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Indian ocean earthquake and tsunami.
Earthquake occurs when there is a sudden release of energy on the earth’s crust resulting
in the earth's surface shaking. When disturbances occur above or below water, tsunamis are
likely to occur. Generally, a tsunami is a giant series of waves in a water body caused by a
submarine earthquake and volcanic eruptions. Unlike a normal ocean wave, the wavelength of
tsunami is far longer and has periods of waves ranging from minutes to hours. Nevertheless, a
tsunami can be caused by submarine landslides which generate displacements when they transfer
energy at a faster rate than the water can absorb. More also, man-made activities such as testing
the nuclear bombs and weapons underwater trigger tsunamis, subduction of plates under the sea
heighten the chances of a tsunami occurring. When tectonic plates, converge and the heavier
plate dips beneath the lighter one, tension is created which when it is later released an enormous
wave is produced. The great tsunami in 2004 occurred as a result of subduction when a rupture
along the fault between the Indian and Burma plates occurred. Communities around the coasts
were greatly affected by the disaster.
Events leading to the tsunami disaster 2004.
There were no early signs to detect the tsunami in the Indian ocean hence the
communities living around the coast were caught unaware. A giant earthquake caused the
subduction of the Indian plate and Burma plate. The Indian plate was subducted over the Burma
plate creating a destructive boundary. A build-up pressure caused the Indian ocean to displace
Burma upwards. With increasing temperature and pressure, the subducting plate drives volatiles
up which rise the overlying plate and causes the formation of magma. The volcanic eruptions
caused a sudden change in the ocean depths and this generated the tsunami.
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Events during the tsunami.
The tsunami caused severe damages and deaths around the coast. Many lives were lost after the
occurrence of the tsunami. Among the countries affected, Indonesia was the worst affected area
with the most reported fatalities. Children were the most affected since they were unable to
overcome the huge surging waves. Many people were sorely damaged and others were reported
missing. Furthermore, homes were flooded and others incurred structural damage leaving many
people homeless. Also, the coastal infrastructure was greatly damaged. Beaches, roads adjacent
to beaches, and the hotels and restaurants adjacent to the beaches were all damaged.
Communities living around the coast that rely on fishing as their source of income were
also affected. The fishing baskets, traps, and boats were destroyed. The effects were felt in fish
industries such as Sri Lanka where fishing is the major economic activity, the industrial
infrastructure in the coastal regions, and the fishing fleets were destroyed by the surging waves
affecting the economy both locally and nationally. Additionally, the ports found in the coastal
region were also damaged limiting the importation and exportation of goods. Earning from
exchange earnings decrease not only from the exports but also from the tourists. After the
tsunami occurred, many tourists canceled their vacations and trips. The economic damages
caused by the tsunami, made the government spend billions of dollars to reconstruct.
The Indian Ocean earthquake caused a massive impact on the environment that affected
human lives. The crops were destroyed by the waves making it difficult for them to thrive again.
The farming land was filled with salty water causing the soil to be sterile making it difficult to
restore agriculture. The wells that the villagers relied on for drinking water were contaminated
by the tsunami making the water unfit for human consumption. The environmental impact
caused by the tsunami may have long-term effects on the community around the coast.
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Events after the tsunami.
After the occurrence of the tsunami, there was widespread damage to infrastructure,
shortage of food and water, and loss of lives. The non -governmental organizations in response
acted to save the lives of the survivors. They started by searching and rescuing the injured.
Medical care was given to them to save their lives. The authorities ordered the bodies of the dead
to be buried and burned to avoid the emergence of diseases that are associated with dead bodies.
In association with the world food program, emergency food and water were provided to the
survivors and the people around the coastal regions. Moreover, temporary shelters were built for
the survivors since their houses had been initially destroyed. Programs to re-establish
infrastructure and communications were initiated and support for small businesses. Some people
have experienced trauma after the disaster which led the non-governmental organizations to give
them advice and technical assistance to help them continue living their lives with ease.
Barriers of the tsunami response effort.
Despite the immediate response and rescue given to the coastal communities in
rebuilding the phase, some of the programs initiated have been slow and uneven in some areas,
while in other places the progress is missing. Some non-governmental organizations were
reluctant to work and cooperate with the national government institutions and ceased
implementing the programs. Additionally, there was poor coordination and management among
domestic and external agencies in the issue of balancing humanitarian assistance to the
impoverished and political considerations. The government was promised external assistance but
embezzlement and mismanagement of funds issues emerged. The political parties used the
money to gain popular support and mileage from the local population. Also, the politicians and
parties used the money in newspapers, and public platforms to raise suspicions about their
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opponents’ behaviors and motives. The relief payments, grants, and donations could not be
accounted and this led to the delays in the progress of rebuilding the coastal area.
The issue of housing became a major concern after the tsunami among the coastal
villagers. The government announced that no house was to be rebuilt in the coastal buffer zones.
The residents who initially lived here and their houses were destroyed were ordered to relocate to
other places. The government promised to build them houses on another land away from the
buffer zones but this never seemed to happen. The government built very few houses and the
villagers were forced to demonstrate for ownership. The villagers experienced discrimination
during the ownership. For instance, single- parents’ families were denied access to own a house
and this left them homeless. The criteria used were not transparent and left many families even
more traumatized.
However, chaotic and uncoordinated distributions of aid led to competition and jealousies
among the non-governmental organizations. Some of the organizations did not get any aid but
went to take pictures so that they could get support from the government. The competition led to
some places receiving more donations while the others received nothing. As a result, the group
that received aid earlier than the other suspected ethnic and political biases creating unnecessary
conflicts among the communities. The communities that received more help were left better off
than their original conditions causing resentment among the communities that received little or
no aid. The idea of competition made some non -governmental organizations cease giving aid
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