Step 1: Background research.

 

- FOCUS OF RESEARCH -

Planners need to understand the unique features of each at-risk region. To this end, the following surveys and research need to be conducted: 

• Survey of socio-economic factors: Coastal regions are among the most important in terms of production and distribution of goods, housing and recreation activities. Their many purposes lead to extremely varied development and usage. As the information in Table 1 ‘Use of coastal land and points of confirmation’ (on page 20) illustrates, the damage caused by a tsunami in terms of type and scale depends greatly on the unique features of each coastal region, as well as its configuration, usage and urban development. A survey of socio-economic factors must include the variance of coastal configuration and incorporate both present and future intended types of land usage, concentrations of population and industry, and the percentage of elderly people in the population. The survey must also be sure to outline public attitudes and awareness towards tsunami preparedness, the progress of plans underway, and tasks and measures to be adopted.

• Research on the effects of topography:  Tsunami damage is greatly influenced by topographical factors, such as coastal configuration (coastline and inland topography) and sea floor topography. These factors are listed in Table 2 ‘Potential effects of topography’ (on page 20). For example, if a bay is v-shaped, the concentration of the tsunami’s energy tends to be amplified and the water level throughout the bay tends to be higher.

Flooding along the coast of Banda Aceh, Indonesia just after the December 2004 tsunami. Tsunami damage is greatly influenced bytopographical factors, such as coastal configuration.