Information Dissemination for Reality-Based Tsunami Disaster Education

Abstract eng:
Huge earthquake and tsunami on December 26th, 2004 has caused a great number of casualties around Indian Ocean rim countries especially in Banda Aceh city, in Sumatra Island, Indonesia. In a quick response to the disaster, a Japanese group of researchers led by the first author departed to Banda Aceh and surrounding areas in attempt to study the lessons by the huge earthquake and tsunami. Questionnaires were distributed to the affected people. The questionnaire’s result shows that the local people’s awareness of tsunami was very low. Other important result is that even if people had started running away just after the big earthquake, the percentage of expected survivors would have been less than 100%. The practical implication is that education, socialization, escape structures, warning system, wave resisting structures are among important factors for people to be safer against future earthquake and tsunami attacks. However, since tsunami is a rare event, the future generations may forget the disaster easily. One of the ideas prompted by the first author to local people is to build poles with the height of tsunami run up throughout the affected areas in the city. The poles have many important purposes. The idea was supported by local people and Embassy of Japan in Indonesia. To date, 85 tsunami height memorial poles are standing throughout Banda Aceh city and surrounding areas. The poles are expected to last long and convey the important message of tsunami disaster to the present and next generations.

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