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- James Lee Witt: Former Director of the U.S. FEMA.
Chairman of James Lee Witt Associates;
- Brent Woodworth: Manager, IBM's Crisis Response
Team;
- Dr. Moh Heng Goh: Executive Director, DRI Asia.
Director, GMH Continuity Architects;
- Craig Foster: Senior Executive Vice President,
Hill and Associates;
- David Cameron: Regional Security Director, Asia/Pacific,
International SOS
The Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of December 26,
2004, devastated seaside villages and resorts in six countries throughout
southern Asia, killing and leaving homeless hundreds of thousands.
To find out what recovery efforts are currently taking place
in the affected regions and what's being done to improve readiness for
future disasters of this nature, we turned to the following key individuals
involved in the recovery and mitigation efforts: James Lee Witt, led a
mission of the US-ASEAN Business Council to affected areas and is Chairman
of James Lee Witt Associates; Brent Woodworth, worldwide segment manager
for IBM's Crisis Response Team; Dr. Moh Heng Goh, executive director for
DRI Asia; David Cameron, regional security director, Asia/Pacific, for
International SOS; and Craig Foster, Senior Executive Vice President at
Hill and Associates acted as the lead crisis response consultant for Hill
and Associates in Southern Thailand.
GUIDE: Some involved in the recovery have stated that
there is an opportunity to rebuild the region with more sustainable communities
and to improve their emergency management and recovery capabilities. What
kinds of initiatives are being talked about to achieve this?
Witt: We would like to create
a smooth transition from response to the recovery and reconstruction phase
and lay the groundwork for sustainable development. We plan to do this
by assessing the state of recovery efforts in affected areas and meeting
with appropriate government and business officials; assessing the damage
and ongoing response efforts and identifying the remaining priorities
for short- and long-term response and reconstruction; identifying ways
to develop partnerships with the private sector and the international
community; and proposing a set of strategies for each area of recovery
and reconstruction so that the regional governments will be in a positive
position for success.
Woodworth: The level and
type of rebuilding efforts will vary from country to country. In some
cases the level of damage was so extensive that rebuilding efforts will
take several years. In some locations only a small handful of survivors
remain. The infrastructure (roads, power and communication lines, etc.)
have been totally destroyed in many areas. My first impression when flying
in a helicopter over the Aceh coastal impact zone was the apocalyptic
scale of the devastation. It truly looked like a nuclear wasteland; no
buildings, no roads, no trees, no people - just debris, standing water,
and bodies. The original 100-year-old Banda Aceh, Indonesia, homes were
elevated 5 to 7 feet off the ground. Perhaps their owners knew of the
possible danger from the ocean and factored it into their building plans.
Logic dictates that you should not rebuild in harm's way,
or if you must, you should build more wisely and educate the population
about the risks they face and actions to take in a crisis. In some locations
the government is trying to restrict building to prevent a recurrence.
In other cases proactive early warning systems are being considered to
help people evacuate in time. In some regions the land is flat or there
is very limited elevation above the ocean for 7 to 10 kilometers inland.
A 15-meter-high wave traveling at 35 mph will damage or destroy just about
everything in its path. Rebuilding, planning, and preparing for the possible
impact of such an event will be a significant challenge.
Goh: The governments in the
affected regions will certainly draw on these lessons to improve the situation.
However, most governments will also contend with other key economic issues.
There will be a contention for valuable resources. Some governments, like
India, will continue to strengthen their emergency management and response
capabilities, while other governments may divert their efforts to solve
other economic issues deemed more pressing from their perspective.
From a BC/DR practitioner viewpoint, we could do more to
increase the level of awareness within organizations on the benefits of
emergency, crisis, and business continuity management. For example, even
in relatively "safe" Singapore, the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Tony
Tan, and Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Wong Kan Seng, hosted a dialogue
with the members of the Singapore Business Federation. The event was held
on January 24, one month after the tsunami incident. The primary purpose
and message of the session was to impress on business leaders that they
and their organizations must play an active role.
Governments can try to put in measures to support the community
during emergencies. There is a general lacking in the focus on this area
as economic initiative takes priority. However, business leaders and organizations
must also play their part. They should put in place measures for emergency
preparedness and instill among citizens the sense of responsibility and
the importance of emergency management and BCM.
GUIDE: Has a rough timeline been established for any
such activities?
Witt: Recovery and reconstruction
for a disaster of this magnitude depends on the location and severity
of damage, but could be 5-10 years. Even in the United States, more than
10 years have passed since Hurricane Andrew, and areas of South Florida
are still in the reconstruction phase. We estimate that the recovery and
reconstruction in these areas will take at least 5 years. I believe, from
talking with the United Nations and international partners, that these
organizations will be there to assist as long as it takes.
Goh: From the organizational
perspective, sadly the drive toward educating the public and strengthening
emergency management capabilities has been very slow, and in most cases
not forthcoming, at least not in the next few months. One possible reason
is that Asian cultures do not like to talk or reminisce about disasters.
The tendency has always been to remember the good and happy events. In
many cases, it is taboo to discuss disasters. Most organizations, other
than those in the banking and finance sector and international multinational
corporations, are still grappling with the justification to senior management
to implement BCM.
GUIDE: Are the tsunami warning systems currently in
place in more developed parts of the world adequate to facilitate a successful
evacuation? If not, what needs to be done to improve these warning systems?
Witt: There are significant
steps being taken to implement new or employ existing tsunami warning
systems. I believe the more important issue following the implementation
of an international system is an effective public awareness campaign to
educate citizens, tourists, and business owners on the proper steps to
take before a disaster and when a warning is sounded.
In addition to a tsunami warning system is the role that
building codes and standards play in these regions. Frank Hodge, president
of the International Code Council, is part of the US-ASEAN mission to
assist these regional governments in this area.
Woodworth: The tsunami warning
systems currently being used in parts of Japan are considered "state of
the art" and very effective for issuing an early warning. Similar systems
could prove helpful in countries impacted by the recent tsunami that do
not have any type of system installed today. Education and additional
electronic methods of spreading early warning messages are currently being
reviewed by many of these countries.
Goh: In Asia, other than
Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore, the public warning systems in most other
major cities can be improved. For example, in India, the Indian government
has been doing a fair amount of work in the area of disaster management.
Unfortunately, India is a huge country and many of their island states
or towns still need to improve their level of preparedness. Very often,
even the public is not adequately prepared for disasters.
GUIDE: Do companies on the U.S. coasts face the possibility
of a disaster such as this one? If so, what would you advise these companies
do to prepare for such an event?
Woodworth: An undersea earthquake
or slide can easily trigger a tsunami that could hit the U.S. coast. The
level of the tsunami is directly dependent on the type and magnitude of
undersea disruption and the proximity of the coast to that disruption.
U.S. companies with employees who live or work in low-lying coastal areas
need to be educated about tsunami risks and how to obtain evacuation warning
information following a seismic event. Planning and education are always
the best defense.
GUIDE: Have you been able to determine the business
impact of the disaster, not only on a regional scale but on a global economic
scale?
Woodworth: A final total
is not yet available, and no one can put a price on the over 300,000 lives
lost in this tragic event. I have observed large scale regional businesses
that have put in place aggressive rebuilding plans to get plants back
operating (e.g., a cement plant in Aceh that was 80 percent destroyed
has plans to rebuild and reopen). One of the challenges will be to help
limit over-inflated prices because of limited supply, greed, or unscrupulous
activities that can occur following a disaster.
Foster: For our Fortune 500
clients this appears to be primarily a psychological impact. Disasters
such as this one are completely indiscriminate, and some of the largest
U.S. multinational corporations had no staff affected by the tsunami.
During my period of crisis response in Phuket only eight U.S. citizens
were reported missing in Thailand. However, for those firms that did have
staff missing, the entire organization became preoccupied and monitored
the response and recovery very carefully. The more proactive of these
firms felt a strong "duty of care" and also recognized the business continuity,
staff retention, and overall PR benefits of a proactive response.
GUIDE: What was the greatest lesson
learned from the recovery efforts after the tsunami disasters?
Goh: The support from the
government of neighboring countries was good. However, the primary weakness
was in getting the early warning messages across to the people, and the
coordination of recovery and relief efforts can be improved. Organizations,
too, have a part to play in this. Business organizations need to train
their staff and make them aware of emergency measures within the organization
and the community.
Another lesson we learn is how governments, humanitarian
organizations (local and international), the military, and the civil emergency
services work together at the scene of disasters. Also, we need to address
the issues surrounding the partnerships between affected countries and
aid agencies, including ethical issues such as neutrality and impartiality.
Cameron: There are many lessons
from the emergency response perspective, in particular the importance
of effective cooperation among non-government organizations. The UN body
charged with responsibility for managing the initial emergency response
did an excellent job, but there is a great deal of unnecessary competition
between aid agencies that does not actually assist the aid effort.
Other key lessons we believe were learned in the emergency
response are that companies' crisis management plans must have sufficient
coverage to cope with incidents that occur during leave periods. This
requires that alternates are appointed when primary personnel are away
on leave and that the escalation system is perhaps adapted to fit these
periods. Also, plans at the different levels of the organization should
accurately describe the respective levels of work for the teams. Companies
must be careful in selecting the individuals that they send to disaster
sites. These individuals should be trained and, ideally, experienced,
and they should be appropriately equipped and have received the necessary
inoculations prior to departure. Redundancy of communications equipment
and access to cash are probably the most important enabling elements for
incident management teams. Blackberries and satellite phones are two very
valuable tools in these situations. Finally, corporations need to have
very clear policies on whom and what is covered in regard to these types
of situations. Employees should have clear and accurate expectations in
regard to what the company will provide in the event of a natural disaster.
Lack of clarity here will lead to problems between employee and employer
down the track.
Foster: In terms of business
continuity and recovery, those multinational corporations that had invested
in crisis planning and had tested and socialized such plans responded
best. In today's very interconnected and interdependent business world,
firms that manage risk strategically and proactively will command a competitive
advantage.
GUIDE: What was the greatest achievement
you witnessed come out of the recovery efforts?
Witt: The greatest achievement
was the ability for the world community to come together, including organizations
such as US-ASEAN, whose businesses were not directly affected by the disaster
but offered their resources to help. The U.S. response efforts have been
unprecedented, both by our government and also our citizens. Led by former
Presidents Clinton and Bush, estimates currently place the level of America's
private giving at over $1 billion to help the South Asian countries. This
type of support shows the United States joins the international community
in their commitment to have a strong recovery in that region.
Woodworth: The ability of
mankind to come together and help those in need without a political, social,
religious, or economic objective.
Goh: In general, the collaborative
efforts and support from the governments around the region in the initial
disaster recovery stage indicated that inter-government support is now
more forthcoming than in the past. Governments are willing to put their
differences away to serve a common humanitarian objective.
Foster: Such extreme situations
inevitably bring out the best and worst in humanity. I commend the tireless
volunteers and aid agencies for their dedication and compassion. Many
institutions such as airlines, banks, credit card companies, and telcos
shared sensitive information and operated on a peer group basis to assist
in the search and rescue of missing loved ones.
About the Experts
James Lee Witt, former director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Infrastructure Summit delegation assisting Indonesia with prioritizing
necessary infrastructure projects. In March, he led a mission sponsored
by the US-ASEAN Business Council to assess the damage from the earthquake
and tsunami. In concert with governments in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and
Thailand, his company, James Lee Witt Associates, helped identify priorities
for long-term recovery and reconstruction. Mr. Witt also serves as the
CEO of the International Code Council, a membership association dedicated
to building safety and fire prevention.
Brent Woodworth is the worldwide segment
manager for IBM's Crisis Response Team, which landed in Southern India
shortly after the disaster and worked with local team members to help
reduce suffering, deliver needed supplies, and provide critical decision
making information to the government authorities managing the relief effort.
Once the India operations were well defined, Woodworth and his team flew
to Sri Lanka and then Indonesia and Thailand. In each case team members
were assigned to remain and join with local IBM resources to begin providing
support.
Dr. Moh Heng Goh is Executive Director
for DRI Asia, and Director for GMH Continuity Architects. Moh Heng has
been in communication with practitioners in the region to solicit their
feedback and knowledge following the events. The purpose of the feedback
is to focus on the activities within organizations during and after the
event.
Craig Foster, Senior Executive Vice
President at Hill and Associates acted as their lead crisis response consultant
in Southern Thailand. He was supported in the field by five Thai colleagues
deployed from Bangkok and remotely by a research center and a global crisis
response center in the company's Bangkok and Hong Kong offices. He arrived
in Phuket on December 27 at the request of numerous corporate clients
who retain the company for such contingencies. He traveled between Phuket,
Krabi, Phi Phi Island, and Khao Lak until January 4. He was involved in
the search and rescue of survivors, the identification of remains, and
the facilitation and escort of family members seeking the remains of their
loved ones.
David Cameron is the regional security
director, Asia/Pacific, for International SOS and is responsible for the
delivery of all security services to clients in that region. He deployed
to Phuket and Banda Aceh from December through January as part of his
company's response to the tsunami, mainly to lead the missing persons
search. His deployment to Banda Aceh was to undertake an initial survey
prior to the establishment of a forward operating base. He was also part
of the operations team that was responsible for managing the response
from December 26 onward.
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