Comments on: Tsunami Survivors Still Struggle http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/ News & commentary on sustainability, activism, urban planning, politics, and our world. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:32:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mark Seall http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-55488 Mark Seall Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:14:44 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/#comment-55488 Thanks for highlighting that message Matt. You are right, and this is all part of the tradgedy. Thanks for highlighting that message Matt. You are right, and this is all part of the tradgedy.

]]> By: Matt http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-55487 Matt Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:50:24 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/#comment-55487 Mark, really pleased to see someone writing about the tsunami, for many reasons. Not least, I was studying with a Sri Lankan girl in 2004, and was so impressed that she upped and left the UK immediately to go home and help with the clear up. There is an important message missing from your article, that is relevant to developed and developing worlds: our desire to be close to the beach puts us at great danger. One of the reasons the death toll was so high is because people did not want to leave their business behind: tourism creates a situation where local people become dependent on the wealth of foreign visitors, as a result they ignore instincts learnt over generations. In the US, hurricanes are causing so much more (financial) damage in the last 20 years because increasing wealth has led to people building fancy houses and tourist developments on the coast. Whilst in Sri Lanka in 2007 I had the opportunity to talk to a number of people about the tsunami. One wonderful story was of the girl of 6 that saved about 50 people by raising the alarm that the animals were all moving uphill, 'so shouldn't we be?'. One very sad story was that a lot of people saw the sea receding, and followed it out to investigate, with inevitable terrible consequences when the sea came back. Mark, really pleased to see someone writing about the tsunami, for many reasons. Not least, I was studying with a Sri Lankan girl in 2004, and was so impressed that she upped and left the UK immediately to go home and help with the clear up.

There is an important message missing from your article, that is relevant to developed and developing worlds: our desire to be close to the beach puts us at great danger. One of the reasons the death toll was so high is because people did not want to leave their business behind: tourism creates a situation where local people become dependent on the wealth of foreign visitors, as a result they ignore instincts learnt over generations.

In the US, hurricanes are causing so much more (financial) damage in the last 20 years because increasing wealth has led to people building fancy houses and tourist developments on the coast.

Whilst in Sri Lanka in 2007 I had the opportunity to talk to a number of people about the tsunami. One wonderful story was of the girl of 6 that saved about 50 people by raising the alarm that the animals were all moving uphill, ‘so shouldn’t we be?’. One very sad story was that a lot of people saw the sea receding, and followed it out to investigate, with inevitable terrible consequences when the sea came back.

]]> By: Mark Seall http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-55486 Mark Seall Wed, 14 May 2008 19:50:38 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/#comment-55486 Certainly further North you are right (you live in Phuket, right). But the Southern coast, I would argue, is not there yet - at least from what I have seen and the people I have spoken to. Although since I understand that you live in Thailand then you perhaps have a better feeling for it. Thanks for your input. Certainly further North you are right (you live in Phuket, right). But the Southern coast, I would argue, is not there yet – at least from what I have seen and the people I have spoken to.

Although since I understand that you live in Thailand then you perhaps have a better feeling for it. Thanks for your input.

]]> By: alan morison http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-55485 alan morison Tue, 13 May 2008 00:04:53 +0000 http://ecoworldly.com/2008/05/12/tsunami-survivors-still-struggle/#comment-55485 The Andaman Coast of Thailand and its people have fully recovered from the tsunami. It's wrong to suggest that it's so. It's certainly true that some people are still mentally scarred, as you'd expect, but by any practical measure, normal live returned some time back. Indeed, there are very few vestigal signs of the tsunami, beyond rebuilt bridges. Trees are upturned in large storms every monsoon season. To create the impression that the tsunami atmosphere still lingers three years on is plain wrong. Now, if you are concerned about lingering tsunami damage, I suggest you write about Indonesia, or Sri Lanka, or India, where the recovery continues. The Andaman Coast of Thailand and its people have fully recovered from the tsunami. It’s wrong to suggest that it’s so. It’s certainly true that some people are still mentally scarred, as you’d expect, but by any practical measure, normal live returned some time back. Indeed, there are very few vestigal signs of the tsunami, beyond rebuilt bridges. Trees are upturned in large storms every monsoon season. To create the impression that the tsunami atmosphere still lingers three years on is plain wrong. Now, if you are concerned about lingering tsunami damage, I suggest you write about Indonesia, or Sri Lanka, or India, where the recovery continues.

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