GLST 300 Ecological Justice (Eric Kurtz)

Critically examines the role of humanitarian aid and disaster reconstruction

The 2004 tsunami was massive in every respect: the earthquake that preceded it was one of the largest ever recorded, the number of people killed or displaced is estimated at well over one million, and the international community donated billions of dollars to the relief effort. In some cases the tsunami struck regions already embroiled in other kinds of catastrophes -violent conflict and poverty. The tsunami's presence not only wreaked havoc as a natural disaster, but it left an enduring mark on the political dynamics and power struggles of these places.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami caused immense destruction and over 170,000 deaths in the Indonesian province of Aceh. The disaster spurred large-scale social and political changes in Aceh, including the intensified implementation of shari'a law and an end to the long separatist conflict. After the Tsunami explores Acehnese survivors' experiences of the deadly waves and the subsequent reconstruction process through the stories they tell about the disaster.

On December 26, 2004, a massive tsunami triggered by an underwater earthquake pummeled the coasts of Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and other countries along the Indian Ocean. With casualties as far away as Africa, the aftermath was overwhelming: ships could be spotted miles inland; cars floated in the ocean; legions of the unidentified dead-an estimated 225,000-were buried in mass graves; relief organizations struggled to reach rural areas and provide adequate aid for survivors.