Intellectual Merit: A multinational team consisting of thirteen scientists and social scientists, including several members from the affected countries, has been assembled to better understand the causes and ramifications of Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004. The team will use a suite of research methods drawn from science, engineering, and social science to collect data on height, velocity, extent and affects of the tsunami flood at differentially affected stretches of the coastline along the Malay-Thai Peninsula. The team will conduct interviews and focus groups to obtain further information on the tsunami characteristics and precursor 'warning signs' from 'eye witness interviews', and post-event changes such as damage clean-up. The social science field survey has a series of core research questions focusing on livelihood impacts and patterns of local and institutional response by different groups and populations. The social scientists will assess the impact of the tsunami on human actions, public services and communication, as well as the effectiveness of the response plans. They will contribute to the physical science component through the provision of oral historical accounts obtained during interviews. The 2004 tsunami provides access to unique and perishable data, with which to construct and interpret trajectories of environmental change in the area over the recent past, and assess future risk. The geophysical scientific information will be complemented by interviews, using focus groups and case studies with key informants, such as village leaders, teachers and retired local officials in the communities, and group environmental mapping and environmental timelines. These will provide viewpoints on the nature of environmental change over time, which will be augmented by a review of archival information on the state of the environment. Information concerning present and past environmental change will enable an assessment of the implications for the status of local people's livelihoods and a better understanding of how they respond to the challenges and, possibly, opportunities offered by catastrophic environmental change. This project will further catalyze the development of a strong, experienced, international and multi-disciplinary research team that will be able to build on the results of this project with longer-term and more in-depth studies in the region. Broader Impacts: This research will document and analyze the scientific and social scientific aspects of the 2004 tsunami to better understand the impacts of seismicity along the Malay-Thai Peninsula. Knowledge of the factors influencing the trajectory of environmental change is a critical component in understanding and predicting future trends. This project will ultimately help people and organizations better manage profound or rapid change. The physical and social data accumulated through this project will help to improve numerical tsunami models, and produce maps that local planners can use as a planning tool in rebuilding settlements, hotels and infrastructure. These same maps can be used to plan better evacuation routes and to save lives. Evidence that indigenous communities proved more resilient to the effects of the disaster will contain lessons that can assist planners in mitigating risks associated with future tsunami events. The coincidence of natural and socio-economic forces and outcomes is evident in the environment of the west coast of the Malay-Thai Peninsula. Here, a deteriorating environment not only affects the conservation value of the area but is also undermining its economic value. This study goes beyond the usual synthesis of either environmental or social scientific studies and will stimulate breakthroughs in knowledge about human action and development as well as organizational, cultural, and societal adaptation to catastrophic events. The research will involve several undergraduate and graduate students from all countries working collaboratively with all members of our team. The opportunity for these students to engage in hands-on scientific and social research is critical to their development as the next generation of researchers/educators. The proposal is justified as a Small Grant for Exploratory Research because it is imperative that the team is able to begin fieldwork immediately to collect the unique, available and accessible, but perishable, physical and social data from the Indian Ocean tsunami, which is being rapidly lost due to post-depositional change and the fading memories. The team hopes that the synergy of the natural and social science will catalyze rapid and innovative advances in the Human and Social Dynamics program.
This research is supported jointly by the Human and Social Dynamics (HSD) priority area, the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), and the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Program.
