Indian Ocean Tsunami - Essay Example

Indian Ocean Tsunami On the 26th of December 2004, people living on the Indian Ocean coast in Asia experienced that had never been seen before. An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3 according to the Richter scale struck the area causing giant sea waves to rise from the Indian Ocean. This short discussion presents some possible measures that could have been implemented to avert the situation. Although destructions resulting from tsunami were unavoidable, people living in the affected areas could have applied several techniques to prevent the damages.

Proper and planned buildings could have greatly reduced loss of life and property experienced in the region. Proper building strategies should have promoted buildings with escape routes, cautionary system and safe places. Construction of physical barriers or dykes around the sea could have greatly reduced the effects of tsunami.Mitigation approaches could also have been applied to correct the situation. Such measures involve analysis of possible destructions from other similar occurrences. Such measures would also involve an analysis of seismic triggers to establish areas prone to an earthquake.

Communication between the authority, seismologists, and the society could have helped to improve the situation as well. Such communication would be followed by recommendations and possible correction measures for any possible occurrence. Authorities in the affected areas could also have applied early warnings to the people. Such warnings would encourage the people to vacate the affected areas for safer grounds. This required the region to have a well-established transport and communication system.

Physical developments on the land could also have reduced the effects of tsunami. Physical elevation of the ground, building barriers in high risk areas, drainage systems and onshore and offshore barriers might have helped to prevent damages and reduce a number of victims (329).. Work CitedBernard, Robinson. Tsunamis. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2009. Print.