Japan Mulls Massive, 250-Mile Sea Wall To Fend Of Tsunamis
Four years after a towering tsunami ravaged much of Japan’s northeastern coast, efforts to fend off future disasters are focusing on a nearly 400-kilometer chain of cement sea walls, at places nearly five stories high. Opponents of the $6.8 billion plan argue that the massive concrete barriers will damage marine ecology and actually do little to protect residents who are mostly supposed to relocate to higher ground.
4 Years After Japan’s Devastating Tsunami
People across Japan fell silent on Wednesday to remember the thousands of victims of the tsunami that wrecked its north-east coast four years ago.
New Museum Program Focuses on Impacts of Fukushima on the Ocean
Four years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident, Japan is still recovering and rebuilding from the disaster. The accident resulted in the largest unintentional release of radioactivity into the ocean in history…
Fukushima Operator Finds New Source of Radiation Leak into Sea
The operator of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima found a pool of highly contaminated water on the roof of a plant building and that it had probably leaked into the sea through a gutter when it rained.
Impact of Tsunami on the Columbia River
Engineers at Oregon State University have completed one of the most precise evaluations yet done about the impact of a major tsunami event on the Columbia River, what forces are most important in controlling water flow and what areas might be inundated.
Sri Lanka Still in Search of a Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan
Only those who have faced disasters head-on understand and appreciate the need to think and act at lightening-quick speeds. Cultivating awareness among the general public – is perhaps the single most important aspect of a comprehensive national plan, according to experts.
Ten Years After Indonesian Tsunami, Are Coasts Any Safer?
It is impossible to predict exactly when or where the next major tsunami will occur. Future tsunami disasters are inevitable, but with better technology, education and governance we can realistically hope that a loss of life on the scale of the 2004 tsunami disaster will not happen again.
Tsunami Science: Advances Since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tragedy
On the 10th anniversary of the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami, greatly expanded networks of seismic monitors and ocean buoys are on alert for the next killer wave in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific and the Caribbean. In fact, tsunami experts can now forecast how tsunamis will flood distant coastlines hours before the waves arrive.
Aceh at 10 – A look Back at the Response
A decade after the Indian Ocean tsunami devastated Aceh, the isolated tip of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island on the morning of 24 December 2004, IRIN looks at the unprecedented aid response, its impact, and how local people continue to be affected.