Technology and a Better Regional Tsunami Warning System - Term Paper Example

Tsunami Prevention and Management- Challenges and Strategies (Add (Add (Add Tsunami Prevention and Management- Challenges and Strategies There are a number of studies that are related to tsunami as it is one of the most devastating disasters in the world. The work by Richard Oloruntoba looks into the challenges that are usually faced in the arena and suggests some solutions that are meant to overcome the identified challenges. The first serious challenge in handling tsunami, according to Oloruntoba, is the huge scale of devastation that accompanies tsunami. Oloruntoba(2005) points out that tsunami often moves in all directions and when the huge waves surge into the land, it takes place in different countries and different populations at the same time. Evidently, each culture has different needs as they differ greatly in socio-economic and cultural conditions. So, it becomes necessary for the various relief and donor agencies to adapt themselves according to the environment. As a result, it takes a comparatively longer time for them to get a complete picture of the disaster and the needs. It is pointed out by Oloruntoba that as the destruction is usually large scale, there arise issues in logistics and coordination. To support the claim, the scholar points out that in the 26 December 2004 tsunami, a landing plane hit a cow on the runway causing a blocked runway for many hours in Banda Aceh. According to Oloruntoba (2005) where there is such large scale destruction, the coordination of the relief response in a large geographical area by various international and national agencies becomes a difficult task. Two immediate needs when such a disaster occurs are to evacuate the people to safer places and to repair the roads and infrastructure to reach the place of disaster. In addition, there should be measures to prevent spread of diseases and to ensure food and water. However, when the relief operations are not focused on these tasks, there arises a difference between the needed relief and the provided relief. Oloruntoba (2005) points out a factor that no other scholar in this review seemed to have pointed out. That is, often, the promised donations and funds are not delivered by the donors. As Oloruntoba (2005) pointed out, in Darfur, Western Sudan, only one third of the promised financial aids were received after Hurricane Mitch. Here, it seems that Oloruntoba does not look into the fact that NGOs too can lack in communication and coordination abilities. For example, Nisha Sahai Achuthan, on the third anniversary of December 24 tsunami, looked into the way NGOs work in the State of Tamil Nadu in India where there was a lot of destruction. Achuthan (2009) points out that when the scholar contacted one NGO named n-Logue, it was found that despite their claims of having 1500 internet and voice service kiosks in the tsunami hit areas, they could not provide any information about the locations of these kiosks. Admittedly, the work by Nigel Martin (2007) provides a better insight into as to what goes wrong in nations like Indonesia and India in the case of disaster management. It is pointed out that the very first reason for failure is government information systems and management failure. Though the Indian Air Force was informed about the earthquake and tsunami in 2004 at about 7.30 am that day, the crisis management group of Indian government held its meeting at 1.00 pm, exactly five and a half hours after the initial alert. Similar was the situation of Indonesia too. In the view of Martin (2007), though Indonesia was alerted by the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the country seemed to have taken no steps at all. Admittedly, all the scholars point out the fact that the existing political situation in the affected area will have a serious impact on the quality of service provided. When there is discrimination in the existing social system, it becomes a difficult task for the international organizations to offer unbiased attention. The last two challenges identified by Oloruntoba are socio-religious issues and failure of early warning communication. In fact, Oloruntoba has created a conceptual paper where the challenges are realistic while the strategies suggested are highly unrealistic. He claims that in a nation like Sri Lanka where Tamil Tigers roam to blast things up, and in a place like Sumatra where separatist rebels kill on almost an everyday basis if not hourly basis, the media can play a role in information dissemination and management. Yet another strategy as suggested by him is logistics and integration which involves the development of strategic procurement, transportation, inventory management and distribution. However, the strategies suggested are undoubtedly too vague and it requires a tsunami-management like measure to develop effective steps out of the vague suggestions, though the point that a strategy that leaves the local people out of the equation is not tenable is accurate. However, Perry (2007) is able to provide some better guidance on how to better ensure effective engagement of local people. The first such suggestion is the culturally sensitive assessments that will look into the needs of each cultural group, and the second suggestion is the collaboration and information sharing among the various organizations. The third vital suggestion is the incorporation of logisticians in the teams of disaster management agencies and allowing the logisticians to take decisions based on infrastructure availability and needs. The last but the most vital point is the suggestion that in disaster-prone areas, local people should be given training in disaster management. Perry (2007) opines that the suggestions put forward by Marcia Perry are much more realistic in nature and hence achievable. Though the above all articles were all discussing extensively on disaster management , none seemed to have given adequate attention the importance of having an effective warning system and most of these studies fail to remind the reader of the effectiveness with which such an early warning system could be used to save thousands of lives. It is at this juncture that Bird and Lubkowski (2005) write that effective preliminary warnings can be raised for coastal regions at risk of tsunamis when there are undersea earthquakes. In addition, the study points out that through education and experience, people will be able to recognize the possibility of tsunami. To illustrate, the scholars provide the example of Hokkaido tsunami in 1993 where 30 meter high waves took only 239 lives as people were able to evacuate to higher grounds when they found the ground shaking. Juliet and Zygmunt (2005) add two more points to the tsunami management strategy; early warning system and education. However, the study seems defective in the fact that it does not provide the nature of education to be provided to the local people. Another similar example comes from Nigel Martin. It is pointed out by the scholar that in Sri Lanka, many children swept away in the tsunami because they were combing the receding shoreline for fish. According to Martin (2007), it has been seen time and again that the water line recedes prior to a tsunami. If parents of the children had this education, they could save many precious lives. When this information is combined with the previous studies that only deal with community engagement, one gets a complete picture of the multifaceted approach to be adopted. At this juncture, it seems necessary to look into the work of Koenig to get a complete picture of what is possible and what is not possible. It is pointed out by Koenig (2001) that using early warning system could undoubtedly save thousands of lives in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, and in future too, with international cooperation and communication along with a well-established early warning system and local measures like education of people in the disaster-prone area, it is possible to reduce the severity of damages caused by tsunamis. However, the scholar is not ready to provide unjustifiable optimism to the readers. He points towards the satanic power of tsunami where the early warnings systems and all other human measures will not be able to save lives or property. Nearly 3500 years ago, the ancient Minoan civilization was wiped out by a giant tsunami. In the words of Koenig (2001), when such huge tsunamis occur, the precautionary measures taken by nations will be fruitless. However, Cyranoski (2005) comes up with a world of solace. He reports that experts around the world have met to develop an effective framework to meet the risk of Indian Ocean tsunami. As a result, Intergovernmental Coordination group of the Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System was set up followed by the development of communication centers and seismic monitoring stations. Cyranoski (2005) points out that there is sharing of technology among the member nations which will eventually lead to a better regional tsunami warning system. References Achuthan, N. S. (2009). Four years beyond tsunami: Contours of a roadmap for a coordinated multi-hazard risk management action plan for tsunami-affected villages in Tamil Nadu: Overview of ongoing/projected initiatives, Disaster Prevention and Management, 18(3), 249-269. Cyranoski, D. (11 August, 2005). Preparations get under way for tsunami warning system. Nature, 436-705. Juliet, B & Zygmunt, L. (January, 2005). Managing tsunami risk. The Lancet, 365(9456), 271-273. Koenig, R. (17 August, 2011). Researchers target deadly tsunamis. Science, 293(5533), 1251-1253. Martin, N. (2007). The Asian tsunami: An urgent case for improved government information systems and management. Disaster Prevention and Management, 16(2), 188-200. Oloruntoba, R. (2005). A wave of destruction and the wave of relief: Issues, challenges and strategies. Disaster Prevention and Management. 14(4), 506-521. Perry, M. (2007). Natural disaster management planning: A study of logistics managers responding to the tsunami. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 37(5), 409-433. Read More