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Tsunami hazard map urged
International
Mon, 29 August 2011
Analysis
By Kabeer Yousuf - MUSCAT — In a major breakthrough to enhance the Sultanate’s
preparedness against a possible tsunami, a scientist at the Sultan Qaboos University
(SQU) has suggested a hazard map for the country to be well-equipped. Learning from
the best practices in Japan which has far-fledged detection and Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) in place against such natural calamities, Dr B Babu
Madhavan, a research scientist at the university’s Remote Sensing and GIS Centre,
opines that these preparedness has helped the country in making decisions to support
the reduction of tsunami damage.
“In Japan, several tsunami analysis aid systems have been made, besides the existing
ones for preparing GIS-based tsunami hazard maps. And with these it is possible to
design tsunami hazard maps for planning disaster prevention or to plan the location
and height of civil infrastructures,” Dr Madhavan said in his recent article titled
“Preparing for potential tsunamis in Oman” in the Horizon magazine. “Additionally,
by predicting tsunami scale and potential inundation areas, it is possible to establish
suitable measures for reducing the damage.”
Scientifically, the procedure for compiling a hazard map comprises several steps
which include establishing a digital terrain model, selecting possible earthquake,
performing tsunami simulation which means estimating inundation area, and making
tsunami hazard maps. “And in the case of Oman, to prepare an evacuation plan, the
land topography and bathymetry data are essential. Future possible tsunamigenerating earthquakes should be examined based on the latest scientific
achievements, not just past tsunami or earthquake data.
“On the other hand, social conditions data such as density of population in a
particular region, nature of buildings and land use are needed to establish an
evacuation plan,” Dr Babu, who is also the Director of the Tokyo-based PASCO which
is the world’s largest air-survey corporation, and President and CEO of its Indian
operations, emphasised.
The tsunami hazard map will necessarily shed light on the various inundation areas to
be used for identification of the vulnerable area or evacuation route, expected
arrival time of tsunamis after an earthquake, social information such as schools,
police stations, fire stations, medical centres, public facilities for evacuation area
and emergency countermeasures. To be considered not as an actual situation in
future but as a possible estimation, these hazard maps should be shared among
people and will be guided by experts in each and all governorates, regions and
wilayats.
In order to mitigate damage these tsunami hazard maps should be connected with
proper action and implementation of tsunami measures. After the catastrophic 2004
tsunami in the Indian Ocean followed by the Sumatra earthquake, Dr Babu says, the
countries near the coastal areas have woken up and have started taking measures for
advanced preparedness against tsunami hazard.
Several scientists around the globe investigated this particular tsunami and proposed
simulation and related activities. For the Pacific Ocean-rim countries, besides their
own warning centres, there is advanced and well-equipped International Tsunami
Warning Centre (PTWC). Added to these, countries like Japan are equipped with upto-date hazard maps, and warning and advisory services.
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