The Impact of UK Aid in Support of Disaster Risk Reduction Program in Indonesia

The end of 2006 was a milestone for the Government of Indonesia in the initiation of the disaster risk reduction program. The aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the Aceh Province and Nias Island in the North Sumatra Province, in December 2004, had taken 2 years to deal with. From the start of 2005 until mid-2006 was a period of emergency, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Therefore, the government began publishing a national action plan for disaster risk reduction (2006-2009). It later became the beginning of the shifting paradigm of emergency, rehabilitation and reconstruction, to become the paradigm of disaster mitigation (disaster risk reduction). The initiative was also taken by the Indonesian government as part of integrating the international commitments of the United Nations and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA 2005 -2015) about Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. The Indonesian government then opened support from donors to support the implementation of the NAP-DRR program, while supporting the creation of instrument-instrument for disaster management activities for the government. Various support was received by the government to support the DRR program in Indonesia. Such support gave assistance, institutional strengthening, and also grant aid. A grant of 4.3 million pounds from DFID (the UK government) is the largest received by the Indonesian government to support the implementation of DRR in Indonesia. In the implementation of grant aid, the UK government has given an enormous influence on the governance of disaster management in Indonesia.

The aim of this research is to explore and investigate the impact of the UKAid project in support of the DRR programme implemented by the Indonesian Government. The research objectives is : to explore and understand the context of UKAid in support of SCDRR project; to explore the SCDRR project as part of humanitarian aid; to analyse the obstacles affecting the impact of UKAid at governmental level and in optimising foreign assistance fund for DRR activities; and identify and assess the lessons and good practice learnt after DRR project in maintaining post project sustainability incorporating the lessons learnt into the government regulatory framework.

This study needed to look at the long-standing problem of financial constraints of developing countries in the allocation of funding for disaster risk reduction, which has not been a top priority. The research gap identified with study through SCDRR performance as a government project, it indirectly gave a lot of feedback, initiatives and encouragement for the formation of institutions in the system of management of disaster, including the birth of various regulations related to disaster management in general and supporting disaster risk reduction programs as the impact of the DFID / UK Aid projects in Indonesia.

This study adopts methodology a single case study of the SC-DRR project activities, which was implemented in seven provinces and one city in Indonesia. The strategy of the research is conducted by observing the effects produced after the implementation of the DRR project was implemented and categorized at the national and regional levels. A number of interviews with experts from government and non-government have been conducted in order to complement findings outcomes in seven scopes of impact: (1) Strengthening Aid influence in government institutions; (2) Challenges and lessons learnt post SCDRR activities; (3) Effect of humanitarian assistance for DRR in Indonesia; (4) Existence of Indonesian Disaster Data and information (DIBI); (5) Existence of DFID and UK Aid in Indonesia; (6) Optimizing of DFID grant through Project SCDRR; and (7) The influence of the SCDRR Project. The contribution to knowledge and practice through this study was demonstrate the models framework of impact analysis as a research tool for foreign aid to Indonesia (developing country), which was integrated with another framework analysis impact for humanitarian aid developed by Hoffman for detailed analysis. The integrating of aspect national and regional level into the models framework will useful analysis for the policy maker in particular at developing country.