Tsunami Effects

8/8/2019 Tsunami Effects

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ThinkQuest Team 01724 (Oct 04 May 05)

Tsunami:

Magnitude of Terror

Effects


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Contents

Damage to Countries

Death Toll

Economy Environment


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Effects

Damage to Countries


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Indonesia

The epicenter of the Earthquake was located some 160kmwest of Sumatraand nearlyall the casualties and damagetookplace within the province of Aceh.

Indonesia's Ministry of Health has confirmed 166,320 deadbut this is not the final count because most regions are stillinaccessible and reports are slow. The Ministry of ForeignAffairs has stated that up to 100,000 are missing. In addition,the UN estimates that 655,000 people are homeless andsheltering in scattered refugee camps across the province.

Ten metre tall waves passed the northern tip of Sumatra toturn southwards towards the Straits of Malaccaand strikealong the northeast coast.


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Indonesia

The nearby town of Leupung has been obliterated by thetsunami.

Nothing is left standing there and the estimated number ofsurvivors is placed between two and seven hundred out ofan original population of ten thousand.

Other towns affected include Calang, Meluboh, Teunmonand numerous others. Most villages are simply destroyed orare too remote

The nearby town of Leupung has been obliterated by thetsunami. Nothing is left standing there and the estimatednumber of survivors is placed between two and sevenhundred out ofan original population of ten thousand.

Other towns affected include Calang, Meluboh, Teunmonand numerous others. Most villages are simply destroyed orare too remote


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Sri Lanka

An island nation situated in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka wasthe 2nd worst hit by the tsunami.

However, in terms of country size, Sri Lanka was in fact hitharder by the tsunami than Indonesia because most of itscoastline was hit by the deadly waves.

Sri Lankan authorities report 30,196 confirmed deaths as of3 January 2005 after the island was hit by the tsunami.

Many of the dead were children and the elderly. The southand east coasts were worst hit. An estimated one and a halfmillion people have been displaced from their homes.

Roughly 1,200 bodies were counted at Batticaloa in the east.800 were reported dead when the tsunami reached more than2 kilometres (1.25 miles) inland at Trincomalee to thenortheast.


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Sri Lanka

More than 5,000 are dead in the Amparai district. Even atrain, the Sea Queen, moving between Colombo and Gallewas struckby the killer waves, killing 1,300 onboard out ofthe 1,600 passengers.

The agricultural sector has been adverselyaffected by theaftermath of the tsunami. 259 hectares of paddy land alongthe coast were destroyed.

Furthermore, the paddy lands which were flooded with saltwater cannot be used for cultivation due to the salinity of thesoil. Large numbers ofagricultural machinery have beendestroyed and canals and drains have been blocked.

Many hotels were damaged as well. Hotels along the

southern coast were packed with both foreign tourists andSri Lankans making use of the long Christmas weekend.

The main highway in the southern Sri Lanka which runsalong the coast was closed in the wake of the tsunami,delaying relief supplies.


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India

In terms of the number of casualties, India was the 3rd worst hitcountry partly because a large section of its coastline was hard hitby the tsunami.

The areas that were hit included the state of Tamil Nadu, AndhraPradesh, Kerala, Pondicherryand the Andaman and Nicobarislands.

With a death toll of 7,793, the state of Tamil Nadu was no doubtthe worst hit on the mainland.

In the Nagapattinam district alone there were 5,525 casualties, withentire villages having been destroyed.

The Kanyakumari district has had 808 deaths and the Cuddaloredistrict 599, the state capital Chennai 206 and Kancheepuramdistrict 124.

The casualties in Kanyakumari include pilgrims takingaholy dip in the seaand visitors to the VivekanandaRockMemorial. People playingand takinga Sundaymorningstroll along the Marina beach in Chennai were washed away.


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India

In addition, the fishing villagers who lived along the shoreand those out at sea were washed awayas well. InVelankanni, in the district of Nagapttinam, most of thecasualties were people visiting the Basilica of the VirginMary for Christmas and the residents of the town.

Operations at the nuclear power plant at Kalpakkam weresuspended after sea watergushed into a pump station.

There were no reports ofany radiation leakage or damage tothe reactor but 100 casualties were reported.

The official death toll for the Andaman and Nicobar islandsis 812, and about 7,000 are still missing, presumed dead.

At least one fifth of the population of the Nicobar islands areamongst the casualties.

Entire islands were washed awayand communications haveyet been restored with the Nancowrygroup of islands, someof which have been completely submerged, leaving the totalnumber people out of contact at 7,000.


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Thailand

The Thai government reports 5,246 missingand estimatesthat 8,000 are likely to have died.

Several popular tourist resorts such as Phuket, Khao Lakand the Phi Phi Islands were hit hard by the waves.

The resort area of Khao Lakreport 3,950 confirmed deaths

and the final count may very well exceed 4,500. Hundreds of holiday bungalows on the Phi Phi Islands werewashed out to sea. Bhumi Jensen, grandson of His MajestyKing Bhumibol Adulyadej, was among those killed.

The tourismand fishing sectors have been adverselyaffected by the aftermath of the tsunami.

The beach resorts along the Andaman Sea coast have beenextensively damaged it will take manyyears for recovery.

Numerous hotels and small businesses have been ruined andthe price for recovery will be extremely costly.


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Malaysia

Shielded by the island of Sumatra, Malaysia escaped thekind of damage that struckcountries much furtheraway.

The affected areas were the northern coastal areas islandssuch as Penangand Langkawi.

The number of deaths are as follows; 52 in Penang, 12 in

Kedah, 3 in Perakand 1 in Selangor with a total of 68. Among the dead were picnickers and children playingat thebeach in Penang.

However, no deaths are reported among foreign tourists.

Fishing villages in Batu Maungand Bayan Lepas in Penangwere damaged as well.

Coastal areas in Peninsular Malaysia were also affected.Roughly one quarter of holiday vessels anchored in Rebakand Telaga harbour in Langkawi were damaged.


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Myanmar

It is difficult to gauge how many people have been killed inMyanmar because foreignjournalists are not permitted toenterand the information published on state-run newspapersis tightly controlled.

However, the official death toll stands at 56 whereasindependent sources report of some 90 deaths. At least30,000 citizens of Myanmarare in dire need of shelter, foodand waterand around 788 buildings were purportedlydamaged or destroyed.

An estimated 7,000 people are still missing


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Others

In Bangladesh, 2 children killed aftera tourist boat capsizedin surging waves.

In Yemen, 1 child was killed and 40 fishing boats wreckedon SocotraIsland.

10 were killed in Tanzania, with an unknown number of

people missing. Waves struckKenya causing some minor damage. Oneperson reported drowned at Watamu, near Mombasa.

3 were killed in Seychelles, seven people missing. A majorbridge in Port Victoriaalso destroyed.

2 deaths have been reported in South Africa, with some

significant damage to structures inland. 176 people were reported dead in Somalia with 50,000people displaced from their homes.

A further 82 people dead and 26 missing, presumed deadwere reported in the Maldives.


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Effects

Death Toll


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Death TollCountry

where

deaths

occurred

Deaths

Injured Missing DisplacedConfirmed Estimated1

Indonesia 173,981 220,000~100,00

0

6,245400,000-

700,000

Sri Lanka 38,195 38,195 15,68623,000+

2 ~573,000

India 10,744 16,413 - 5,669 380,000

Thailand 5,305 3 11,000 8,457 4,499 -

Somalia 150+ 298 - - 5,000Myanmar

(Burma)59 2,500 45 7,000 4 3,200

Malaysia 68 74 74 299 - -

Maldives 82 108 - 2612,000

22,000


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Death Toll

Seychelles 1 3 3 - - -

Tanzania 10 10+ - - -

Bangladesh 2 2 - - -

South Africa 2 5 2 - - -

Kenya 1 2 2 - -

Yemen 1 1 - - -

Madagascar - - - - 1,000+

Total 228,601+ ~288,608 ~125,000 ~40,000 ~1.5 million

Note: All figures are approximate and subject to change. For more details on specific countries, click the country name in the first column.1 Includes those reported under 'Deaths'. If no seperate estimates are available, the number in this column is the same as reported under

'Deaths'.2 Includes approximately 19,000 missing people declared by Tamil Tiger authorities from regions under their control3 Data includes at least 2,464 foreigners.4 This number of missing includes citizens of Myanmar who have fled into Thailand and who have been deported back to Myanmar without

papers.5 Does not include South African citizens who died outside of South Africa (eg, tourists in Thailand).


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Effects

Economical Impact


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Economical Impact

The immediate relief needs in the affected countries in theIndian Ocean are gigantic and complicated, and there will bea long term need for rebuilding in these areas.

The disaster is complicated because there are the effects ofthe earthquake near the epicenter (Banda Aceh) and thewidespread effects of the tsunami wave.

In effect, there are two disasters, a very serious earthquakeas well as the effects of the tsunamis generated.

The effects are likely to be most severe and apparent forisland economies and countries/cities dependent on the seaand near the epicenter of the earthquake (Banda Aceh,Andaman and NicobarIslands, Maldives).


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Undesirable Effects

For the many indigenous fishermen who have no other skills,can no longer depend on fishingas ameans of survival forthe time being.

The fish stockhas been depleted, as would the fishermen'smoney. Also, the many of the fishermen's families wouldhave lost their sole breadwinners, together with the fishingboats and equipment, adding on to theiralready heighteningproblems.

The tsunamis that affected the coast of Thailand, Indonesiaand the Maldives has destroyed much of the marine biologythere, also damaging the ecosystem severely.

Even if the fish had detected the incoming tsunami, they

would most probably still have gotten caught up in it, due toits immense energy.

Any fish trying to swimaway from it would also have endedup on the shores,after being swept ashore.

Also, the arrival ofa tsunami is marked bya huge recedingwave, which would have left fish flopping on the seabed.


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Undesirable Effects

Millions of fish were swept ashore by the huge waves, andmanymore will continue to die, being unable to survive inthe severely damaged habitat left in the wake of the tsunami.

The marine ecosystem is hence likely to have been affectedbadly, with the predators up the food chain, such as dolphinsand sharks, dying out due to the lackof food. Many specieswill not be able to adapt to the sudden change in theirlifestyle and will inevitably die.

In addition, even if there were fish to be caught, there wouldbe a substantial number of people in the region who refuseto consume marine products such as fish and shellfish, forfear that they could be eating the remains of the victims of

the tsunami. Getting them to consume seafood again would be no easyfeat. All these serve to deal the already battered fishingindustryanother devastating blow.


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Undesirable Effects

Fish is also a popular food in these countries due to theaffected countries being surrounded by water, and thesudden lackof fish and its important nutrients may pose aproblem for the people used to having fish at every othermeal.

Seafood farms in countries such as Thailand would alsohave been damaged, with their owners suffering enormouslosses.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs JanEgeland said that relief supplies could be moved to tsunami-hit regions in Sri Lankaand the Maldives, but ninety percentof the problem remains in Indonesian archipelago.

He estimated that there are currently over 1.8 million peoplein tsunami-stricken countries in need of food aid around 1million in Indonesia, and around 700,000 in Sri Lanka, withthe remainder in the Maldives and Somalia.


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Undesirable Effects

ABC News has reported that heavy rains and fresh floodshad disrupted relief efforts in Asia's tsunami-hit countriesvillages as the United Nations refugee agency started a 400ton airlift as part ofa $2 billion relief operation to save themillions who had survived but were struggling to survive.

Tropical rainstorms in Aceh province ofIndonesiaandfloodingalong Sri Lanka's low-lying coast also hamperedaid deliveries.

The damage to human and animal life was also tremendous,leavingan estimated 150,000 people dead in Indonesiaalone.The latest total death toll is expected to be over 225,000, oneof the largest dealt bya tsunami in history.

When the sheer force ofa incoming tsunami obliterateseverything in its path, it also clears away roads and railways,hampering rescue efforts.


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Undesirable Effects

In addition, the torrential water deluging entire hectaresprevent helicopters from landing. Most of the affectedvillages were situated in isolated areas and are extremelyhard to get to.

Furthermore, the huge mass of wateralso broke sewage andwater pipes, contaminating waterand food sources.

Subsequently, diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysenteryand dengue then become more rampant.

The rotting corpses left behind by the tsunami also helped tospread diseases to the survivors.

Crops, settlements, wildlife, properties were severelydestroyed, with powerand communications disrupted,

adding on to the daunting taskof rescue work. People clung on to trees for their dear life; some were

rescued, but some were also swept away, right in front oftheir relatives and familymembers.

The emotional and mental trauma would remain in all thoseaffected foryears, even if they had escaped a waterygrave.


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Undesirable Effects

Skipping to the damage to the economy, the tsunamis of SEAsia have dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry in theregion.

The huge losses of life suffered by Thailand and theMaldives, which were once extremely popular touristdestinations, only proved that safetymeasures in the abovecountries had been taken lightlyand were inadequate.

As such, potential tourists would have lost a sense ofsecurity in visiting these countries.

People would also refrain from visiting the countries for fearof beingaffected by similar incidences due to this lackofprotection.

Furthermore, few people would want to visit a site ravagedby the forces of nature, where countless died, for the timebeing, either out of respect for the dead or due to its pureeeriness itself.


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Undesirable Effects

The governments of the affected countries would hence losemassive amounts ofmoney which could have beenotherwise used for improving the general standard of livingof the people.

The impact of the tsunami on the Maldives and Phuket isexpected to set the growth rate backforat least two years. Itwould take half to two years to rebuild the devastatedstretches of beaches, which were once tourist havens, andprobably even longer to attract backthe tourists.

Countries which would be affected most severely would beThailand and the Maldives, both of which are still in thedeveloping stage and need large amounts of resources and

finances to provide foran ever-growing population. This isespecially for the Maldives, which relies mainly on tourismrevenues to feed its people, and would pose a formidableproblem.


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Undesirable Effects

Now, not only do all the above countries stop gettingtourism revenue, theyalso have to forkout moneyanddivert government spending to rebuild the resorts and hotelswhich were destroyed during the tsunami, which would beextremely detrimental to those who lost a lot ofassets duringthe disaster. Somalia, a country in Africa, would also be

badlyaffected due to the extreme povertyand lackofgovernment.

To quote another example, Banda Aceh was arguably theplace which suffered the most losses during the entire event.Their road to recovery would be arduous, as the area itself isin political turmoil, with the tsunami exacerbating thenumerous problems it was already facing.

The greatest challenge in the long term however, forallcountries, will be in making sure that the poor, especiallythose who fish fora living, those who are on the margins ofthe tourist economyand in remoterareas are helped torecover.


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Undesirable Effects

On to secondary impacts, they depend verymuch on thestructure of economies and on their tenacity.

The effects are much worse when many other sectorsdepend a lot on the affected sector or if there is a hugeimpact on the government expenditure.

Generally, the more developed economies are more resilientthan those economies which are less developed.

Surprisingly, the large scale economic effects of suchnatural disasters are mostly quite short-lived.

It has been proven unusual to find large drops in nationalincome or dips in the annual growth rate from thesecatastrophes.

Sometimes, natural disasters can also have a positive effect,because of increased spending on the rebuilding ofinfrastructure and more concerns over safetymatters.


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Undesirable Effects

The refugee camps housing the internally displaced peoplealso had squalid conditions, unfit for living in.

Hence many wounds were only hastily treated as there was ashortage ofmanpower.

Luckily for the injured, many volunteers from over 10

countriesjoined in the relief efforts to provide adequatehealthcare services for them.


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Effects

Environmental Consequences


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Precious coral reefs and mangrove areas would have beencrushed by the huge tsunami waves that have devastatedsouthern Asia, an environmental and economic setbackthatcould take years to reverse.

The reefs around Sri Lankaand Phuket have been severelydamaged due to then bearing the brunt of the forceful wallsof water.

When the waves get close to shore, their height is amplifiedand they release all their energy, decimating everything intheir paths.

The atolls of the alluring Maldives and the southern Thaiislands (including Mangrove areas that act as nursery

habitats to fish and shrimp) were also destroyed by thestrong waves.


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According to scientists, reef-forming coral grows onlyabout cm, or 1/5 inch ayear, thus for the seaside resorts on thenumerous affected islands to regain their previous splendorcould take several years to a decade.

The worst marine damage was likely to have beenconcentrated 100m to 1km from shore.

Fortunately, large seamammals such as whales and dolphinsprobably suffered little impact.

According to Australia's Commonwealth Scientific andIndustrial Research Organization, dolphins can feeldisturbances happening in the waterand would have mostlikely headed for deep water where they would be safe.

Also, theymostly inhabit the areas far offshore, where thetsunami has the least damaging capacity.

Documents

Tsunami Effects