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Published on: October 11, 2016
Tsunami mortality estimates and vulnerability mapping in Aceh, Indonesia.
Shannon Doocy1, Yuri Gorokhovich, Gilbert Burnham
1Center for Refugee and Disaster Response at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md 21205, USA. sdoocy@jhsph.edu
American Journal of Public Health
|April 7, 2007
Summary
Tsunami mortality in Aceh was estimated using demographic models, closely aligning with official figures. These methods offer valuable tools for future disaster response and humanitarian aid targeting.
Area of Science:
- Disaster management
- Epidemiology
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Background:
- The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated Aceh, Indonesia, necessitating robust mortality assessment methods.
- Accurate mortality data is crucial for effective emergency response and humanitarian aid distribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify tsunami mortality in Aceh, Indonesia.
- To compare different mortality assessment approaches in a post-disaster emergency context.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based vulnerability models.
- Employed demographic methods based on surveys of tsunami-displaced populations.
Main Results:
- Demographic models estimated 131,066 tsunami deaths, closely matching official figures (128,063).
- Aceh Jaya district experienced the highest mortality rate (27.0%), followed by Aceh Besar (21.0%) and Banda Aceh (11.5%).
- Overall mortality was estimated at 5.6% of the total population and 23.7% of the population at risk.
Conclusions:
- Developed mortality estimation methodologies applicable to future disasters, even without predisaster demographic data.
- These models can aid in early disaster response by facilitating targeted humanitarian assistance and resource management.
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