Indian Ocean Tsunami

• Background

  • 26th December 2004 an earthquake of between 9 and 9.3

  lasting 3 minutes ruptured the ocean floor 240km north-west of

  Sumatra.

  • The earthquake was created in the subduction zone where the

  Indo-Australian plate subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate.

  • 1600km of sea bed was displaced by 15 metres.

  • Vast amount of ocean water was displaced creating the

  devastating tsunami wave.
• Economic impacts

  Economies were devastated

  particularly in agriculture, fishing and tourism. In Banda Aceh 44% of people lost their livelihoods. In Thailand the

  estimated loss to the fishing industry was £226 million.

  • Negative multiplier effects weakened economies further as high unemployment and loss of income

  impacted on a wide range of enterprises.

  • Extensive damage was caused to coastal infrastructure particularly roads, railway lines and bridges.

  • Economic cost was estimated by insurance companies at $5 billion.
• Social impacts

  • 300,000 people were estimated to have lost their lives. Several thousand were foreign tourists on holiday.

  • Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless. In the worst hit region of Banda Aceh 500,000 people were forced into refugee camps.

  • Cholera outbreaks were common due to a lack of clean water.
• Environmental impacts

  • Vegetation and top soil was destroyed by the tsunami up to 8km inland.

  • Coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangroves were destroyed by the tsunami wave.

  • Freshwater supplies were contaminated by saltwater.

  • Ecosystems were contaminated by human and chemical waste.
• There was no early warning system in place in the Indian Ocean at the time so few people were aware of the dangers
• Tsunami warnings in some countries were incredibly slow to be broadcast, in Thailand warnings on TV/Radio were only made 1 hour after the waves had already hit
• A huge international aid response was put into action with over 160 organisations involved
• Aid provided

  • Bottles of water
  • Water purification tablets
  • Food
  • Tents
• Many national governments provided aid. For example, the UK government provided £75 million and a further £100 million came from the general public
• Military troops were sent to help with the relief effort. For example, the Australian Air Force were deployed to improve air traffic control at Banda Aceh airport, Indonesia
• Long term responses

  1. United Nations have set up an early warning system in the Indian Ocean

  2. Individual countries have to warn their people

  3. Difference in how people receive warnings and therefore effectiveness

  4. Tsunami sirens on tourist beaches but isolated rural villages rely on radio broadcasts
• Tourist resorts in areas such as Phuket in Thailand

  Quickly rebuilt
• Native coastal communities

  Forced out by new developments e.g. Andhra Pradesh in India
• UK Disasters and Emergency Committee has spent over £230 million rebuilding homes in Sri Lanka and Indonesia
• Coastal zones have been mapped to identify areas of highest risk
• Improving tsunami awareness

  1. Teaching it in schools

  2. Having regular practice drills

  3. Designated evacuation routes
• A report published by Oxfam ten years after the tsunami noted that the generous amount of funding improved the lives of many of the survivors, however, the scale of funding led to issues in the coordination of the recovery. In the summer of 2005 there were over 200 different NGOs working in Banda Aceh. United Nations produced a report suggesting a “Cluster Approach” should

  be adopted to help with the coordination of disasters. Lead co-ordinators would be identified in their area of expertise e.g. water, hygiene and sanitation and would work with a number NGOs in this area of concern.
• There was widespread dismay that levels of preparedness for such a disaster were not in place e.g. early warning system. Levels of tsunami awareness were also low as seen by the numbers of people who drowned following the sea outwards before the tsunami wave rushed in.
• A report published by Oxfam ten years after the tsunami noted that the generous amount of funding improved the lives of many of the survivors, however, the scale of funding led to issues in the coordination of the recovery.
• In the summer of 2005 there were over 200 different NGOs working in Banda Aceh. United Nations produced a report suggesting a "Cluster Approach" should be adopted to help with the coordination of disasters. Lead co-ordinators would be identified in their area of expertise e.g. water, hygiene and sanitation and would work with a number NGOs in this area of concern.
• Oxfam also noted that local NGOs and community leaders were excluded from the immediate relief effort and their local knowledge and expertise was not made us of. In future this expertise should be utilised and not ignored.