Alarm bell around the cat’s neck: The Mauritius and Indian Tsunami Case Study

Abstract

This article deals with natural disastersi and calamities such as cyclones, typhoons and earthquakes. Very unstable, some natural phenomena are even more disastrous, in terms of victims and the wounded, than world wars and armed civil conflicts. Relying on the Red Cross, NGOs and humanitarian actions to give food, shelter and medicine is not the proper remedy today because when earthquakes trigger a series of tsunamis it is sometimes too late to react. Funding and international humanitarian aids are not only the solution. Though there is no international law, which deals directly with the plight of victims of natural disasters, prevention and warning system appear to be more important than cure. It seems that it is more beneficial to assist States to develop means and methods so as to be aware of the unaware than simply sending money and funds. Through a pragmatic approach the aim of this paper is to propose incentives as regards to some regulatory framework pertaining to international instruments, that currently exist but which are still unexploited or which have not been exploited thoroughly, to address particularly to nature’s wrath but time is running fast. It is ‘‘une course contre la montre’’. Human beings are all aware of nature’s whims and fancies especially when we live in the Indian Ocean surrounded by cyclones, earthquakes, tidal waves, and since recently, another form of menace: tsunamis which are a potential danger to our nation and a threat to sustainable development.

Keywords: tsunamis, disaster mitigation, disaster reduction.