Aquassistance Organization

On 28 May 2009, Cyclone Aila swept across the south of Bangladesh, leaving 190 dead in its wake. The relatively low number of victims was due to the combined efforts of the population and to the set-up of alert systems. But the material damage was as great as that of Cyclone Sidr in 2007, even if it did not attract as much international media attention.

After the seawalls collapsed forming a breach more than 1500 km long, sea water invaded the lowlands, wrecking 680,000 homes and destroying 13,000 hectares of crops. Salt water also contaminated the fresh water resources of almost 4 million people.

In March 2009, the Aquassistance Board of Directors decided to undertake twelve new projects in addition to the sixty already in progress. Although eight of them are rather conventional hydraulic projects carried out in West African villages, the four others are more atypical. They range from the master plan for the integrated management of waste in a small town (Gaibandha) to the post-crisis reconstruction of urban water networks (Gumri and Bwamanda) and to the capitalization of experience (collaboration with ENDA Tiers Monde). The teams of volunteers are being trained to enable the first missions of expertise to be all carried out before the end of 2009. The first will take place before the summer.

On its March meeting, the Aquassistance Board  has also decided after assessments to continue its involvement in three projects launched during previous meetings.