Political Geography: Asia / Topic: Natural Disasters

Author:: Howard B. Schaffer
Publication Date:: 12-2011
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
Abstract:: On the day after Christmas 2004, a powerful 9.0 magnitude earthquake under the Indian Ocean off of northern Sumatra sent massive waves crashing against the coastlines of countries as far away as Kenya and Madagascar. This tsunami killed or left missing some 226,000 people and displaced an estimated 1.7 million more in fourteen Asian and African countries.1 Damage to property—infrastructure, residences, government buildings, and commercial establishments—was enormous. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and the Maldives were the most seriously affected. Dramatically filmed on the cameras and cell phones of local inhabitants and the many western tourists caught up in the catastrophe, the tsunami attracted instant and extensive worldwide attention and sympathetic response. Foreign governments, international agencies, and international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) alike quickly undertook what became a global effort to assist local authorities to rescue and rehabilitate the victims and begin rebuilding the extensive stricken areas.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Humanitarian Aid, Peace Studies, Poverty, Natural Disasters, and Foreign Aid
Political Geography:: Kenya, Africa, India, Asia, and Sri Lanka

Author:: Shaheen Chughtai and Helen McElhinney
Publication Date:: 01-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:: Six months after the flood disaster began, this briefing paper evaluates the humanitarian response so far, the continuing crisis, and the challenges that lie ahead. It looks at the immediate reconstruction task, as well as the underlying socio-economic and political issues that need to be tackled by the Government of Pakistan, backed by the international aid community, in order to help vulnerable Pakistanis rebuild stronger, safer communities and a more equitable and self-reliant country.
Topic:: Development, Poverty, and Natural Disasters
Political Geography:: Pakistan, South Asia, and Asia

Author:: Kilbinder Dosanjh
Publication Date:: 03-2011
Content Type:: Working Paper
Abstract:: The human cost Many companies (Sony, Toyota) have shut factories in affected area As much as 10% of national power production temporarily down Rolling blackouts will continue until end-April.
Topic:: Economics, Humanitarian Aid, and Natural Disasters
Political Geography:: Japan, Israel, and Asia

Publication Date:: 04-2008
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:: A destructive combination of earthquakes, floods, droughts and other hazards make South Asia is the world's most disaster-prone region. The effects are aggravated by climate change, unsuitable social and development policies, and environmental degradation. The effect is to slow or block development and keep millions trapped in poverty.
Topic:: Climate Change, Disaster Relief, and Natural Disasters
Political Geography:: South Asia and Asia

Author:: Jörn Birkmann
Publication Date:: 05-2008
Content Type:: Working Paper
Institution:: United Nations University
Abstract:: Current approaches of measuring vulnerability to natural hazards generally use a rather static perspective that focuses on a single point in time—often before a hazardous event occurs. In contrast, the paper argues that vulnerability assessment should also take into account the changing dynamics during and after a disaster. This paper provides a comparative analysis of the situation in Sri Lanka and Indonesia within the context of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The author presents concepts for measuring revealed vulnerabilities and methods of assessing the recovery process, and highlights the differing ways in which the tsunami affected the ongoing civil conflicts in both regions.
Topic:: Demographics, Disaster Relief, Environment, and Natural Disasters
Political Geography:: Indonesia, Asia, and Sri Lanka

Publication Date:: 08-2007
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:: Late in the evening of 15 November 2007, Cyclone Sidr struck Mahmouda's home and thousands of other villages across Bangladesh's southern coastal areas, leaving around 4000 people dead and millions homeless. The initial response to the disaster was prompt and vigorous, but three months after the disaster the affected communities' needs – particularly in terms of housing and livelihoods – remain staggering.
Topic:: Disaster Relief, Humanitarian Aid, and Natural Disasters
Political Geography:: Bangladesh, South Asia, and Asia

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