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Nairobi, 4 July 2005: Marking a new stage in its collaboration
with the private sector, UN-HABITAT has signed an agreement with the Australian-based
group, Bovis Lend Lease PTY Limited, to help rehabilitate areas of Sri
Lanka devastated by last December’s tsunami killer wave.
After the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, several corporations
expressed interest in providing assistance within a well-coordinated strategic
action plan. Bovis Lend Lease, a leader in the project management and
construction services industry with operations in 42 countries around
the world, will provide two project managers to join the UN-HABITAT teams
in Galle and Hambantota to ensure support and close teamwork with the
respective local authorities.
Bovis Lend Lease has been working with UN-HABITAT since the tsunami to
find the best way to use its financial strength and project management
skills to deliver tangible outcomes in Sri Lanka. Following the initial
phase of the agreement, it will consider deploying up to four additional
project managers to the area.
UN-HABITAT’s intervention in Sri Lanka focuses on reconstructing
homes, community infrastructure, settlement planning and disaster preparedness
as part of the inter-agency response to promote a smooth transition from
humanitarian relief to long-term recovery and rehabilitation. Apart from
the emergency interventions, where immediate shelter has been the main
focus, the agency intends to ensure the planning and implementation of
a broader sustainable recovery in the affected areas, through strengthening
local governance, capacity building, and economic recovery.
In April this year, UN-HABITAT signed a similar agreement
with the German chemical giant BASF.
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