The Indian Ocean

• When did it happen?

  26th December 2004
• What was the magnitude?

  Between 9.0 and 9.3, the second biggest in history
• Were there any warning systems in place?

  Radio and Television alerts were not broadcast in Thailand and other countries until nearly after the waves had hit
• How many countries did the tsunami directly affect?

  11
• What was the range between how long it took from the initial displacement of the sea bed to the wave hitting land masses?

  15 minutes - 90 minutes
• What was the cause of the Tsunami?

  15m vertical displacement of 1600km of sea bed, 240 km North West of the Indonesian coastline. At a Destructive plate boundary.
• How many people died?

  Up to 300,000 - thousand of bodies never been recovered
• Vegetation and soil were removed up to how many metres inwards?

  800m
• What happened to coastal settlements?

  They were obliterated for example the City of Banda Aech in Sumatra was devastated
• What happened initially to the infrastructure ?

  Infrastructure was destroyed, the islands of Andaman and Nicobar were all but cut off as jetties were washed away
• How many people were forced to seek refuge?

  500,000
• What economies lost their income and give a more specific example?

  Fishing, agriculture and tourism. For example 44% of the population living in the Aceh Province lost their livelihoods and in Thailand the cost to the fishing industry was £226m.
• What was contaminated by salt water?


  Water supplies and soils
• How many Aid and UN organisations and agencies were implemented?

  160
• Give an example of a foreign military troop providing assistance

  The Australian air force improved air traffic control at Banda Aceh airport, Indonesia.
• What slowed aid distribution?

  Political barriers, for example In Sri Lanka aid was delayed to areas held by rebel Tamil Tigers
• what type of large scale programmes were implemented?

  Programmes of reconstruction, but there were still many thousands left in tents a year on
• Education on what began in schools?

  Tsunamis and drills and evacuations
• What happened to coastal zones?

  They were Hazard mapped to identify areas most at risk
• What system did the UN put into place?

  Tsunami warning system for the Indian ocean
• What resorts were quickly rebuilt ?

  Tourist resorts such as those in Phuket and Thailand
• What was prejudice highlighted?

  Existing government prejudices for example in India the Dalits, an underclass, were ignored by the government