The United Nations Resident Coordinator (RC) and UNDP Resident Representative (RR) in the I.R. Iran Ms. Consuelo Vidal made a two-day visit to the UN recovery sites in Bam, Kerman Province on 14-15 June 2010.  The purpose of the visit was to inspect the quality and sustainability of the UN contribution and support undertaken in Bam since the 2003 earthquake that claimed more than 40,000 lives and destroyed most of this historical city.

Visiting the various project sites, Ms. Vidal was impressed by the significant amount of work currently being conducted and the efforts made by the Government to restore Bam after it was largely shattered by the devastating tremor on 26 December 2003.  The UN Resident Coordinator highlighted that the Government had done well to cooperate with the various UN joint programs. Pleased to see the significant cooperation of the Government with the UN joint programs, Ms. Vidal underlined the UN Country Team’s commitment in helping the national efforts made by the Government of the I.R.I. and within the agreed cooperation framework.

A number of local officials were also accompanying the UN/UNDP Team in this visit, including Mr. Shayeq, Governor of Bam, who cited, ‘Despite the tragic losses and destruction caused by the earthquake, one good thing that emerged out of the calamity has been the convergence of so many different national and international organizations, despite the political divergence.’ He added, ‘The recovery of the province has been relatively swift and beneficial to the affected population, due to the assistance received from various international organizations such as the UN family.’ The Governor further referred to the aid coordination since the quake jolted the historical city in December 2003 and expressed satisfaction with the support received from the UN. He also suggested that, to prepare for any probable disaster in future, the area required further technical support from the UN System. It is worth mentioning that the Government of I.R.I. has spent US$ 1,300,000,000 on recovery in Bam.

Ms. Vidal also visited three key projects, all of which are currently providing sustainable assistance.  The Municipality of Bam, Bam Agricultural Directorate and the Housing Foundation of the Islamic Revolution have been assisting with the implementation of these projects.

The first project to visit was the site of Restoration of Water Supply Infrastructure Systems for Earthquake Affected Smallholder Date Palm Plantations in Bam District. This project was part of a larger plan, prepared by the Iranian Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, and was aimed at restoring and developing the entire water supply and distribution system in Bam. With a funding of GBP 250,000 by UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), co-funding by UN Office for Coordinating Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) and UNDP Trac1 resources, each injecting US$ 50,000 and US$ 157,000 respectively, and enjoying technical assistance by FAO the activities were implemented by the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad. The project has worked to improve the field water conveyance system over 5,400 hectares through the rehabilitation of Isavieh and Najmieh Qantas and some 27 deep wells (out of a total of 53 in the city), and reconstruction of over 40 earthquake resistant pump-shelters for the most effected farms.  Next to these activities, the project has carried out capacity building for Water User Groups through training programmes, distribution of 16 toolkits for the maintenance of the rehabilitated wells and participation of the beneficiaries in the project’s implementation through participatory activities such as rubble removal and canal cleaning. It is estimated that so far about 5,000 families have benefitted from the project results. This is particularly important as the livelihood of more than 85% of the people in Bam depends upon date palm plantations.

The Iranian Government officials have in various occasions emphasized the significance of actions to be taken by UNDP to start further projects in order to address problems such as ‘date dry-up’ and ‘Debus’ bug. The activities embarked by UNDP under this project to assist the Government and other national efforts to ensure the survival of the date palm plantations, and as a result, resumption of the agricultural productivity have enhanced the livelihood of the people through empowering Water User Groups in participatory, integrated production and protection management. Through its activities, the project seeks to assist the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 1, 7 and 8.

The mission to Bam continued by a visit to the Sustainable Housing Reconstruction Programme site, which is a project carried out through Community Mobilization and participation, and which was formulated in close consultation with the key members of the National Steering Committee for the Reconstruction of Bam when it kicked off.  It is intended that the programme would influence housing constructions right across Iran by demonstrating a community-based, cost-effective earthquake-resistant housing approach, which is hoped to be replicated in non-earthquake prone areas outside Bam district as well. 130 families benefit from this project. The objectives are achieved through the provision of targeted financial aid, training, capacity building and technical assistance, next to the support to the national efforts made by the Government. A key element of the Project which was highly noted by Ms. Vidal was the demonstration of a Child-friendly park next to it.  In addition to MDGs 1 and 8, the project seeks to help MDG 3, with its particular attention to the empowerment of the women who, in the aftermath of the calamity and tremor, had to head their households. Ms. Vidal met with one of these households, and visited a prototype earthquake-resistant locally designed building, which is therefore appropriate in terms of the local environment.

The UN Resident Coordinator also called on a community-based development project that provides various services, including microcredit and community funding.  The Initiative has facilitated the implementation of income generating activities, provision of assets, and loans for the restoration of local livelihoods.  Since it was first commissioned, the project has provided financial facilities for more that 1000 of the neediest households, enabling them to improve their livelihoods.

Ms Vidal also visited two other UN agency project sites, a UNHRC centre that supports over 86,000 Afghan refugees and a UNWHO health centre that carried out capacity building for health workers.  She listened to the needs and concerns of the staff at these centers.  Ms. Aziz-Zadeh, a deputy of the Health Network in Bam, said, ‘A critical area in which the UN can provide assistance can be coordinating international aid and conducting a post-disaster needs assessment to ensure the full alignment of the assistance provided with the true needs on the ground.’

Ms. Vidal considered the trip ‘an overall success’ as it enabled to examine the work already conducted and being carried out at present by the UN in collaboration with the Government, as well as the needs and concerns of the projects/project staff’. She further hoped that the information compiled from provincial visits in general could assist her, in her role as the UN Country Team Resident Coordinator in Iran, to better prepare the next joint UN Development Assistance Development Framework (UNDAF) with the Government.

Dr. Victoria Kianpour Atabaki, UNDP Program Analyst for Disaster Risk Management and Reconstruction (DRMR) and Ms. Sima Hakimi, Assistant to the Programme accompanied Ms. Vidal in her visit to Bam.