Understanding Disaster Risk: The Role of Science and Technology

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1168-1176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Satake ◽  
Craig McLean ◽  
Irasema Alcántara-Ayala ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Indian Ocean Tsunami ◽  
Haiti Earthquake ◽  
Tsunami Disaster ◽  
Priority Action

“Understanding disaster risk” is the first priority action of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. During the Global Forum on Science and Technology for Disaster Resilience, held in Tokyo in November 2017, one of the working groups focused on this priority action and discussed the key aspects associated with understanding disaster risk. These included root causes and disaster risk drivers, disaster risk data, disaster risk assessment, disaster risk mapping, and collaboration among stakeholders. This paper reviews and illustrates the above topics by using three examples of the most devastating disasters of recent times: the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the 2011 Great East Japan (Tohoku) Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster. The Indian Ocean tsunami, generated by the gigantic Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (magnitude M 9.1), caused 228,000 casualties from 14 countries because of its unexpected magnitude, the lack of knowledge on tsunamis and absence of an early warning system, and high levels of vulnerable populations, particularly elderly people, children, women, and foreign tourists. The 2010 Haiti earthquake, despite its smaller magnitude of M 7.0, also caused a similar number of casualties because of very high levels of vulnerability and exposure. Particularly relevant was the non-existence of building codes, political instability, extreme poverty, and poor health conditions. The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster, caused by the gigantic Tohoku earthquake (M 9.0), produced approximately 22,000 casualties with a large proportion of elderly people, mostly because of wide spread, huge tsunamis. It also triggered the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station, which is an example of a natural hazard triggering technological disaster. By examining these cases and based on the discussions carried out during the Forum, the working group adopted five recommendations.

Getting Tsunami Recovery and Early Warning Right

2006 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-61
Author(s):  
Ben Wisner ◽  
Peter Walker
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Indian Ocean Tsunami ◽  
Tropical Storms ◽  
Warning Systems ◽  
Tsunami Warning System ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Status

The massive human and economic impact of the Asian tsunami in later 2004 is mirrored in the aftershocks felt among humanitarian organisations, development agencies, and policy makers. This paper raises a number of these troubling, fundamental issues. Firstly, the call for an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system raises fundamental issues about what warning systems can, and cannot, do. Secondly, one is also forced to consider why in the first place so many people live on exposed coasts today, vulnerable not only to tsunamis but tropical storms and rainy season flooding among other hazards. Thirdly, one is challenged to question the very meaning of “recovery”. Such massive damage has been done and so many people and their livelihoods have been dislocated, is it actually possible to imagine a return to the status quo ante? Fourthly, reconstruction of the magnitude now underway in the affected areas raises many difficult questions about accountability, transparency, and the unevenness with which the international community responds to crises. The paper finishes with some recommendations.

scholarly journals Applicability of the Decision Matrix of North Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas Tsunami Warning System to the Italian tsunamis

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tinti ◽  
L. Graziani ◽  
B. Brizuela ◽  
A. Maramai ◽  
S. Gallazzi
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Tsunami Warning ◽  
The Other ◽  
Tsunami Source ◽  
Indian Ocean Tsunami ◽  
Decision Matrix ◽  
Tsunami Warning System ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami catastrophe, UNESCO through the IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) sponsored the establishment of Intergovernmental Coordination Groups (ICG) with the aim to devise and implement Tsunami Warning Systems (TWSs) in all the oceans exposed to tsunamis, in addition to the one already in operation in the Pacific (PTWS). In this context, since 2005, efforts have begun for the establishment of TWSs in the Indian Ocean (IOTWS), in the Caribbean area (CARIBE EWS) and in the North Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas (NEAMTWS). In this paper, we focus on a specific tool that was first introduced in the PTWS routine operations, i.e., the Decision Matrix (DM). This is an easy-to-use table establishing a link between the main parameters of an earthquake and the possible ensuing tsunami in order to make quick decision on the type of alert bulletins that a Tsunami Warning Center launches to its recipients. In the process of implementation of a regional TWS for the NEAM area, two distinct DMs were recently proposed by the ICG/NEAMTWS, one for the Atlantic and the other for the entire Mediterranean area. This work applies the Mediterranean NEAMTWS DM to the earthquakes recorded in Italy and compares the action predicted by the DM vs. the action that should be appropriate in view of the observed tsunami characteristics with the aim to establish how good the performance of the Italian TWS will be when it uses the DM for future events. To this purpose, we make use of the parametric catalogue of the Italian earthquakes (CPTI04) compiled in 2004 and the most recent compilation of the Italian tsunami, based on the Italian Tsunami Catalogue of 2004 and the subsequent revisions. In order to better compare the TWS actions, we have identified four different kinds of action coding them from 0 to 3 according to the tsunami severity and have further considered three different distance ranges where these actions apply, that is local, regional and basin-wide, that refer to the distance of the message recipients from the tsunami source. The result of our analysis is that the actions prescribed by the DM are adequate only in 45%–55% of the cases, overestimations are about 37% and underestimations are the rest. As a whole, the predictive ability of the DM is not satisfactory, which implies that recipients have the difficult task in managing bulletins carrying a great deal of uncertainty and on the other hand also suggests that strategies to improve the DM or to go beyond the DM need to be found.

scholarly journals The 22 December 2018 Mount Anak Krakatau Volcanogenic Tsunami on Sunda Strait Coasts, Indonesia: tsunami and damage characteristics

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mumtaz Luthfi ◽  
Anawat Suppasri ◽  
Louise K. Comfort ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Tsunami Warning ◽  
Indian Ocean Tsunami ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Tsunami Warning System ◽  
Drag Forces ◽  
Impact Forces ◽  
Volcanic Processes ◽  
Different Characteristics

Abstract. On 22 December 2018, a tsunami was generated from the Mount Anak Krakatau area that was caused by volcanic flank failures. The tsunami had severe impacts on the western coast of Banten and the southern coasts of Lampung in Indonesia. A series of surveys to measure the impacts of the tsunami was started three days after the tsunami and lasted ten days. Immediate investigations allowed the collection of relatively authentic images of the tsunami impacts before the clearing process started. This article investigates the impacts of the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami on the affected areas and presents an analysis of the impacts of pure hydrodynamic tsunami forces on buildings. Impacts of the tsunami were expected to exhibit different characteristics than those found following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh. Data was collected from 117 flow depths along the Banten and Lampung coasts. Furthermore, 98 buildings or houses were assessed for damage. Results of this study revealed that the flow depths were higher in Banten than in Lampung. Directions of the tsunami arrays created by the complex bathymetry around the strait caused these differences. Tsunami-induced damage to buildings was mostly the result of impact forces and drag forces. Damping forces could not be associated with the damages. The tsunami warning system in Indonesia should be extended to anticipate non-seismic tsunamis, such as landslides and volcanic processes driven by tsunamis. Lack of a tsunami warning during the first few minutes after the generation of the first wave led to a significant number of human casualties at both of the affected areas.

scholarly journals The 22 December 2018 Mount Anak Krakatau volcanogenic tsunami on Sunda Strait coasts, Indonesia: tsunami and damage characteristics

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 549-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mumtaz Luthfi ◽  
Anawat Suppasri ◽  
Louise K. Comfort ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Tsunami Warning ◽  
Indian Ocean Tsunami ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Tsunami Warning System ◽  
Drag Forces ◽  
Impact Forces ◽  
Volcanic Processes ◽  
Different Characteristics

Abstract. On 22 December 2018, a tsunami was generated from the Mount Anak Krakatau area that was caused by volcanic flank failures. The tsunami had severe impacts on the western coast of Banten and the southern coasts of Lampung in Indonesia. A series of surveys to measure the impacts of the tsunami was started 3 d after the tsunami and lasted for 10 d. Immediate investigations allowed the collection of relatively authentic images of the tsunami impacts before the clearing process started. This article investigates the impacts of the 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami on the affected areas and presents an analysis of the impacts of pure hydrodynamic tsunami forces on buildings. Impacts of the tsunami were expected to exhibit different characteristics than those found following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh. Data were collected from 117 flow depths along the Banten and Lampung coasts. Furthermore, 98 buildings or houses were assessed for damage. Results of this study revealed that the flow depths were higher in Banten than in Lampung. Directions of the tsunami arrays created by the complex bathymetry around the strait caused these differences. Tsunami-induced damage to buildings was mostly the result of impact forces and drag forces. Damping forces could not be associated with the damage. The tsunami warning system in Indonesia should be extended to anticipate non-seismic tsunamis, such as landslides and volcanic processes driven by tsunamis. The lack of a tsunami warning during the first few minutes after the generation of the first wave led to a significant number of human casualties in both of the affected areas.

scholarly journals Tsunami Disaster Preparedness Simulation on North Buton Regency

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Jajang Sanjaya ◽  
Radianta Triatmadja ◽  
Bambang Triatmodjo
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Reverse Fault ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Evacuation Simulation ◽  
Tsunami Disaster ◽  
Evacuation Route

Geographical location of North Buton Regency which directly opposite the Banda Sea and placed in the reverse fault of Makassar Strait, Matano fault, Lawanoppo, and Kolaka, which are tsunami-prone areas due to earthquake and submarine landslide. These then caused the area has high disaster risk, because of the settlement that is located on the seashore. Therefore, a study to understand the preparedness level of community in North Buton Regency in confronting the tsunami disaster is needed; in order to be able to determine the mitigation steps, also the effective evacuation route and location to minimize the casualties caused by tsunami. Kulisusu Sub-district is a territory with a fairly long coastal area, wherein the population density is the highest in North Buton Regency, this then made the area has high disaster risk. This research used questionnaire instrument to discover the preparedness level of the community, and the numerical simulation method with multi-agent system in the tsunami evacuation simulation. The conducted simulation did not specify the evacuation route or path, yet the agents were allowed to move freely to the shelter. The simulation was conducted at day and night time. The result of the research pointed on matter of preparedness level of community, in which factor of preparedness of the community in facing the disaster is very important, by the means of establishing simulation drill, preparing the controller officers, and managing the comfort on the shelter, such as strategic location and good position, also creating a good early warning system so that more residents could be saved.  

scholarly journals Tsunami risk reduction in the new normal era based on community building in Watulimo, Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 916 (1) ◽  
pp. 012033
Author(s):  
F Shoimah ◽  
F Usman ◽  
S Hariyani
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
The Other ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Tsunami Disaster ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Indian Ocean

Abstract The coastal area of Watulimo District is included as a tsunami-prone area that is directly adjacent to the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, which results in geological processes and high-intensity seismic activities that can trigger tsunamis. On the other hand, in the new normal era, the coast of Watulimo District includes a high-level COVID-19 zone with 74 cumulative cases, comprising 6 active cases, 54 recovered cases, and 14 deaths. The study aimed to examine the level of capacity of coastal communities in Watulimo District, Trenggalek Regency, based on five livelihood capitals (natural capital, financial, physical, human, and social capital) to reduce tsunami disaster risk in the new normal era. The analytical method used in this research consisted of scoring analysis and pentagon assets analysis. The capacity of the coastal community in Watulimo District shows that the sub-villages with high capacity are Gading, Prigi, and Ketawang Sub-villages. On the other hand, the sub-villages with medium capacity are Gandu, Tirto, Gendingan, Sumber, and Gares Sub-villages. Meanwhile, the sub-village with low capacity is Karanggongso Sub-village, due to the low human capital and social capital. Therefore, in efforts to reduce disaster risk, the area that needs to be prioritized for handling is Karanggongso Sub-village through improvements in social conditions, one of which is by prioritizing education levels, such as training related to the threat of the tsunami disaster and the COVID-19 outbreak.

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