A Decade After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: The Progress in Disaster Preparedness and Future Challenges in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives

Abstract

Abstract-The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the most devastating tsunamis in world history. The tsunami caused damage to most of the Asian and other countries bordering the Indian Ocean. After a decade, reconstruction has been completed with different levels of tsunami countermeasures in most areas; however, some land use planning using probabilistic tsunami hazard maps and vulnerabilities should be addressed to prepare for future tsunamis. Examples of early-stage reconstruction are herein provided alongside a summary of some of the major tsunamis that have occurred since 2004, revealing the tsunami countermeasures established during the reconstruction period. Our primary objective is to report on and discuss the vulnerabilities found during our field visits to the tsunami-affected countries-namely, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives. For each country, future challenges based on current tsunami countermeasures, such as land use planning, warning systems, evacuation facilities, disaster education and disaster monuments are explained. The problem of traffic jams during tsunami evacuations, especially in well-known tourist areas, was found to be the most common problem faced by all of the countries. The readiness of tsunami warning systems differed across the countries studied. These systems are generally sufficient on a national level, but local hazards require greater study. Disaster reduction education that would help to maintain high tsunami awareness is well established in most countries. Some geological evidence is well preserved even after a decade. Conversely, the maintenance of monuments to the 2004 tsunami appears to be a serious problem. Finally, the reconstruction progress was evaluated based on the experiences of disaster reconstruction in Japan. All vulnerabilities discussed here should be addressed to create longterm, disaster-resilient communities.

Drivers and temporality of internal migration in the context of slow-onset natural hazards: Insights from north-west rural Bangladesh

“…Typically, policymakers, academics and practitioners tend to focus on human migration as being a result of rapid-onset environmental hazards. In particular, there is a trend towards reactive policy responses to rapid-onset hazards, including the development of building resilience after the Asian Tsunami (Suppasri et al, 2015), a series of studies after Hurricane Katrina (see Waters, 2016), and enhanced preparedness for tropical cyclones in Bangladesh (Ahmed, Kelman, & Saha, 2016). However, the 'silent crises' fuelled by gradual environmental changes that may potentially compel a larger population to leave their home for various unknown durations (possibly involving shortterm and long-term migration) have received much less attention in policymaking (Peguet, 2011).…”

How “Sustainable” are Post-disaster Measures? Lessons to Be Learned a Decade After the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean

“…Some authors argue for a ''people centered'' tsunami early warning system (Gebert and Post 2010) that links technological aspects of a warning with the social response system. Bottlenecks have been identified for various countries related to evacuation routes and disaster zoning as part of urban planning (Suppasri et al 2015). Tasks such as evacuation reveal the need to firmly link the improvements in technological measures with capacity building to ensure the maintenance of devices for communication (for example mobile phones, radios, loudspeaker systems), the sharing of responsibilities for their operation in the case of a disaster, and reflection on the appropriateness and acceptance of proposed technological measures and procedures.…”

Influence of Orientation and Arrangement of Structures on Tsunami Impact Forces: Numerical Investigation with Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

“…The impact of earthquake-induced tsunamis on coastal communities are enormous in both human and socio-economic costs (Suppasri et al 2015;Imamura et al 2019). Earthquake induced tsunamis are a potential threat to countries located at the tectonic plate junctions (Murty et al 2006).…”