Communicating Disasters: Building on the Tsunami Experience and Responding to Future Challenges

On the eve of the disaster’s second anniversary, on 21-22 December 2006, a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand brought, what one of the participants described as, a 'wave' of conflicting and complementary ideas on key communications learned from the tsunami. The discussions from the meeting is being captured in a book that will explore the different and sometimes conflicting roles individuals from various professions play in communicating disaster risks; and suggest some ways forward in promoting effective communication before, during and after disasters.

The Indian Ocean Tsunami challenged media professionals and media organizations in Asia in many different ways. On the eve of the disaster’s second anniversary, TVE Asia Pacific and UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok organized a meeting that brought together over 30 media professionals, disaster researchers and managers, and development communication specialists from Tsunami-affected countries in Asia. The meeting:

Explored the role of media professionals and their use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) before, during and after a disaster;
Shared lessons learned among media professionals and key players in disaster risk reduction based on the experience of the Tsunami disaster; and
Drafted some suggestive guidelines for engaging the mass media and new media for more effective communication before, during and after disasters.

The discussions, findings and conclusions of the meeting is being captured in a book that will share lessons learned among media professionals and key players in disaster risk reduction based on the experience of the Tsunami disaster; offer insights on the many facets of disasters and the media; and explore ways forward in promoting effective communications before, during and after disasters.

Here are some articles inspired by the meeting and provides a glimpse of the issues discussed at the meeting:

Following the meeting, a Yahoo group has been launched to network the meeting participants and others interested in communicating disasters. See: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/communicating-disaster/>

Related Links

Communicating Disasters: An Asia Pacific Resource Book [PDF, 5.4MB]

Meeting Report

Meeting Announcement

Meeting Agenda

Tsunami Response at the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok

Children of Tsunami

TVE Asia Pacific

e-Primer on ICT for Disaster Management

APDIP e-Note 16 - ICT in Disaster Management

ICT R&D Grants Project: Implementation of Wireless Last Mile Telephony Solution for Information Sharing and Disaster Mitigation in the Rural Philippine Setting

ICT R&D Grants Project: Open Source GIS/Mapping Solution for the Indian Tsunami Information Resource Centre