Abstract-The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the most devastating tsunamis in world history. The tsunami caused damage to most of the Asian and other countries bordering the Indian Ocean. After a decade, reconstruction has been completed with different levels of tsunami countermeasures in most areas; however, some land use planning using probabilistic tsunami hazard maps and vulnerabilities should be addressed to prepare for future tsunamis. Examples of early-stage reconstruction are herein provided alongside a summary of some of the major tsunamis that have occurred since 2004, revealing the tsunami countermeasures established during the reconstruction period. Our primary objective is to report on and discuss the vulnerabilities found during our field visits to the tsunami-affected countries-namely, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives. For each country, future challenges based on current tsunami countermeasures, such as land use planning, warning systems, evacuation facilities, disaster education and disaster monuments are explained. The problem of traffic jams during tsunami evacuations, especially in well-known tourist areas, was found to be the most common problem faced by all of the countries. The readiness of tsunami warning systems differed across the countries studied. These systems are generally sufficient on a national level, but local hazards require greater study. Disaster reduction education that would help to maintain high tsunami awareness is well established in most countries. Some geological evidence is well preserved even after a decade. Conversely, the maintenance of monuments to the 2004 tsunami appears to be a serious problem. Finally, the reconstruction progress was evaluated based on the experiences of disaster reconstruction in Japan. All vulnerabilities discussed here should be addressed to create longterm, disaster-resilient communities.
Tsunami evacuation simulation combining tsunami inundation simulation and people evacuation simulation was applied to the western half of tsunami-prone area of Banda Aceh and its use for tsunami disaster education and city planning was studied in cooperation with school teachers and city office personnel. People evacuation was simulated based on multiagent simulation handling over 20,000 agent models, including walking family, motorcycle, and automobile agents. Agent ratios and their basic responses were defined in a survey of mass evacuation in Meulaboh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, triggered by the May 7, 2010, earthquake. Tsunami inundation simulation theoretically replicated the 2004 great Indian Ocean tsunami as developed by Professor Shunichi Koshimura of Tohoku University who used a sophisticated source model. Several simulations were developed using different scenarios such as evacuation start timing, automobile evacuation ratios, and evacuee destinations. Simulations were shown to Banda Aceh school students and instructors and to municipal office personnel. Based on their evaluations, the tsunami evacuation simulation proved to be effective in disaster education and city planning and was improved by their suggestions. We plan to expand the simulation area to the eastern half of Banda Aceh for practical use.
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