The United States Agency for International Development has completed
the first of its large-scale tsunami reconstruction activities in Sri
Lanka – the revitalization of Hikkaduwa fishing harbor. The harbor
provides jobs for four-thousand families in this area, hit hard by the
December 2004 tsunami.
The project is a key element of USAID’s
Sri Lanka Tsunami Reconstruction Program and was developed in
partnership with the Ceylon Fishery Harbors Corporation under the aegis
of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The fishing
industry is important to the economy of Hikkaduwa and all of southern
Sri Lanka. The completed reconstruction considerably increases the
capacity of Hiddaduwa fishing harbor. Access into and within the harbor
will also be easier for fishermen to navigate now that
twenty-eight-thousand cubic meters of sand have been removed from the
harbor basin. Renovated and extended breakwaters now protect boats
inside the harbor from potentially damaging wave action. The auction
hall has also been renovated, and water and sanitation facilities have
been enhanced to improve the working conditions for fishermen.
“With
this newly-rebuilt harbor, USAID has helped improve the livelihoods of
area fishermen and thereby strengthen the Sri Lankan fishing industry,”
said USAID Mission Director Rebecca Cohn at ceremonies marking the
project’s completion. “USAID has also introduced new skill sets to the
workforce and worked closely with the Hikkaduwa community to grow their
economies and recover from the devastating tsunami,” she said.
USAID
will be completing its more than one-hundred-thirty million dollar
tsunami recovery efforts in Sri Lanka in 2008. This work includes the
construction of a new bridge over Arugam [ah-ROO-gahm] Bay; a water
supply system in Pottuvil; the upgrading of fishing harbors in Mirissa
and Dondra; the construction of eighty-seven children’s playgrounds in
tsunami-affected communities; and the construction and repair of
schools, libraries and vocational training centers throughout the
tsunami-affected zone.
The U.S. remains committed to help tsunami-affected communities in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in the region make a full recovery.