Hatfield supports reconstruction efforts in Aceh
Jun 17, 2005
Thomas Boivin, President of Hatfield, and Garth Taylor, President of Indonesian joint venture partner P.T. Hatfindo Prima (Hatfindo), participated in the ‘Infrastructure and Post Tsunami Reconstruction Mission to Indonesia’ from June 5-11, 2005 in Aceh, Indonesia.
Following the mission, Mr. Boivin stated, “It is impossible to describe the extent of the destruction. The impacts to the town of Banda Aceh are extensive, and the devastation continues all along the west coast of Sumatra, for several hundred kilometers. The stories of loss and grief are overwhelming, and entire towns have disappeared. ”
Hatfield became active in Aceh after the devastating earthquake and Tsunami struck Indonesia’s Aceh Province (Sumatra) on December 26, 2004. Immediately following the earthquake, there was an urgent need for maps and images, which could be used to better understand the location, extent, and magnitude of the Tsunami’s impacts, in order to support relief efforts. As well, a longer-term requirement was for assessments of the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the disaster. Efforts to revitalize local communities and their livelihoods include rehabilitation and protection of vital natural Indonesian ecosystems, particularly mangrove forests, coral reefs, fisheries and aquaculture resources, and rice paddies.
Hatfield responded to the disaster by providing technical support and developing Earth Observation (EO) based products which could be used to generate maps and images to guide relief efforts. Provision of these services was made possible through funding provided by the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) Disaster Management Information Products and Services (DMIPS) Standing Offer, which is designed to facilitate the integration of EO data and products with disaster and relief management and planning activities around the world.
Hatfield continues to work closely with domestic relief and development organisations, such as CARE Canada, to provide relevant and timely EO data products to help meet both the immediate and longer-term needs of relief organisations operating in Aceh. As well, Hatfield plans to assess the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the disaster in order to develop disaster management protocols for integrating remote sensing products and services into future rehabilitation and environmental mitigation efforts in Indonesia.
Hatfield has been active in Indonesia for over 15 years through a joint venture partnership with Hatfindo. The company’s long-term presence in the country has been invaluable in assisting the Indonesian government and disaster relief agencies in dealing with the devastating impacts of the earthquake and the Tsunami.
For more information, please contact us:
Thomas Boivin
President
HATFIELD CONSULTANTS PARTNERSHIP
E-mail: hcp@hatfieldgroup.com
Tel.: +1 604 926 3261
Toll-Free: 1 866 926 3261
