South Asia: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Islands of the Indian Ocean - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 265

Figure 9-11
Residents sift through the trail of destruction along the
coastal railway line in southern Sri Lanka after
tsunami tidal waves lashed more than Sri Lanka' s
coastline in 2004. © SENA VIDANAGAMA/AFP/Getty
Images, Inc.

Sri Lanka, wild animals scrambled up hill slopes to
escape the impending disaster that humans were as
yet unaware of. Later came the roar and then came
the wave and all was lost for millions of Sri Lankans
along the southern and eastern coasts (Figure 9-11).
The death toll was at least 35,000, and 1.5 million
people became environmental refugees.
Aside from destroying lives directly , the 14-foot
(4.3 m) tsunami smashed the economy . Thousands
of acres of rice paddy were inundated with saltwater
rendering them useless for cultivation. Many hotels
and roads were destroyed or damaged, which ruined
the important tourist industry . Fortunately , interna-
tional aid arrived quickly although distribution was
hindered because of infrastructural damage.
Self-help efforts were notable. Thousands of Sri
Lankans loaded their pick-ups with food, clothing,
household goods, and medical supplies and tried to
get them to those who had lost everything. Some,
who thought that they had excess supplies from
relief agencies, set up shop on sidewalks and road-
sides to sell cheaply what they didn't need in order
to buy what they did need.
Many organizations became involved in the
relief effort. BRAC (see Bangladesh above) offered
thousands of small loans to restart businesses
mostly related to coir processing, lace-making,
and other handicrafts along with retail sales of
fruit and vegetables. The United Nations Develop-
ment Program (UNDP) created women' s programs
under the acronym “Strong Places” that were in-
tended to support community-based organiza-
tions to distribute supplies and help people

Figure 9-12
Here in Uva, a remote mountain village in Sri Lanka, a woman is
editing a radio show at the community radio station. This is one
of many activities supported by the Area Based Growth With
Equity Program lauched in Sri Lanka by the United Nations.
The program aims to promote sustainable human development
by creating employment opportunities and sustainable livelihoods
in context of poverty reduction and increased social integration.
Photograph courtesy of the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP).