By journalist in Kompas Brigitta Isworo
It was a three day trip full of unique memories. It was an assignment for me to cover the trip of Environment and International Development Minister Erik Solheim on 23rd to 25th November this year. The destinations are Banda Aceh the capital of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province and Padang the capital of Sumatra Barat Province - both located in Sumatra Island. Both cities experienced disasters: the disastrous tsunami in 2004 in Banda Aceh and the damaging earthquake last September in Padang. The Norwegian government was involved in the humanitarian aid to those cities.
Before departing to Sumatra Island, Solheim took part in the Indonesia Second National Dialogue under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Borobudur Hotel in Jakarta. The report is about the national emission of Indonesia and the plan to implement the convention. “Norway and Indonesia have similarities in combating climate change. We are both oil producers. We would like to help Indonesia on the technological side. For instance, how could the technology for carbon capture and storage (CCS) develop here?” Solheim asked reporters. He also explained how Norway is concerned about a sustainable use of tropical forest. For that, Norway has already established bilateral cooperation with Brazil, Guyana, and Papua New Guinea (PNG). For Indonesia, Norway promised to give 500 million USD over a five year period right after the system gets ready.
Shortly after we spend our first night in Hermes Hotel in Banda Aceh, Solheim who always looks very casual - at the first sight I thought he was a journalist (!)- sat in the bus with the rest of the group. The group consisted of several Norwegian journalist, the minister aides, and two Indonesian journalists: Natalia and I, plus one interpreter, Mia. The minister would like to see how the reconstruction was progressing.
We visited the inauguration of Rumah Sakit Kesehatan Jiwa that the Norwegian Red Cross has given aid of Rp 13 billion besides Rp 3 billion from the central government in Jakarta. The hospital is the only mental health hospital. The low profile minister then visited the people who got houses that were built by the Multi Donor Fund where Norwegian people gave help through the department. A small note, Solheim even left his shoes outside that house as a sign of respect for the host. Solheim looked overwhelmed when he visited a mosque Baitturahim in Uluelue, Banda Aceh that still stayed after being hit by a big tsunami wave that wiped out everything on its way.
After spending one night more in Banda Aceh that was marked by a dinner hosted by the Vice Governor of NAD, Muhammad Nazar, the group flew over to Padang. There was a ground breaking ceremony for a warehouse that could keep logistic for about 2000 families or for 10.000 people for a few days. Norway and the local government are now setting up a management for disaster risk reduction. “We also build three other warehouses. Two located in Surabaya (east of Java Island) and in Banten (west of Java Island) are central which could provide logistics for 25.000 people,” said the General Secretary of Norwegian Red Cross Borge Brende. The warehouses in Padang and in Aceh are for regional needs. All of those areas are in an earthquake region.
Solheim also took a chance to chat with children who lost their school and houses. He looked deeply concerned about the situation. But, he said the humanitarian aid from Norway has now been stopped as it came from the public and humanitarian aid only for the reconstruction and rehabilitation. He said, after the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase finished, the government of Aceh particularly should start their economic development by themselves.