Solomon Islands earthquake and tsumani disaster response

In response to the earthquake and tsunami disaster in the Solomon Islands on Monday 2nd of April 2007, the Solomon Islands indigenous NGO Kastom Gaden Association (KGA) sent a team to Western and Choiseul Provinces. The team was supported through AusAID, Oxfam Australia and ACIAR funded projects. It helped with relief efforts, as well as conducting an assessment of the agricultural impacts of the disaster in those provinces.

The assessment involved liaison with relief agencies and local committees, field visits to villages and gardens, and attendance at meetings of the UN-coordinated disaster response office in Gizo. A total of 15 villages were visited, based on KGA partner locations and on opportunities that arose during the assessment. The assessment is intended to help inform relevant agencies about the impact of the disaster. Urban areas (ie Gizo) were not included in the assessment. 

The assessment found that, in general, staple food production was not affected. However some areas will face food shortages because of damage to gardens. These gardens normally provide a large proportion of high-nutrition household food. In some areas livestock numbers have been affected, particularly poultry and pigs. Livestock population recovery is expected to be slow. Basic infrastructure, including household, fishing and farming implements have also been lost in many areas.

The full assessment, including recommendations, is available below. Further information is available from Terracircle.