Post-Tsunami Environment Impact Assessment Project
- Mitigation of Coastal Impacts of Natural Disasters like Tsunami using
Nuclear or Isotope-based Techniques -
22 - 25 August 2006
Hotel Atlet Century Park Jakarta, INDONESIA

1. Introduction The tsunami event of December 26, 2004 severely affected several RCA Member States in South Asia. Aside from the widespread and serious socio-economic impact of the event, extensive environmental damage on the near-shore marine ecosystems are expected to have occurred in the region affected by the Tsunami event. The expertise of the RCA MSs in assessing the environmental impact using nuclear and isotopic analytical techniques becomes very useful in this regard. Because RCA has been striving to become an effective partner in socio-economic development of the region by providing nuclear technologies that can solve regional problems, the RCA should also be actively involved in assisting in the analysis and assessment of post-tsunami environmental impact.

One of the mandates of RCARO given by the Member States is to promote partnerships for RCA programme and attract donors. RCARO approached UNDP(K) and secured fund for environment project with emphasis on the post-Tsunami environmental impact study. The UNDP(K)-supported programme will contribute to the RCA endeavors for a better management of the environment for the benefit of the Member States. In September 2005, the 34th RCA GCM in Vienna has endorsed the RCARO proposed UNDP (K) project.

This meeting was organized by the RCARO to launch the project on a timely manner and to revisit the 2006, 2007 and 2008 work-plan as well as to decide various measures to be taken for immediate action. The meeting was held at Jakarta, INDONESIA on 22-25 August 2006 with participation of representatives from major stakeholders from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and RCARO (Annex _: List of the Participants).

2. Opening session

Mr. Kun-Mo Choi, Director of RCA RO was invited to give the opening remarks of the Kick-off meeting. Mr. Choi thanked the officials of BATAN for hosting the kick-off meeting. He also thanked Mr. Andreas Markwitz (NZE, TSLCC for RCA Environment Sector) & Ms. Elvira Sombrito (PHI, PLCC for previous RCA marine coastal environment project) for drafting the Concept Paper and Mr. John Chung, RCARO Programme Officer for his great coordination effort.  Mr. Choi pointed out that this project is an effort to find means through which nuclear technology can contribute to relieve the residents of the pain in the environmentally affected areas and he further indicated this project to be unique that its funding is not from IAEA.

Prof. Dr. Soedyartomo Soentono, Chairman of BATAN, was invited to give the welcoming remarks. Prof. Soentono stressed the importance of this meeting as a starting point of implementing a program from 14 MSs who are affected (directly and indirectly) by the 2004 tsunami. Indonesia, by far, was the hardest hit by the tsunami. He indicated that this project would produce the necessary and useful analytical data on the post-tsunami environment impact by using advanced nuclear analytical techniques (NATs) and to share it with the concerned member countries to integrate into an environment management strategy for policy action.

3. Presentations

Mr. John Chung, RCA RO Programme Officer, was designated Chairperson to facilitate the presentations. The Chair invited Mr. Kun-Mo Choi, Director of RCA RO to give an introduction on the RCA-UNDP(K) project. He explained the initiations made by RCARO, support from UNDP(K) and Korean Government, progresses within the RCA, the prospectus of the project proposal (with objectives focussing on coastal sediment samples, coastal agricultural areas and coral reefs), the project contract with UNDP(K), RCARO & MOST of ROK (the contract being finally concluded on June 30, 2006), project implementation and RCARO’s setting up of  web pages  for the UNDP(K) project participants. He further stressed that this project can be regarded as a role model through which the usefulness and efficacy of projects funded by other organizations other than IAEA can be examined.

Ms. E. Sombrito was invited to present the Project Concept of the RCA-UNDP Post-Tsunami Environment Impact Assessment Project. She explained that the project would concentrate on three key areas: sediments (sediment profile for selected trace elements), water & soil (trace elements in marine deposits in coastal agricultural areas), and coral (sediment impact on corals and associated fisheries). She emphasized that this project output of high-quality data would provide policy makers the useful and necessary data for integration into an environment management strategy for policy action. She borrowed a quotation from former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres to point out the need for cooperation among MSs. After the presentation of Ms. Sombrito, Mr. S.K. Jha (IND) and Mr. S.I. Bhuiyan (BGD) stressed the unique capabilities of NATs over other techniques.

Mr. Eko Yulianto (Research Center for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Science) presented his paleotsunami study. His study used the C-14 dating method. He mentioned that age determination could be a problem (in some areas) as well as distinguishing which tsunami event could be indicated to which particular tsunami deposit found on a given area. Mr. Zainal Abidin (BATAN, Indonesia) elucidated on the use of certain isotopes that could be used in determining the origin of deposited materials.

Mr. Ali Arman Lubis (BATAN, Indonesia) presented the nuclear applications in marine environment in relating to the environmental impact of the tsunami-Indonesian case. Mr. Said Mustafa (Head of Environmental Impact Management Agency) asked Mr. Lubis to present the EIMA’s integrated coastal management; human safety and sustainable development.

In the afternoon, Mr. Z. Abidin (BATAN, Indonesia) was designated Chairperson to facilitate the flow of discussion. Presentations by Mr. Darmalius (on environmental quality impact of tsunami  [PUSARPEDAL – KLH]), Dr. Farhan Helmy of the Ministry of State for Environment on post disaster environmental assessment: Indonesian experiences and Dr. Fauzi of the Meteorological and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia on establishment of Indonesian tsunami warning system followed respectively.

4. Discussion with the End-users

Ms. Sombrito (PHI) was designated chairperson to facilitate the general discussion with the end-users. The Chair invited Mr. Jha (IND) to explain the advantages of using NATs to end-users. A number of questions have been raised by the end-users and Mr. John Chung, Programme Officer of RCARO, reiterated to answer the three important questions raised by the end-users: 1) How accurate NATs can be? 2) How fast is it? and 3) How much the cost would be? Mr. Jha (IND) elucidated on the levels of accuracy of NATs and the speed of sample analysis using NATs. The Chair further clarified the uniqueness of NATs in answering concerns that only NATs could accurately verify. Regarding the cost, Mr. S.I. Bhuiyan (BGD) offered his country’s reactor as in-kind contribution to those in need of nuclear analysis. In summary, the Chair offered NATs to end-users because public safety should be everybody’s concern and that all contaminants should be below the national standard. She emphasized that valid risk assessments need valid data and that the role of scientists (which includes them) is to interpret these data for the consumption of environmental managers and policy makers.

The end-users expressed their concerns on linkages and coordination among major stakeholders and end-users and how fast data can be made available to them to support policy-makers. There was specific concern about drinking water quality and how the nuclear technique can be used to help them. Dr. Zainal expressed the use of tracer techniques (stable and radioactive) to determine the movement and direction of groundwater to assess how long contamination will remain. The combination of stable isotopes and chlorine ions is a powerful tool to assess intrusion of seawater.

There was also an expressed need to assess the date of the sediment profile.

5. Technical Session

On 23 August 2006, the technical session started with nomination of Ms. Elvira Sombrito as the Chairperson. She then appointed Mr. Efren Sta. Maria (PHI) and Mr. Ali Arman Lubis (INS) as rapportuers. The Chair then invited Mr. John Chung, Programme Officer of RCARO, to present the framework for the project implementation and the composition of the Project Committee. Mr. J. Chung informed the Project Committee that election of Ms. E. Sombrito (as PLCC), Mr. Z. Abidin (as APLCC), Mr. S.K. Jha (IND) as OLCC-1, SRL as OLCC-2 (this meeting c/o Mr. V.A. Waduge), and Mr. Ron Szymczak (AUL) as OLCC-3 was made during the Pre-Project Review Meeting on RCA-UNDP(K) Post-Tsunami Environment Impact Assessment Project held last February 2006  in Daejeon, Korea. On the basis of general consensus, the Project Committee recognized the election of the above-mentioned participants and confIrmed to the February meeting election. There was a need to harmonize the “Local NPC” in the framework for project implementation and RCARO will inform the project committee after harmonization on “Local NPC”.

RCARO then presented the roles and responsibilities of major project stakeholders. RCARO asked for the committee’s contributions and dedications to make this project a success. The Chair asked if there is a need to form a team for every member state since not all MSs are affected by the tsunami. The committee agreed that it’s a case-to-case basis depending upon the country’s condition. Mr. Abdul Kadir bin Ishak (MAL) asked if end-users could be included in the NPT formation. The committee agreed to include the end-users in the formulation of NPTs.

RCARO presented the administrative guidelines, in-kind contributions by the participating MSs and reporting system. It was suggested that reports be shared to everyone and that the RCARO website could be used to upload the reports in the future.

6. Closing

The minutes of the meeting was accepted and the participants express their profound thanks.