To read this content please select one of the options below:

Four years beyond tsunami: Contours of a roadmap for a coordinated “multi‐hazard (including tsunami) risk management action plan for tsunami‐affected villages in Tamil Nadu”: overview of ongoing/projected initiatives

Nisha Sahai Achuthan (Retired member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Government of India (now in USA))

Disaster Prevention and Management

ISSN: 0965-3562

Article publication date: 19 June 2009

803

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper in respect of tsunami‐affected villages in Tamil Nadu undertaken in a field trip in June 2005, and updated through online research is to first provide an overview of discrete, ongoing initiatives by different stakeholders – NGOs; Government and UNDP; Government's announcement to have a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean in place by mid‐2007, paralleled by a partnership of different stakeholders to launch a pan‐India village‐info‐kiosk movement in July 2005.

Design/methodology/approach

The first step was to identify existing reports/programmes on disaster preparedess and mitigation, and then track the progress of the implementation of initiatives by different stakeholders. While highlighting the need for coordinated action, the author also proposed initiating a pilot project in two‐three pre‐selected village‐sites, which in turn could be upgraded to make them “Multi hazard‐ready”.

Findings

While the initiatives by different stakeholders were aimed at covering the targeted villages, as per their respective plans – there was as yet little visible attempt to privilege the tsunami‐affected villages, as was being done with their recovery efforts. Significantly, there was no mention of the proposed post tsunami Central Recovery Resource Center (CRRC) at Chennai “to meet the need for a coordinated action by all stakeholders” in the course of the discussions of early June, nor a reference to the potential for such a forum to deliberate on a coordinated Multi hazard, early warning action plan along the lines highlighted through vertical and horizontal linkages.

Practical implications

While the above activities were not part of a grand design – conceptualized, implemented and overseen by an over arching coordinating agency, nevertheless, together they add up to a broad based comprehensive DM resource base/infrastructure upon which hopefully an agency like the INCOIS in coordination with different stakeholders – possibly under the aegis of the Chennai CRRC – could build up its mandated tsunami – multi hazard – early warning system and its dissemination to the village‐level in TN.

Originality/value

The paper serves as a “one window resource guide” to provide at least the contours of a road map pointing to one of the few possible ways on how to go about a risk management plan in a coordinated and focused mode.

Keywords

Citation

Sahai Achuthan, N. (2009), "Four years beyond tsunami: Contours of a roadmap for a coordinated “multi‐hazard (including tsunami) risk management action plan for tsunami‐affected villages in Tamil Nadu”: overview of ongoing/projected initiatives", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 249-269. https://doi.org/10.1108/09653560910965628

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles