TSUNAMI SCENARIO SIMULATOR: A TOOL FOR ENSURING EFFECTIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND COASTAL EVACUATION IN A MULTILANGUAGE SOCIETY

An emergent paradigm in disaster-risk reduction is the issue of Multilanguage societies within the context of risk information and communication. The primary mitigation measure for tsunamis is the development of effective warning systems and evacuation strategies. The scale of the earthquake, the level of maintenance of prevention structures, such as seawalls, efficiency of the information dissemination system and the residents’ willingness to evacuate, influence the impact of a tsunami disaster. Therefore, the goal of tsunami disaster reduction is concerned not only with the use of prevention infrastructures but also with encouraging residents to evacuate quickly through the provision of disaster education and the relay of disaster information in a manner comprehendible by all groups in society. The simulator combines hydrodynamic simulation of tsunamis with warning and human-response simulations for evacuation. Additionally, because of its visual 3D/GIS presentation the simulator is an effective tool for educating the public.