Download Public Perception on Tsunami Risk in the Coastal Areas of Lasbela

Lasbela, U. J.Sci.Techl., vol. V, pp.126-131, 2016
ISSN 2306-8256
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Public Perception on Tsunami Risk in the Coastal Areas of
Lasbela Balochistan
Azra Marri1* and Syed Ainuddin2
1
Department of Geography, University of Balochistan, Quetta
2
Department of Disaster Management and Development Studies, University of Balochistan,
Quetta
Abstract:-The potential vulnerability of Pakistan’s coastline to tsunamis need remain on prime
level to work on community risk perception about tsunami. The main purpose of study is to understand
the tsunami risk in the six coastal communities of Lasbela District, Balochistan, that how it is necessary
to aware the poor and illiterate public about the risk perception of tsunami and prepare to save the human
lives. For this we have to understand regional tectonics of an area, instrumentally recorded events,
historical records, field investigations, geomorphology and external links. As a base of methodology
Questionnaire surveys on tsunami risk perception was carried out among 200 residents of Gaddani,
Sonmiani, Winder (Daam), Goth Allana, Goth Khuda Bakhsh and Rais Pariya Goth, using simple
random sample techniques. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected by using a survey skills i.e.
interviews, group discussion and observation. The results revealed that most of the respondents have
inaccurate knowledge about the tsunami hazard and its impacts. The results also indicate that
government and other stakeholders need to work on this neglected area. The research findings lead to
raise a number of recommendations like basic knowledge of tsunami hazard, including education,
trainings and encouraging voluntary work. A requirement for research into resilience also emerges, to
prepare communities to cope with disasters. Tsunami can mitigated through Mangroves trees whose
twisted roots grow above the ground in coastal swamps; Mangroves trees are more effective than actual
barriers in reducing erosion, and dissolving the energy of breaking waves.
Keywords: Tsunami Hazard, Coastal Areas, Balochistan, Risk Perception
country in the world as shown in the table
1.
When there are travelling waves
on mass level in long length with period
produce
disorders
in
occurring
earthquakes, the disorders includes
volcanic eruptions and the plate’s
movement in consequent collision causes
Tsunami (Goff, 2014). It is time tested
fact that tsunami is a massive risk to life,
property assets and to ecosystem which
changes the total values of human life in
the effected zones (2004 IOT) (Mamo,
2009).
The history of large earthquakes
along the Makran, Balochistan in toward
zone is suggestive of the potential
vulnerability of Pakistan's coastline to
Tsunamis. A figure in year 2004, which
affected the following regions in addition
to Indonesia i.e.
Thailand, India,
Maldives, Tanzania, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Somalia, Seychelles and
Kenya In this context, The figures of
causalities have been narrated by (Wei,
2013), as under Table 2.
The about 280,000 human fold
was hit by the greatest one i.e. (IOT)
tsunami in 26 December 2004 and the
INTRODUCTION
When the impact of a natural
hazard is not minimized by effective
prevention, preparation and recovery
strategies, it has the potential to become a
disaster (Bryant, 2005). In developed and
under developed countries the risk of
disasters in hazardous areas are expanding
due to population growth (Guzzetti, 1999),
The UNDP predicted in year 2006 that the
world population in the next 15 years will
be two times greater, as such the costal
zones play important role in economics of
human lives, we at present have only 4
percent of the world’s land area consisting
of coastal and on other side the human
residing is the 3/4 of the global population,
and they includes very vast in ecosystems
to the extent of coastal area rich in
biological side and of high fiscal
importance. Besides this the trend of
growth in population in using residence on
coastal area is also proving to nature in
hazardous manner (Cochard, 2008).
Tsunamis have been accountable for
significant damage and loss of life in many
coastal areas, mostly around the Pacific
Ocean (Clague, 2003). Historically Japan
has suffered more tsunami than any other
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
126
Table 1. Ten Deadliest Tsunami in the History
Area
Country
1
Sumatra
Indonesia
2
Lisbon
Portugal
3
Karakatau
Indonesia
4
Enshunada Sea
Japan
5
Nankaido
Japan
6
Northern Chile
Chile
7
Sanriku
Japan
8
North Pacific Coast
Japan
9
Ruckus Island
Japan
10
Ise Bay
Japan
Year
26 December 2004
01 November, 1755
27 August, 1883
28 October, 1498
28 October, 1707
13 August, 1868
15 June, 1896
11 March, 2011
24 April,1771
18 January, 1586
Casualty
230,000
60,000
40,000
31,000
30,000
25,000
22,000
18,000
12,000
8,000
Source:
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2011/03/the-10-most-destructivetsunamis-in-history
Table 2. The figures of causalities have
been narrated by (Wei, 2013).
Year
Region
Casualties
2011
East
Japan
15853
various places as such the impact comes
out bending down in poles and angle at
Makran zone and this is said to be the
greatest muddy layer piece in the earth
face covering several kilometers of residue
in occurrence of greatest tsunami’s
(Jaiswal, 2009).
While going through above
studies many areas of Pakistan are on risk
in prediction to future earth quakes which
includes Northern zone of country, Azad
Kashmir, District Muzaffarabad, District
Quetta, Pak Afghan Border, District Sibi,
and Coastal region of Makran (Anuddin,
2012).
In 1945, an earthquake measuring
8.5 on the Richter scale generated a
tsunami along the Balochistan coastline,
killing nearly 4,000 people in the fishing
town of Pasni. Gwadar and Karachi were
also threatened (Larsen, 2014).
Huge earthquakes produce greater
tsunami. In addition, if tsunami is active
the earthquake will be on low down fewer
by 30 kilometers. However, deep
earthquakes in rarely cause adequate
alteration
to
generate
tsunami
(Heidarzadeh, 2008). Around the globe
most of the countries still practice the
post-disaster relief approach. Because of
this many individuals and communities
remain vulnerable to natural hazards.
However, the Hyogo Framework for
Actions is ongoing, toward relief to initial
alarming systems stressing community
pliability to hazard qualification for
hazard. Once we know the risks and
vulnerabilities, better improvement and
advance strategies will less such impacts
of disaster (Anuddin, 2013). In this
Economical
Losses
220 bn$
Source: (Yamazaki, 2013).
region was covered around East Africa and
South Asia (Morin, 2008).Any risk
attached with natural disaster it is good to
keep knowledge of all regions but the most
important is the region where we are
residing and what remained the past history
of losses due to natural disasters in this
context our province Balochistan being the
biggest in area wise around 347190
S/Km’s, the population figure in census has
lastly been numbered in 1998 by 6.6
million where the most of population in
villages is illiterate, poor and jobless with
highest poverty rate, the climate in northern
region remain cold even in minus and it
remained a more emergency point when
any of natural disaster occurred in winter
while the temperature was minus, therefore,
before planning in best way to meet the
disaster after effects to the human lives and
their economic sustainability, Balochistan
witnessed natural calamities and disasters
including the Cyclone Yemyin 2007, Ziarat
Quake 2008, floods 2010, flash flood in
2012 and Awaran quakes 2013 (Khawaja,
2013). Again by both impacts of
earthquake and Tsunami in November 28,
1945 occurred which caused causalities
about 4,000 in Pakistan (Pararas, 2006).
The major cause of earthquake
which cause damages about 80% relates to
drifting of plates particularly Indian,
Iranian plates moving beneath or upward
each other and caused affected zone /(s) at
127
Province the length of coast runs from
Hub to boarder of neighboring country
Iran including five bays in which starts at
Sonmiani bay to Gwader Bay (Figure 1).
While going through sketch and physical
visit it enshrines the consisting of forest of
mangrove in 3 patches, that are Gwader,
Kalmat Khor and Minihor bay and all of
these three covering about 7,500 ha in
Balochistan. It is the benefit of these 3
mangrove forests which protect our
coastal land from tsunami as they impede
the harsh winds which create wave action
(Mukhtar, 2012).
Risk Perception of Tsunami Hazard
While considering the ground
realities which focus to face the un toward
scenes the most contributable will be
emergency planning, plantation of plants
i.e. Mangroves as such these will be
precautionary measures to save the losses
both financial and human lives from the
terrible effects of tsunami. As a matter of
fact, each and every one has to play his
role either the Government functionary's
responsible for or the local folk
(Rechamalia, 2011). The flow of
information to the gross root level and
preparedness strategies will certainly
reduce the risk to life and it is concomitant
to be adopted specially at the costal beach
regions of Lasbela district. Going and
learning lesson from the past experiences
as such motivating the individuals to attain
necessary knowledge either of advance
level or natural in nature (Wachinger,
2013). Furthermore, each and every
person alongwith communitity based be
mobilized to produce capacity to prepare
in meeting the effects of future tsunami
(Hatthakit, 2011) and logical instrument
utilized with focus on both subjective and
quantitative exploration.
District Lasbela is situated on the
border of Sindh and Balochistan the head
quarter of the district is in “Uthal” town,
while the district consists of five tehsils
and 22 Union Councils. District Lasbela is
one of the big districts of seven other
Districts in Balochistan which covers area
of 15,153 S/Km's. Lasbela District
(covering 1075 Km), exists in east
longitudes 65°12'11"- 67°25'39"
and
North latitudes by 24°53'2"-26°39'20"
North latitudes, on south-east side by (218
degrees bearing) of Islamabad and 116 km
towards north west direction (333 degrees
bearing) from Karachi Sindh. The total
population of district Lasbela includes
313000 humans by censes of 1998. The
reason of selection of Lasbela district as a
study area is its hazardous site. The sea
cyclone “PHET” of 2010 also caused
damages to standing crops, livestock and
infrastructure in the area Gaddani and
Somiani, the coastal towns encounter
disasters due to Tsunami in the Arabian
Sea the fishing villages sustained heavy
losses fishing crafts got damaged and huts
were washed away.
The respondents selected for
present study was those population
belonging to those coastal villages are
situated in tsunami hazard prone so the
research has grasped the factors
responsible for increased risk at
128
community level in this regard the
respondents selected for present study was
those population belonging to both the
ship breaking workers and the residents of
villages including all age group males and
females.
construction, unawareness about building
codes, the general public is unaware about
the community based disaster activities
and mitigation measures of tsunami
impacts. No specific projects are
implemented at the general public or tehsil
level for community awareness and
disaster risk minimizing factors.
The above graph shows that the
majority of the sample respondents were
living near to the coast. But, they had lake
of knowledge about the tsunami hazard
except few. When they were asked about
the biggest threats to their village, 31%
answered about the Drought, 30% about
tsunami hazard, 21% about Flood, 20%
about the earthquake and 7% don’t know
about anything. The graph show that
unfortunately 58% of sample residents
don’t know about the Indian Ocean
tsunami in 2004 even more than 50%
respondents don’t know about the Makran
subduction zone tsunami in 1945. The
sample respondents had little knowledge
about the generation of tsunami hazard
they knew that earthquake can generate
the tsunami but they were does not know
about the other options. When the sample
respondents asked that Lasbela district
could be affected by tsunami 57% said yes
6.5% said no while 36.5% does not know
about it.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The questionnaire surveys on the
tsunami risk perception were carried out
amongst 200 residents of coastal areas of
Lasbela District Balochistan using random
sampling techniques. The study is
essentially exploratory in the nature in
view of both primary and secondary
sources of information and data where
both data set was utilized which are
installed with both qualitative and
quantitative exploration system, basically
the aim of research is to recognize the
issues of vulnerable community which are
related with their awareness about the
tsunami hazard and the paper develop
framework for risk reduction of tsunami
hazard in coastal area of Balochistan
Lasbela district.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The lack of seismic hazard
education in general public. There are not
sufficient CBOs to work for community
before and after the disaster. Poor
Fig. 2. Tsunami Risk Perceptions
Fig. 3.Tsunami Risk Perceptions
The above graph show almost
42% of the sample respondents knew
about the last Tsunami which affected the
Balochistan region while 31% of the
sample respondents answered they don’t
know about it. When sample respondents
were asked that do they think Tsunami
could have any of the effects. 57% of the
sample respondents said that Tsunami
could cause the death and injuries while
129
16% of sample respondents knew that
Tsunami could be responsible for the
damages and destruction to homes and
business, furthermore 31% of the sample
respondents did not know about any effect
of Tsunami. 58% of sample respondents
answered that they don’t know Lasbela
region have any tsunami warning system
while 29% surreally said there are no any
warning system existing. 56% of the
sample respondents agreed that Lasbela
needs a Tsunami warning system while
39% of the sample respondents said they
don’t know about it. The respondents were
asked if tsunami strikes the Lasbela region
what do they think the maximum flood
height could be they had no knowledge
about it. 20% of the sample respondents
sure that tsunami could not strike the
Lasbela region. 55% of the sample
respondents rate the importance of
tsunami risk as hazard in Lasbela
compared to other hazard. 21% of the
sample respondents rate no importance of
tsunami risk in Lasbela region while 24%
of the sample respondents were doesn’t
know about it.
perception and implementation of building
codes.
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CONCLUSION
At present no work has been done
to aware the community about the tsunami
hazard. This paper suggests further
knowledge and to engage the community
regarding to tsunami preparedness through
public education. Further, the paper is also
focusing and forcing on taking the
practical steps with true spirit. The paper
has recommends to raise awareness of
tsunami hazard in coastal areas of labela
Balochistan.
Tsunami
education
camping’s should be arrange there.
Tsunami risk reduction strategies should
be used and aware the general public
through electronic and print media.
Naturally the tsunami can be mitigated
through Mangroves, trees whose twisted
roots grow above the ground in coastal
swamps. They are more effective than
actual barriers in reducing erosion,
trapping sediments and dissolving the
energy of breaking waves. Although,
proper warning system to be launched in
such regions. More research is needed to
build the social resilience’s for tsunami
hazard through addressing the risk
130
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Received 15th October, Accepted 10th December,
2016
Manuscript can be viewed online at:
http://www.lujst.com/
131