The drinking water response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, including the role of household water treatment

Abstract

Purpose -To document the drinking water component of the humanitarian response to the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of December 26, 2004, including a focus on the promotion of household water treatment (HHWT)/safe storage to minimize the spread of diarrhoeal disease. Design/methodology/approach -Firsthand accounts of the response effort, interviews, and literature review. Findings -The combined efforts to mobilize a drinking water response were timely, comprehensive and effective. HHWT/safe storage efforts (other than the continued promotion of boiling) appeared to play only a secondary role in the initial response to the disaster for a variety of reasons. Practical implications -The enormity of this disaster and the unprecedented scale of the relief effort limit the broad lessons that can be learned at this time. Originality/value -Shows that there is a clear need to continue to take steps to minimize the risks of waterborne diseases following natural disasters, develop and disseminate practical solutions for the special circumstances associated with tsunamis, including saline water intrusion, clarify the conditions under which proven approaches to HHWT may be useful in emergencies and assess their role in the medium-and long-term response, improve water quality and surveillance without compromising emphasis on water quantity, take advantage of the enormous resources committed to the tsunami response to make effective and sustainable improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene in the affected areas, and document experiences from the tsunami response, distil the lessons learned, disseminate the results and develop guidelines to inform future actions.

Effective Use of Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage in Response to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake

“…2 These coverage results are consistent with qualitative data obtained after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. 24 Investigators found that, with the possible exception of boiling, HWTS did not play a significant role in the acute phase of the emergency response. As in Haiti, tanker truck water played a leading role, because most responders found that providing HWTS was not a suitable intervention.…”

After the flood: an evaluation of in-home drinking water treatment with combined flocculent-disinfectant following Tropical Storm Jeanne — Gonaives, Haiti, 2004

“…Pū R w has been distributed in tsunami-affected areas (Clasen et al 2006), and in response to the recent earthquake in Kashmir.…”

The Energy and Water Emergency Module; A containerized solution for meeting the energy and water needs in protracted displacement situations

“…Filtration, chlorination, combined flocculation, solar disinfection and boiling are amongst different methods found to be effective to improve the quality of drinking water in disaster situations [23]. Membrane based water purification systems have been found to have good prospects in terms of size and water quality (both input and outputs) [24] and were chosen for the EEM.…”