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Southeast Asian Tsunami - December 2004

This page provides data and maps on the population affected by the December 26, 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia as well as links to articles written by CIESIN staff.

Data, Maps and Reports on Population Affected by the Tsunami

7 January 2005

CIESIN has used its extensive collection of spatial demographic data to respond to requests for help estimating the numbers of people affected by the tsunami.

Estimation of Coastal Populations Exposed to 26 December 2004 Tsunami (Download Report, PDF, 1.3 MB)

Estimates of Coastal Population in the India Ocean/Bay of Bengal Region, at 10 meters or less above sea level, by subnational regions (Download Excel Spreadsheet, 38 KB)

District-level Mortality Map of Sri Lanka (death rates denominated by entire district population) (Download PDF, 1.2 MB)

District-level Mortality Map of Sri Lanka (death rates denominated by population within 2km of the coast) (Download PDF, 1.2 MB)

Article in the New Scientist

5 January 2005

Satellite imagery helping tsunami relief effort

Article quoting Christopher Small, Co-Project Scientist with CIESIN's NASA-funded SEDAC project.

See: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6847

Op Ed in the Christian Science Monitor

3 January 2005

Vital technology as a human right

An editorial by Arthur Lerner-Lam and Leonardo Seeber, seismologists with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and Robert Chen, CIESIN's Deputy Director.

See: http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2005/0103/... (may require free registration)

Press Release by the Earth Institute at Columbia University

3 January 2005

The Tsunami and Foreign Aid: Could America Do More?

In 2003, net official development assistance from the world’s developed countries totaled only 0.25 percent of GNP. The U.S. ratio was 0.15, the lowest of all donor countries.

See: http://www.earth.columbia.edu/tsunami/

Op Ed in the Los Angeles Times

30 December 2004

Simple Science Could Have Saved Thousands

"The astounding tragedy in the Indian Ocean is not just a human disaster of unbearable magnitude. Nor is it a matter of fate. It is the consequence of years of underinvestment in the scientific and technical infrastructure needed to reduce the vulnerability of developing countries to natural and environmental calamity."

From an editorial by Arthur Lerner-Lam and Leonardo Seeber, seismologists with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and Robert Chen, CIESIN's Deputy Director. Maxx Dilley, Deborah Balk, and Klaus Jacob also contributed to this essay.

See: http://www.latimes.com/news/... (may require free registration)

This page last modified: Jan 10, 2005