Assessment of Tsunami mitigation measures

The Tsunami of December 26 2004 caused huge devastation and significant loss of life in the northern part of Sumatra. Since then there has been considerable rebuilding, and procedures and infrastructure have been set up to help minimise the loss of life and property caused by such catastrophes. Actions have been taken by local community groups and by multi-national aid agencies which combined local community knowledge with the resources available to larger international groups.
These measures include such actions as improved detection and early warning systems, improved communication to those likely to be affected, widening roads for easier escape, and the building of high-rise refuges. Site-specific planning strategies are also very effective in reducing the number of victims resulting from a tsunami. These include; slowing water progress using slopes, berms, ditches and forests, steering water away from vulnerable areas using angled walls and paved roads, and blocking the progress of water using walls and other large structures.
In this paper we review the various measures adopted in areas likely to be affected. Using Banda Aceh, one of the areas most affected, as a case study, we examine the extent to which these strategies have been realised in practice (in terms of reconstruction and rehabilitation), and evaluate the likely impact of the strategies to be applied.