From Knowledge to Action: Learning to go the Last Mile

The report examines the 'last mile' of tsunami early warning systems (EWS) in the Indian Ocean, arguing that while significant technical and institutional progress has been made, the human dimension of response is often neglected. Through participatory assessments in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, the study identifies critical gaps in community engagement, trust in technology, and the integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) with local livelihoods. It recommends moving from a prescriptive, expert-driven approach to a people-centred model that prioritizes sub-national context, sustainable local funding, and the reconciliation of EWS with other community priorities.

• There is a systemic imbalance in EWS development where technical and institutional dimensions are prioritized over the human dimensions of risk perception and decision-making.
• The 'last mile' of EWS implementation is often hindered by a top-down approach that treats the community as the final step in a chain rather than the starting point of the system's design.
• Public trust in EWS technology is undermined by technical failures, such as dysfunctional warning towers and false alarms, leading some communities to rely on traditional knowledge instead.
• In Thailand, the decentralised government structure has led to a gap where local authorities (TAOs) have the responsibility for disaster risk management but lack the capacity and clear guidance to allocate funds effectively.
• In Indonesia, the transition to a decentralised system has created confusion over roles, with some sub-national authorities believing disaster risk reduction is solely a central government responsibility.
• Sri Lanka's disaster management framework, specifically the Disaster Management Act of 2005, focuses heavily on response mechanisms rather than the preventive aspects of early warning.
• A 'political economy of knowledge' exists in EWS development that prioritizes expert scientific data and disqualifies the competencies and traditional knowledge of local practitioners and communities.
• Community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) is often viewed as a separate sector rather than being integrated into wider development planning, such as livelihoods and natural resource management.
• The sustainability of local disaster preparedness is threatened by an over-reliance on volunteerism without adequate financial support for operational logistics or compensation for lost income.
• There is a significant lack of capacity-building and training materials available in national languages, which restricts access for local government and community practitioners.

APA

Thomalla, F., Larsen, R. K., Kanji, F., Naruchaikusol, S., Tepa, C., Ravesloot, B., & Ahmed, A. K. (2009). From Knowledge to Action: Learning to go the Last Mile. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Sustainable-livelihoods/knowledge-to-action-100113 web.pdf

Chicago

Thomalla, Frank, Rasmus Klocker Larsen, Fareedali Kanji, Sopon Naruchaikusol, Chanyuth Tepa, Bruce Ravesloot, and Atiq Kainan Ahmed. From Knowledge to Action: Learning to go the Last Mile. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2009. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Sustainable-livelihoods/knowledge-to-action-100113 web.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{thomalla2009from, author = {Thomalla, Frank and Larsen, Rasmus Klocker and Kanji, Fareedali and Naruchaikusol, Sopon and Tepa, Chanyuth and Ravesloot, Bruce and Ahmed, Atiq Kainan}, title = {{From Knowledge to Action: Learning to go the Last Mile}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2009}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Sustainable-livelihoods/knowledge-to-action-100113 web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }