Indian Ocean (Tsunami case study)

Location and background

Great Sumatra EQ hit in Sumatra on 26th Dec 2004 and measured 9.1 resulting in a tsunami across Asia. It mostly affected Sumatra, Bangladesh, India and Maldives. Waves 20m in height travelled 800m inland

Primary effects

• ~230,000 deaths

• 1.7 million displaced

• Entire towns wiped

Secondary effects

• Disease outbreak such as cholera

• Tourism collapsed in areas such as Maldives

• Psychological trauma

• Loss of livelihoods such as farming and fishing

Immediate responses

• Search and rescue by local authorities

• International aid $13.6 billion

• $4 billion worth of aid never reached many countries due to leakage of money

• Fresh water facilities set up

• World program provided food for more than 1.3 million people

Long term responses

• Reconstruction of homes, schools, hospitals

• Early warning systems set up in Indian Ocean

• Coastal defences rebuilt or reinforced

• Community education programmes on tsunami evacuation