The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Turning catastrophic event into opportunity for development

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 27, 2006
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Turning catastrophic event into opportunity for development

Special Correspondent

Enormous progress has taken place in the last two years : M.S. Swaminathan

TWO YEARS AFTER: Prof. M. S. Swaminathan (left), at a seminar on science and tsunami organised by MSSRF in Chennai on Tuesday. — Photo: Shaju John

CHENNAI: How a catastrophic event such as the tsunami was converted into an opportunity for more effective disaster management formed the crux of the deliberations at a day-long media workshop organised at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, here on Tuesday.

Titled `Science and Tsunami: Two years later,' the seminar examined various methods undertaken by the Foundation and other organisations to use science to turn the disaster into an opportunity for growth.

M.S. Swaminathan, chairman, MSSRF, set the tenor for the rest of the proceedings by stressing that enormous progress had taken place in the last two years since the tsunami.

After the immediate relief works, the Foundation took up a multi-pronged strategy towards capacity building in the affected villages. The key components of this strategy included ecological security - establishing bioshields; technological and knowledge empowerment of vulnerable rural communities - biovillage, sustainable management of natural resources and setting up village knowledge centre; and community activities for common food - grain/water/seed/fodder/gene banks.

Linking vulnerability with natural disasters, environmental degradation, poverty and hunger, he highlighted the importance of pulling oneself out of the vicious spiral in order to ensure sustainable development. Prof. Swaminathan also said resilience required not only science and technology but also social, economic and gender equities.

The Andamans model of development was presented by Viswa Mohan, joint secretary and project director, Agriculture, Andaman and Nicobar. With inputs from the MSSRF, he said, the tribals were encouraged to take up multiple and mixed cropping patterns, planting the traditional coconut along with other fruits such as bananas, pineapples, papayas and spices. Vegetable cultivation was also suggested and with a buy-back option thrown in, the tribals had tasted success in their new venture, he added. Also in the islands, where land belonged to the tribals, a top-down approach was not possible and the beneficiaries were fully involved in the planning and implementation process, he said. The Government is also looking at introducing commercial cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, floriculture and food processing in the habited islands. It was also considering issuing organic island certificates to denote those lands where pesticides had never been used, Mr. Mohan said.

Talking about livelihood restoration, Sudha Nair, programme director, JRD Ecotechnology Centre, MSSRF, spoke about the initial difficulties they faced in weaning fisherfolk away from their traditional occupations. However, the implementation of a `bio village' as a viable option was a truly participatory process, she said. Women SHG members from Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, trained in pickle making, crab fattening and mushroom cultivation, shared their experiences. Ajay Parida, programme director, Biotechnology, MSSRF, further elaborated on the projects relating to diversification of income sources and new livelihood opportunities.

M. Velayutham, executive director, MSSRF, highlighted the inputs that went into reclamation of agricultural lands rendered unusable by the tsunami. P. Tamizoli, co-ordinator, Tsunami Rehabilitation, MSSRF, detailed the components of projects on education of children and strengthening energy security in the affected villages. S. Senthilkumaran of MSSRF spoke about the establishment of village knowledge centres and V. Selvam about bioshield development along the coast. K. Bhanumathi, co-ordinator, The Hindu Media Resource Centre, MSSRF, also spoke.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu