the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004 unleashed Asia’s worst flood disaster in living memory. In the coastal areas of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, more than 200,000 people lost their lives and around one million lost all their possessions. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and other donors, GTZ is working on sustainable reconstruction in the region.

From the start, it has acted with longer term and sustainable reconstruction in mind. While still in the temporary settlements, people are give the chance to return to a life of economic independence: micro-entrepreneurs receive financial start-up assistance, cash-for-work programmes prepare for the reconstruction of the villages, and fishermen are given boats. Together with the people affected, GTZ collects data for village reconstruction. All GTZ’s emergency and transitional aid activities promote the sustainable development of the whole region.

Further Information

• UN Office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami recovery
  www.tsunamispecialenvoy.org