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Reflections and Responsibilities

Published on December 25, 2005 - Paying tribute to lives lost, lives being restored, and the value of a helping hand

One year ago many people in Thailand had not even heard the word “tsunami”, and fewer still of the geologic faults and forces that create them.

Since then hardly a day has past without a news report addressing some aspects of the greatest natural disaster to hit Thailand in modern times.

So when anniversary events get underway tomorrow we will pay our respects.
We will honour the memories of the 5,395 precious lives lost and the 2,817 still missing from Thailand’s affected areas. We similarly remember more than 200,000 souls who perished across 12 other countries.

We amplify our commitment to aid those victims who remain injured, still lack housing, or continue to struggle to restore lost livelihoods.

We are so fortunate that most in Thailand have regained their footing, but hundreds of thousands of tsunami refugees elsewhere remain homeless.

We express our utmost gratitude for the tremendous generosity of all those who aided in the response and recovery efforts.
Whether with their bare hands or through their wallets there is no question that Thailand’s Andaman revival would be but a fraction of what it is today were it not for the compassion extended by so many individuals, including those from abroad.

Most importantly, we express our resolve to learn from what the tsunami has taught us.

Improvements in preparedness and response coordination could greatly help us to minimise the loss of life and maximise our rebuilding efficiency when hit by nature’s next surprise.

Few doubt that a warning system similar to what is now being implemented could have saved many if not most of the lives lost a year ago.

Equally effective in saving lives could have been the yet implemented building setback polices, which also could have significantly reduced structural damage and recovery burdens.

Improved land use and recovery planning would also benefit those suffering yet again from seasonal flooding, which scientists warn will become more pronounced in Thailand with the changing climate.
As illustrated by the tsunami, the recent Atlantic hurricanes and October’ s South Asian earthquake, nature’s forces will continue to overwhelm us.

We certainly owe it to all of our citizens and visitors to be prepared, but there’s another responsibility: respecting the toll disasters take on valuable international aid resources.

From medical assistance, to food, housing and the rebuilding of income streams, the international relief efforts in Thailand and elsewhere has been a major force in the tsunami recovery.

But right now another struggle is occurring. As winter settles upon the Himalayan quake zone, the lack of sufficient assistance for the millions without shelter is expected to cause a new wave of deaths on top of the 78,000 that have already occurred.

Disaster assistance should augment what governments could not have possibly provided, not serve as a substitute for poor planning. Thailand’s needs may have dwarfed those of Indonesia’s or Sri Lanka’s, but as the ongoing food crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa illustrates, there is never enough humanitarian aid to go around.

So once the commemorations and speeches draw to a close, let’s take a hard look at the preparedness and recovery lessons learned this past year.

The next time nature roars, whether tsunami, flood, typhoon, earthquake or something not yet anticipated, we should feel confident we did all we could to minimise the human tragedy and property damage, while expediting recovery with limited reliance on outside assistance that may be needed elsewhere.

Thailand is fortunate to have the capacity to do a much better job in disaster preparedness and response, so much so that we could serve a greater role in providing disaster assistance to other countries in need.

Realising this potential would be a wonderful tribute to all those affected by the tsunami, and those who helped us to pick up the pieces.