Risk Returns

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specific. It should also empower the local population to

enhance its value base and improve sustainability, both

of which need to be viewed as part of a long-term disaster

risk reduction strategy.

It is useful to study an example of how a sustainabil-

ity perspective was built and skills developed around

planning for restoration of livelihoods in the A and

NIs in the post-disaster context. This will help those

involved in disaster management to develop a response

strategy to rebuild lives and livelihoods in a manner

that paves the way for long-term sustainable develop-

ment and empowerment of marginalized peoples.

Meeting the needs of island communities

Prior to the tsunami, the Nicobarese lived along the

coast, subsisting on fishing, hunting and gathering

forest produce. They maintained plantations of bananas,

pandanus and coconut and engaged in some forms of

horticulture, growing fruits such as mango, pineapple

and jackfruit. They reared pigs and chicken and sold

copra (dried coconut kernel) as well as exchanging their

produce for commodities such as rice, sugar and cloth.

During the earthquake and tsunami, productive land

on several of the islands was submerged and planta-

tions destroyed, including roads and jetties which

played a significant role in the transportation of essen-

tial goods. Livelihoods were severely affected as the

Nicobarese grappled with the changes in their habi-

tats and livelihoods systems and the nature of relief

provided by the government.

layered, nuanced landscape of access and choices available to a person

or a community.

Changing institutional frameworks and macro-policies impact the

livelihoods of indigenous communities in many direct and indirect

ways. For example, the withdrawal of the state from the education,

health and public distribution system, or the emphasis on user

fees, demand generation, partnership and privatization, effectively

restricts access of the poor to these services. Similarly, the mechani-

zation of operations demands a new repertoire of negotiation skills

at community and state levels.

The idea of sustainable livelihoods was engendered in the A and

NIs during the post-tsunami intervention after a detailed study and

through intensive citizenship training of the Nicobari youth. In the

process, the communities learnt about democracy and began to

assert many of their concerns. The tribal communities also learnt

to value their own culture, as well as their livelihoods, which offer

rich models of sustainability.

Post-disaster situations often bring an enormous volume of

resources, offering the potential to transform a society in fundamental

ways. Formal approaches of governments often focus on the ‘replace-

ment of asset loss’ policy. However, livelihood recovery cannot be an

add-on or an issue to be looked in isolation. As many communities

living in disaster-prone areas already face significant development

challenges, strategies for livelihood restoration must be part of a more

comprehensive social and economic development approach. In other

words interventions should not only address the loss but also put

the affected community on a trajectory that secures livelihoods and

prepares them to face futures disasters with greater levels of prepar-

edness.Disaster impacts can be mitigated by appropriate planning and

adequate preparedness. The nature of planning should be context-

Reconstruction of livelihoods is a major challenge in isolated tribal communities such as those in the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal

Image: JTCDM, TISS