2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Ever the aimless drifter, Harish finds the anchor his life needs in a chance encounter with members of the ancient and threatened - Jarawa community-the 'original people' of the Andaman Islands and its tropical rain forests. As he observes the slow but sure destruction of everything the Jarawa require for their survival, Harish is moved by a need to understand, to do something. His unlikely friend and partner on this quest is uncle Pame, a seventy-year-old Karen boatman whose father was brought to the islands from Burma by the British in the 1920s.

The islands also bring him to Seema, a 'local born'-a descendant of the convicts who were lodged in the infamous cellular jail of port Blair. Seema has seen the world, but unlike most educated islanders of her generation, she has decided to return home. Harishs earnestness, his fascination and growing love for the islands, their shared attempt to understand the Jarawa and the loss of her own first love, all draw Seema closer to Harish.

As many things seem to fall in place and parallel journeys converge, an unknown contender appears-the giant tsunami of December 2004. The last  wave is a story of lost loves, but also of a culture, a community, an ecology poised on the sharp edge of time and history

The study of emotion has become a steadily growing field in international relations and international political sociology. This essay adds to the field through a further empirical examination of the political roles emotions can play. Specifically, the essay questions how emotions were implicated in the construction of transnational solidarity—and the associated humanitarian actions—following an event of pivotal global importance: the Asian tsunami disaster of December 2004. To this end, I focus on the emotional dimensions of dominant media tsunami imagery and examine how emotions helped to produce the humanitarian meanings and ideologies on which the subsequent solidarity and humanitarian actions were based. Analyzing photographs in the New York Times, the essay demonstrates that the dominant tsunami imagery helped to evoke solidarity and garner aid. It did so, at least in part, through mobilizing stereotypical and deeply colonial representations of developing world disaster that are suggestive of a “politics of pity.” In this way, the essay contributes both an empirical study of emotions in world politics and an examination of the linkages between emotions and contemporary humanitarianism.

Purpose -This study aims to conduct the first original research on mass fatality management in nearly 30 years. Design/methodology/approach -A qualitative research design captured local perspectives within a culturally-appropriate context to examine roles and responsibilities of government officials within the State of Tamil Nadu and District of Naggapattinam (spellings reflect the most commonly-used local choice), India. Research data were gathered in the context of the Indian Ocean Tsunami that claimed nearly 300,000 lives across approximately 13 nations. Findings -Local officials and residents faced unprecedented challenges during the hours immediately following the tsunami. These included removing debris that covered bodies, body identification, health and sanitation issues, and the necessity of creating mass graves. The findings identify prior experience with disasters, familiarity with the local area, the quality of pre-existing networks among officials, a strong desire to rescue those yet living and the presence of linkages between government and non-governmental organizations as critical factors affecting an expedited management process. Practical implications -Practical implications include the value of general disaster training that can transcend specific circumstances, the pre-establishment of mutual aid agreements, strong lines of horizontal and vertical cooperation and inter-organizational coordination and an understanding of local culture and customs. Originality/value -The paper contributes to scant social science understanding of mass fatality management processes and furthers a line of inquiry applicable to a wide variety of hazards such as pandemics, terrorism and natural events.

CNA Corporation conducted this study to determine how the United States can best deepen coordination with India on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) in the Indian Ocean. This study builds on the findings of a 2012 CNA Corporation study, U.S.-India Security Burden-Sharing?, which identified HA/DR as a functional area in which the United States could advance naval relations with India. This is due to the frequency with which natural disasters strike the region, especially the Bay of Bengal, and, for India, the relative domestic political palatability of working with the United States in the aftermath of natural disasters.

The United States is increasingly looking to India to contribute to security in the Indian Ocean. Deepening U.S.-Indian economic connections, shared democratic identities, declining U.S. defense budgets, and the rise of China have drawn the United States closer to India as a security partner in the region.

To advance bilateral naval ties through coordination on HA/DR, this study determines how the United States can best draw on:
1) India’s new disaster response architecture and growing naval capabilities and experiences;
2) lessons learned from case studies of U.S. and Indian relief provision after previous natural disasters in the Indian Ocean; and
3) research into likely outcomes of future natural disaster scenarios.

In het medialandschap worden vaak stereotypen en frames gebruikt om andere culturen te representeren. Zonder dat lezers er erg in hebben, berust ook de journalistieke berichtgeving vaak op framing en stereotypering. Dit kan worden toegeschreven aan het feit dat betekenisgeving altijd samen hangt met ideologieën. Het oriëntalisme van Edward Said is een ideologie die laat zien hoe het Westen zichzelf in een dominante positie plaats ten opzichte van het Oosten. Dit gedachtegoed vindt zijn oorsprong in het koloniale verleden. Vanaf het moment dat westerse kolonisten in contact kwamen met oosterse culturen, werd het Oosten ondergeschikt gemaakt aan het Westen. Het probleem van het oriëntalisme is dan ook dat verhalen over het Oosten niet zo zeer iets zeggen over de cultuur van de lokale bevolking, maar eerder de dominante positie van het Westen.

Dit onderzoek ondersteunt deze gedachtegang aan de hand van journalistieke foto’s en bijbehorende onderschriften en titels die betrekking hebben op de tsunamiramp in Indonesië in 2004. De dominante verhaalstructuur die uit de onderzochte data naar voren komt geeft aan dat Indonesië afhankelijk is van Westerse hulp. Dit idee sluit aan bij de koloniale relatie tussen Nederland en Indonesië, want Nederland voelde zich toen moreel verplicht om de Indonesische bevolking te ontwikkelen. Susie Protschky noemt dit politieke idee de ethical policy. De hoofdvraag die richting zal geven aan dit onderzoek luidt als volgt: hoe zijn stereotypen en frames die het oriëntalisme vormgeven, verweven in journalistieke foto’s van de tsunamiramp in Indonesië (2004) in Nederlandse kranten? De onderzochte data zijn afkomstig uit acht Nederlandse kranten: De Telegraaf, Het Algemeen Dagblad, De Volkskrant, Trouw, NRC Handelsblad, Het Parool, Spits en Metro.

    Aan de hand van een kritische discoursanalyse worden de foto’s, de onderschriften en de titels van de nieuwsberichten over de tsunami in Indonesië onderzocht. Een thematische aanpak heeft verschillende stereotypen en één frame zichtbaar gemaakt die de dominante verhaalstructuur ondersteunen. Hoewel de concepten stereotypering en framing uit verschillende wetenschappelijke stromingen komen, laat dit onderzoek zien dat deze combinatie wel degelijk zinvol is. Er wordt geïllustreerd hoe de achterliggende betekenissen van de stereotypen als de expliciete boodschap van het frame het oriëntalistische discours vormgeven.

De concepten representatie, discours, oriëntalisme, framing en stereotypering vormen het fundament van dit onderzoek.  Met behulp van deze theorieën wordt er uitgelegd hoe heersende ideologieën in de media betekenis creëren. Er wordt stilgestaan bij vier oriëntalistische discoursen die de afhankelijkheid van Indonesië in het koloniale tijdperk verduidelijken. De discoursen betreffende het Indonesische dienstmeisje, de Indonesische eetgewoonten, de ethical policy en de islam laten zien hoe verschillende discoursen samen de oriëntalistische ideologie versterken.

De machtsverhouding tussen Nederland en Indonesië kreeg gestalte op basis van deze culturele gebruiken. Doordat dit onderzoek zich focust op Nederlandse kranten, foto’s, titels en onderschriften die betrekking hebben op Indonesië kan er worden gekeken of deze machtsverhouding nog zichtbaar is.

Uit dit onderzoek komt naar voren dat de oriëntalistische representaties niet specifiek aansluiten bij de relatie tussen Nederland en Indonesië. Hoewel de Nederlandse lezer wordt aangesproken om geld te doneren of hulp te bieden, wordt het oriëntalisme voornamelijk ondersteund op basis van het algemene verschil tussen het Westen en het Oosten. De Amerikaanse hulp wordt wel specifiek genoemd. Dit kan worden toegeschreven aan het feit de Amerika wordt gezien als de exponent van het Westen.

Er zijn acht thema’s gevonden die met behulp van stereotypen de dominante verhaalstructuur ondersteunen: het ruimen van puin, het ontvangen van voedsel pakketten, de verdringing om een voedselpakket in handen te krijgen, het wachten op hulp, de situatie in vluchtelingenkampen, het chaotische beeld van de lijken en tot slot de opsporing van vermiste familieleden. Door deze stereotypen wordt Indonesië voornamelijk afgeschilderd als primitief, onhygiënisch,
onderontwikkeld en onbekwaam. Door deze stereotypen wordt de afhankelijkheid van westerse hulp geaccentueerd, dit sluit aan bij het ethical policy discours. Daarnaast is er ook een frame zichtbaar geworden dat samenhangt met het oriëntalistische discours waarin de islam als gevaar voor de samenleving wordt gezien. Dit frame suggereert dat islamitische landen geen hulp bieden aan de slachtoffers in Indonesië. Sterker nog de aanleiding van deze ramp wordt in de schoenen geschoven van de islamitische cultuur. Door de islam deze negatieve rol toe te bedelen, wordt de positieve rol van het Westen versterkt.

De stereotypen en frames die de dominante verhaalstructuur ondersteunen benadrukken vooral de hulp die geboden wordt vanuit het Westen. Deze bevinding wordt toegelicht vanuit de humanitarian communication, theorie van Shouliaraki. Zij legt uit dat de berichtgeving tijdens rampen steeds meer berust op het narcistische karakter van het Westen. De data in dit onderzoek bevestigen haar idee, in de titels en onderschriften van de foto’s wordt voornamelijk de rol van het Westen centraal gesteld. De lokale situatie van de slachtoffers wordt minder benadrukt.

Toch tonen de beelden van de ramp grotendeels de ravage die de vloedgolf heeft aangericht. Het beeld en de tekst roepen dus een ander discours op. Dit sluit aan bij het uitgangspunt van Sliwinski, de tekst benadrukt de humanitaire kant, terwijl we in de foto’s vooral andermans lijden zien. Aan de hand van de theorie van Chaplin wordt geïllustreerd dat de onderschriften en titels uiteindelijk het dominante discours vormgeven.

Ook de theorie van Boltanski wordt aangehaald om te illustreren dat het aanspreken van de westerse bevolking de dominante positie van het Westen versterkt. Hij betoogt dat wanneer er kennis wordt genomen van andermans lijden, kan de toeschouwer op twee manieren reageren: paying and speaking. De representaties in dit onderzoek ondersteunen vooral het idee dat het Westen financiële hulp biedt. Aangezien betalen en doneren typisch iets is wat bij de westerse cultuur hoort en niet bij de oosterse cultuur, wordt het Oosten nog steeds gepresenteerd als afhankelijk van het Westen.

Door  het toevoegen van een alternatieve analyse wordt benadrukt dat het oriëntalisme een dominante ideologie is. Het feit dat niet-oriëntalistische thema’s niet prominent aanwezig zijn in dit nieuwsbeeld illustreert dat er een dominante ideologie is betreffende de relatie tussen het Westen en het Oosten. De alternatieve berichtgeving schetst een modern en zelfredzaam beeld van Indonesië.

The object of this article is to examine the strategies of Indonesia to the transna tional disaster by focusing on the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. While conventional studies have focused on the donor perspective of large-scale efforts, they have not fully accounted for the efforts made by the affected countries. Therefore, this paper tries to find out how Indonesia built its own response strategies, and handled the tsunami at the alleviation, restoration and prevention phase. Indonesia showed dynamic shift from a 'multilayered global network type' to 'government concentration type' and 'hierarchical global governance model' to achieve its long term reconstruction targets despite suffering the most severe damages.

By analysing and comparing the results of post-disaster field studies and literature regarding the mechanisms by which coastal structures failed due to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami events (the focus being on defence structures where applicable), trends were identified and examined. This paper highlights the most commonly occurring / major failure mechanisms identified in the various locations affected by the two tsunami events. The failure modes found in over twenty locations throughout the Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures of Japan were categorised into seven failure modes: a) leeward toe scour, b) crown armour failure, c) leeward armour failure, d) parapet wall failure, e) overturning, f) seaward toe scour, and g) sliding. Leeward toe scour was found to be the major failure mechanism in seawalls and dikes, and sliding was found to be the major failure mechanism in concrete breakwaters. The failure modes found throughout regions affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami were categorised into five failure mechanisms: a) scouring of foundations, b) beam /column failure, c) joint failure, d) wall failure, and e) total disintegration. The 'total disintegration' caused by seismic forces, debris collision and hydrodynamic forces was the major failure mode throughout the studied regions. Some of the major tsunami induced forces found to have been among the causal factors of structural failure included hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces. Flow velocities as high as 13.4 m/s were found in areas of Japan, and flow velocities of up to 10.4 m/s were found in regions affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Potential strengthening measures were suggested for structures such as seawalls and coastal dikes, which were most vulnerable to scouring at the toe. By producing armoured components to protect the toe of the structures, they would become less susceptible to toe scour failure.

2004 Indian Ocean tsunami optical dating radiocarbon Indian Ocean Thailand paleotsunami beach ridge Sand sheets deposited by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and three Holocene tsunami predecessors in western Thailand have been dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). Ages from the modern Indian Ocean tsunami sand sheet allow an assessment of the suitability of OSL to date tsunami-deposited sediment in tropical beach-ridge plain depositional environments. They show that, provided appropriate precautions are taken to correct for incomplete bleaching of sediments, OSL can provide a robust chronology of tsunami recurrence. Ages from the tsunami-deposited sand sheets underlying the 2004 tsunami deposits provide a chronology of the largest tsunamis in western Thailand over the late Holocene. Three sand sheets, likely deposited by tsunamis of similar magnitude to the 2004 event, were dated by luminescence to 380 ± 50, 990 ± 130-1410 ± 190, and 2100 ± 260 years before AD 1950 (at 1-sigma precision). The youngest of these compares with previous radiocarbon ages of detrital bark high in buried soils , which suggest that the most recent large-scale predecessor to the 2004 tsunami occurred soon after 550-700 cal BP. The OSL ages from the lower two sand sheets, provide constraint on tsunami recurrence that was not previously available from radiocarbon dating. The ages imply that between 350 and 1100 years separate successive tsunamis on the Andaman coast of Thailand, with an average tsunami recurrence interval of around 550 years. These results contribute to the growing body of research on tsunami recurrence in the Indian Ocean region and show that OSL can provide independent estimates of tsunami recurrence for hazard analysis, particularly in areas where suitable material for radiocarbon dating is unavailable.

This article addresses the sustainability implications of post-disaster measures in the context of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami by presenting an analysis of the current situations and changes in some of the affected regions. Sustainability implications of measures are captured by investigating the persistence of the social and economic living conditions in relation to post-disaster measures, and the alignment of the measures with basic environmental aspects. Based on major concepts relevant in disaster science and sustainability research, the study explored sustainability aspects of post-disaster measures implemented after the 2004 tsunami, by conducting selected interviews among the participants of the 2015 international seminar ''11 Years after the Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004'' and a broader online survey. Information was sought about (1) the current state of vulnerability of the local population in the regions affected; (2) the main lessons that have been identified to improve project design and management of recovery and vulnerability reduction; and (3) project sustainability implications with respect to the state of today's vulnerability. Based on the analysis of the information on these three priority areas, selected tasks for future disaster risk management are identified, such as more integrative planning and improved coordination with international organizations and local people.

A massive earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia triggered a tsunami on 26 December 2004. At least five million people around the world were affected, and the total number of deaths exceeded 280,000. In Thailand, the tsunami struck six southern provinces, where the disaster's immediate impact was catastrophic. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Phang Nga Province (2007), this paper provides an overview of the disaster's psychosocial consequences for Thai health service providers, the vast majority of whom were bypassed by regional post-tsunami mental health initiatives. The available tsunami literature only briefly attends to health providers' experience of professional 'burn-out', rather than explores the tsunami's wide spectrum of psychosocial effects. This research aims to remedy such oversights through 'critical medical' and 'interpretive phenomenological' analysis of the diverse and culturally-situated ways in which health providers' experienced the tsunami. The paper concludes by arguing for disaster-related psychosocial interventions to involve health providers explicitly.

Historically, the Nicobarese of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have lived in isolation with sporadic cross-cultural contact. Relying on the traditional knowledge and the resources provided by their ecosystem, the indigenes subsisted independently in their tribal reserve until the Indian Ocean tsunami inundated the Nicobar archipelago. Post-tsunami, the ANI administration undertook massive humanitarian interventions in the southern Nicobar Islands. This article analyses the post-tsunami sociocultural change among the Nicobarese against the backdrop of the humanitarian aid administration that began in December 2004. The article specifically inquires into the post-tsunami strategic-spatial interventions in the Nicobarese ecological niche and argues that the change after the tsunami has been tacitly engineered through humanitarian interventions.

The 26 December 2004 tsunamis around the Indian Ocean exposed the vulnerability of many coastal communities, including those serving tourists. To draw conclusions regarding disaster risk reduction for tourism in coastal areas, this study surveyed international tourists who survived the tsunami regarding their perceptions and experiences of the disaster. Semi-structured interviews were completed between January and June 2005 of 55 primary interviewees who were international tourists in locations affected by the tsunami. The qualitative data from the interviews yielded commonalities across four main themes with relevance to disaster risk reduction: information and awareness, warning systems, personal preparation, and livelihoods. Three areas are suggested as topics to highlight for further investigation: the connections between sustainable tourism and disaster vulnerability, the role of tourists in disasters, and disaster risk reduction education.

The 26 December 2004 tsunamis around the Indian Ocean exposed the vulnerability of many coastal communities, including those serving tourists. To draw conclusions regarding disaster risk reduction for tourism in coastal areas, this study surveyed international tourists who survived the tsunami regarding their perceptions and experiences of the disaster. Semi-structured interviews were completed between January and June 2005 of 55 primary interviewees who were international tourists in locations affected by the tsunami. The qualitative data from the interviews yielded commonalities across four main themes with relevance to disaster risk reduction: information and awareness, warning systems, personal preparation, and livelihoods. Three areas are suggested as topics to highlight for further investigation: the connections between sustainable tourism and disaster vulnera-bility, the role of tourists in disasters, and disaster risk reduction education.

The 26 December 2004 tsunamis around the Indian Ocean exposed the vulnerability of many coastal communities, including those serving tourists. To draw conclusions regarding disaster risk reduction for tourism in coastal areas, this study surveyed international tourists who survived the tsunami regarding their perceptions and experiences of the disaster. Semi-structured interviews were completed between January and June 2005 of 55 primary interviewees who were international tourists in locations affected by the tsunami. The qualitative data from the interviews yielded commonalities across four main themes with relevance to disaster risk reduction: information and awareness, warning systems, personal preparation, and livelihoods. Three areas are suggested as topics to highlight for further investigation: the connections between sustainable tourism and disaster vulnerability, the role of tourists in disasters, and disaster risk reduction education.

The premature death in 2012 of Paul Joora, the former chairman of the Nicobarese tribal council in the Great and Little Nicobar Islands, has left a void in Nicobarese society. This article briefly reflects upon Joora's vision for the rehabilitation of his community in the aftermath of the tsunami, which hit the Nicobar archipelago in 2004.

Over the past few years, several attempts have been performed to find alternative “chemical proxies” in order to discriminate “tsunami backwash deposits” from “typical marine sediments”. A wide range of statistical tools has been selected in order to investigate the sediments and/or terrestrial soils transportation mechanism during the tsunami inundation period by using several types of chemical tracers. To relate the physical and chemical characteristics of Typical Marine Sediments (TMS), Tsunami Backwash Deposits (TBD), Onshore Tsunami Deposits (OTD) and Coastal Zone Soils (CZS) with their synchrotron radiation based micro-X-ray Fluorescence (μ-SXRF) spectra, the μ- SXRF spectra were built in the appropriate selected spectra range from 3,000 eV to 8,000 eV. Further challenges were considered by using the first-order derivative μ-SXRF spectra coupled with Probability Distribution Function (PDF), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in order to ...

The 26 December 2004 tsunamis around the Indian Ocean exposed the vulnerability of many coastal communities, including those serving tourists. To draw conclusions regarding disaster risk reduction for tourism in coastal areas, this study surveyed international tourists who survived the tsunami regarding their perceptions and experiences of the disaster. Semi-structured interviews were completed between January and June 2005 of 55 primary interviewees who were international tourists in locations affected by the tsunami. The qualitative data from the interviews yielded commonalities across four main themes with relevance to disaster risk reduction: information and awareness, warning systems, personal preparation, and livelihoods. Three areas are suggested as topics to highlight for further investigation: the connections between sustainable tourism and disaster vulnerability , the role of tourists in disasters, and disaster risk reduction education.

The tsunami in the Indian Ocean in December 2004 resulted in massive destruction in Aceh province of Indonesia - the northern most region in Sumatra Island belonging to the Indonesian archipelago.  Aceh was facing a secessionist movement by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in phases since 1976.  The destruction was so complete that the international community and the Indonesian authorities were overwhelmed by the human tragedy that was unfolding. The immediate need was to ensure speedy distribution of aid and help to the people across the region by the government authorities. To this effect, GAM announced a unilateral ceasefire intended to let the relief aid reach the needy. This was reciprocated by the Indonesian authorities’ decision to uphold the ceasefire. Amidst the pause in hostilities, the stage was set for Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) headed by Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari to organize negotiations between the two parties staring on 27 January 2005. On 15 August 2005, the peace agreement was officially signed in Helsinki by chief Indonesian negotiator Hamid Awaluddin and GAM leader Malik Mahmud .
As per the negotiated deal, Aceh would have local parties allowed to contest in the provincial elections, which was a marked departure from the norm in the rest of the country. Massive peacebuilding and statebuilding efforts were carried out that have put an end to the cycle of violence that Aceh witnessed earlier. However these efforts have given rise to many questions on the way they have been implemented. The issue of how Partai Aceh – the political party that arose out of GAM to contest and win the provincial elections – has been consistently winning the electoral mandate by virtue of being the only local party of prominence has raised many doubts on how Aceh can blossom into a multi-party democracy in the future. Another issue of prime concern is how the former GAM rebels have now formed terror groups that now owe allegiance to the Caliphate floated by the Islamic State in the Middle East.
This article will look at the political issues that remain unfulfilled amidst the environment of dangerous radicalization and thriving conservatism and how this has the potential to spill over to not just the other territories of Indonesia but also across the region like Southern Thailand and Myanmar. While searching for previous policy recommendations on this topic, this article will attempt to provide suggestions and recommendations of its own on how to deal with the growing menace as witnessed in Aceh.

Tsunami sediments deposited in a coastal zone of Thailand by the 26 December 2004 tsunami wave were sampled within 50 days after the event. All surface and ground waters in tsunami- inundated zone revealed significant salinity at that time. The tsunami sediments, composed mainly of fine to medium sand, contain significantly elevated contents of salts (Na+, K+, Ca+2, Mg+2, Cl and SO 4−2) in water-soluble fraction, and of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb in the bioavailable fraction and As in the exchangeable fraction in relation to the reference sample. The origin of contaminants is marine, as well as litho- and anthropogenic. The salts and Pb, Zn and Cu reveal high correlation to each other and to the mean grain size (pore size and porosity). Serious environmental hazard exists in that region because, due to gentle morphology, there is a risk of migration of the contaminants into ground waters and food chain.

Tsunamis haben nicht nur zu Weihnachten 2004 hunderttausende Menschen das Leben gekostet. Linda Maria Koldau erklärt, wie immer wieder Riesenwellen durch unterseeische Erdbeben und Hangrutschungen, Vulkanausbrüche und Meteoriteneinschläge entstehen, und schildert spannend die größten Tsunamis der Weltgeschichte: von der Storegga-Rutschung vor 8000 Jahren über den Ausbruch des Krakatau 1883 bis zum jüngsten Tsunami in Japan, der zur Atomkatastrophe von Fukushima führte. Das Buch informiert außerdem über die aktuellen Frühwarnsysteme und Schutzmaßnahmen.