Response to tsunami hazard:
Should it not be a responsibility of the citizens to learn about the hazards and protect their lives and property?
A person living in a coastal area should be interested in the following:
Is information on tsunami hazard available? How reliable it is? If a tsunami were to affect my town, how bad it would be? What is my acceptable risk? Is it worthwhile to distribute potential losses by taking an insurance policy? Is there a tsunami warning system? Is there any guidance available on construction of houses? How do I protect myself? What are the escape routes? Do I need to have a personal hazard protection plan for the family?

However, in order for the citizenry to make informed decisions it is equally important that those scientific studies are supported which facilitate identification of physical constraints on the landuse.

It is important that we should, as a nation, carry our environmental protection concerns further than where we are right now, and show by way of examples that implementation and monitoring of hazard loss reduction programmes at all levels will pay rich dividends. Is there any success story? The bottom line is this- be informed and protect yourself and your family.

However, in order for the citizenry to make informed decisions it is equally important that those scientific studies are supported which facilitate identification of physical constraints on the landuse.

It is important that we should, as a nation, carry our environmental protection concerns further than where we are right now, and show by way of examples that implementation and monitoring of hazard loss reduction programmes at all levels will pay rich dividends. Is there any success story? The bottom line is this- be informed and protect yourself and your family.