A JOURNALIST'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE SOUTH ASIAN TSUNAMI SURVEY

The Dec. 26, 2004, South Asian tsunami was covered by the media as one of the worst natural catastrophes in modern history in terms of lives lost. The event was also an unprecedented opportunity for scientists who are expected to provide the information policymakers, officials and the public need to protect against such disasters in the future. A journalist who accompanied a tsunami survey team in Sri Lanka will describe the experience and offer his perspective on how well the science gets translated into effective public policy and mitigation programs.