The Indian Ocean Tsunami: The Global Response to a Natural Disaster

12: Improving Governance Structures for Natural Disaster Response

261 12 Improving Governance Structures for Natural Disaster Response Lessons from the Indian Ocean Tsunami Miranda A. Schreurs The December 26, 2004, great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake and resulting tsunamis were among the most destructive natural disasters of recent times. The death toll from the tsunami was staggering, reaching close to a quarter of a million people,although the exact number will never be known.Beyond this, another estimated 1.7 million people were displaced.1 The scenes of coastal devastation and shattered lives that the media broadcast around the world led to the single largest outpouring of international natural disaster assistance ever seen. It also resulted in major reevaluations of national and international disaster preparedness, governance structures, and information tools. The December tsunami is an example of how catastrophes can open the door for deep policy change. Thomas Birkland defines catastrophes as “more profound than disasters because they affect a much broader area, render local and neighboring governments unable to respond because they,too,are affected, and therefore require considerable assistance from regional and national governments or from international or nongovernmental relief organizations.”He goes on to note that catastrophes are “the events most likely to trigger policy change.”2 In the wake of one of the world’s worst natural disasters, natural disaster management laws have been introduced, tsunami regional warning systems established, and new natural disaster response programs formed. 262 Miranda A. Schreurs There has also been much reflection on the successes and failures of the disaster recovery operations. While there are still many sovereignty and national security concerns that have limited the willingness of governments to fully integrate early warning systems or establish a supranational regional disaster relief center, there have been important steps taken toward greater regional and global cooperation. What are the governance lessons the international community has learned and can learn from the tsunami? What kinds of institutional mechanisms have been created so that the next time a tsunami or other natural disaster hits, the international community can respond more effectively and efficiently? What kinds of preventative measures have been introduced to better protect coastal communities? This chapter examines the governance responses of national governments, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the international community to the tsunami along several dimensions: the development of a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean; changes to national disaster management legislation and institutional structures; the strengthening of regional and global institutions and mechanisms for disaster reduction and prevention; strengthened coordination of international humanitarian assistance ; and environmental and development planning lessons. The International Community’s Response to the Tsunami Early responders at the national and international level had to prevent a second humanitarian disaster in the tsunami-affected regions from malnutrition , dehydration, and disease. They needed to provide food, clean water, and shelter to survivors. They had to take on the gruesome task of rapidly burying or cremating thousands of tsunami victims. It was a heroic effort that most observers agree worked remarkably well considering the scale of the disaster— its huge geographical impact, the large number of communities affected, and the high death toll.3 Many affected areas were remote and difficult to access.Others were already suffering economies,like the Seychelles,Sri Lanka,the Maldives,and Sumatra. Yet others were in conflict-stricken regions, such as Somalia, where up to forty villages were affected by the tsunami. This complicated the work of national and international aid teams trying to bring in medical assistance, water, food supplies, clothing, temporary shelters (e.g., tents and tarpaulins), cooking equipment, generators, and sanitation equipment. Militaries from around the world were sent to the region to aid in emergency response. In Sri Lanka alone forty-three militaries were deployed for emergency assistance.4 International Improving Governance Structures for Natural Disaster Response 263 search and rescue teams were sent in. Governments from around the world sent in medical teams to assist in emergency medical relief. Once the emergency phase of the relief efforts began winding down, the multiyear process of reconstruction commenced.The tsunami left behind huge amounts of waste and debris.It caused coastal erosion and destroyed farmlands. It destroyed industries that contained hazardous materials. It contaminated groundwater supplies. Homes, schools, and hospitals needed to be rebuilt. For the many people who lost their means of making a livelihood,new opportunities were required. Legal issues—including the ownership of land—needed to be...