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 Progress & Challenges
Lessons Learned
 Several months after the tsunami disaster, and with Thailand well on the path to recovery, national lessons learned and best practices workshops were organized by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) during May and June in Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand with the participation of key actors involved in the tsunami-related relief effort. The overall purpose of the exercise was to bring together key actors to benefit collectively from ongoing reflection on disaster response preparedness and management systems in the tsunami-affected countries. It also capitalized on the momentum and insights gained from recent experience; and took advantage of current interest in and commitment to strengthening preparedness systems and procedures. At the Thailand event in Bangkok, the UN Resident Coordinator, Joana Merlin-Scholtes, addressed the participants, including senior Government officials and representatives of the Armed Forces and NGOs, and said that it was time to take stock of lessons learned with regard to disaster preparedness as well as of collective reaction and response to the disaster. She pointed out that 'while a tsunami on such a scale is a relatively rare event, Indian Ocean countries and their neighbours in the region are nevertheless prone to a wide range of natural and other hazards that have significant adverse potential'. Key outcomes:
General Strengths Thai legal and institutional framework
No ad hoc structures created
Robust involvement of line ministries and armed forces
Best Practices Effective provision of emergency health care
Swift environmental response
Early recovery efforts
Effective engagement of civil society and the private sector
Action on lessons learned
Areas for Improvement Need for national preparedness plan
Improved utilization of resources in emergencies
Managing contributions
Protection of vulnerable groups
Involvement of affected communities
Coordination of staff deployments
Coordination among international actors
Needs assessments
Need to strengthen response capacity
Public awareness
Regional Lessons Learned
The final workshop in the regional tsunami lessons learned and best practices exercise was held in Medan on 13-14 June 2005. It brought
together Government, UN and NGO participants from Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, in addition to a number of representatives
of neighbouring countries and regional organizations, to share experiences, the outcomes of the national workshops, and identify
recommendations that would help improve natural disaster preparedness and response capacity in the region.Agreed recommendations from Medan include specific actions in the following general areas: (a) strengthening institutional and legal frameworks;
(b) updating national disaster management plans;
(c) enhancing coordination and information sharing;
(d) cooperating regionally on establishing multi-hazard early warning systems;
(e) promoting risk awareness and emergency preparedness; and
(f) cooperating at the regional level, including on improving stand-by arrangements and capacity for rapid
delivery of assistance.
Another significant benefit of this exercise was the advance in consensus building on the urgency of reducing disaster risk, particularly through improved disaster preparedness. Related information:
To view the PDF documents, Adobe Acrobat Reader will need to be installed on your computer. To download a copy of this software, please click below. 
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@ 2008 United Nations Thailand
