brad halsey

Areas Susceptible to Disaster:

The disasters that plague Asia vary drastically depending on the region. Between earthquakes, volcanoes, and typhoons, no one in Southeast Asia is relatively safe from negative hazardous events.

When looking at typhoons specifically, the land surrounding the Bay of Bengal is especially susceptible. From 1970-2008 hundreds of thousands of people have been killed from typhoon storms. The reason that so many are affected so negatively is because of flood planes. The deltas that empty into the Bay can be flooded into the surrounding areas fairly quickly and easily. When the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal fuel storms that drift into those areas, everyone is in serious risk of death or relocation because the landscape changes from wet grasslands to a flooded waste. The inward surge of water can happen so quick that many are washed away in a moments notice. Little to no technology exists in these areas that can be used as a warning system. The flood planes themselves are below sea level and act as a catch for all of the water that moves in from the storm. The last place you would want to be during typhoon season is within reach of the Bay of Bengal.

Earthquakes ravage the eastern coast of Japan. Earthquakes are almost exclusively occurring on fault lines or plate boundaries. It is Japan’s bad luck to be bordering a relatively active fault. Often times, the earthquake isn’t even the killing event in Japan. What many are projecting to be catastrophic events are the tsunamis that follow the quake. With many of the historic epicenters lying off shore—the tectonic shifts can create massive tsunamis. The waves will be sent crashing towards the major Japanese costal cities. With the vast majority of Japanese people living within 5 miles of the coastline, earthquake triggered tsunamis are catastrophic. Tokyo is a city that is lying on a fault line that is projected to go off anytime now. While the buildings have been retrofitted with earthquake rigging, no one knows how devastating an earthquake close to Tokyo could be. The casualty count could be monumental.

There is no arguing that Indonesia has a colorful volcanic past. If the past and present project anything about the future then we can rest assured that the ring of fire will assuredly fuel Indonesia’s volcanoes. Two of the most iconic volcanic eruptions occurred within one hundred years and a little over 500 miles from each other. Mt Tambora blew its top in 1815. The surrounding damage was unheard of. The explosion itself affected the entire world’s climate—it triggered a year without summer. Particles from the eruptions were sent so far into the atmosphere that they essentially blotted out the sun and decreased temperatures in Europe and North America especially. Later that century, Krakatoa blew in 1883. The island literally blew apart and sent giant pieces of rock into the surrounding sea. Massive waves hurtled towards Java, killing thousands upon thousands of islanders. Volcanic casualties definitely did not stop in the 1800’s. Indonesia is home of some of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world. The problem: the most fertile and useful land surrounds volcanoes. The people of Indonesia will always be susceptible to volcanic hazards because they are forced to live with them. Once in a while the sleeping beast wakes up.

Areas Making Improvements:

Indonesia: Communication has become paramount. In decades prior, Indonesia has been and acted like a series of completely separate island masses. Now they are striving to communicate with each other to prevent disaster. Just a few days ago Bali was notified to shut down air travel from the nearest airport due to Mt. Raung in East Java. The volcano has been spewing ash for a few days and was beginning to cause vision obstruction. The communication between the two regions may seem elementary, but it is nonetheless leaps and bounds better than the past. Even tribal communities are jumping on board with more strict communicative chains. Bells and other means of alarm are being built along volcanic chains as a way to warn locals of an eruption. Communication, albeit crude and simple, most certainly can save precious lives during a catastrophe.

Tokyo: The question being posed in Tokyo is not if an earthquake will happen—it’s when the earthquake will happen. City officials are leading a charge in preparation. The city itself cannot be moved. Its location is too vital for its commerce and economic benefits. Much like New Orleans, Tokyo much prepare for the inevitable. Lets hope that their preparation yields better results when their event occurs. Essentially, Tokyo is continually revamping the skyline’s supports. There are date cut-offs and codes that state that each building must undergo “earthquake proofing” inspections every couple of years to ensure that the most up-to-date technology is present in the supports. With earthquake proofing technology continually advancing, it is important to Tokyo officials that all buildings be kept up to speed with the latest improvements. It is impossible to test a city’s capacity to withstand a substantial earthquake, but Tokyo is becoming a world leader in disaster prevention efforts.