The power of knowledge: the story of Semilieu, Indonesia

When the Indian Ocean Tsunami hit inDecember 2004 over 250,000 people were killed throughout Asia, but on one small island, just 40km from the epicentre of the earthquake, almost the entire population survived, thanks to the people's inherited knowledge of tsunamis, handed down from each generation to the next. The 26th December 2004 looked like just another normal day on Simeulue. Eleven-year-old Anto Suryanto and his friends were on the beach playing football when the island was hit by a major earthquake. Anto tells his story and how traditional knowledge saved his life.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• UNISDR
• Disaster
• reduction
• tsunami
• Indonesia
• hyogo
• framework

[Cschive]

Run for the hills, run for your lives!