Case study assignment
Code of ethics case study. As a designer in national
gallery, we are required to study a case/ tragedy and use the ethical codes for
the analysis of the case. Tsunami was my case of study in this module. Below is
my full case study analysis.
ABSTRACT
The study of ethics about of one the most unexpected natural
disaster, Tsunami. The most recent disaster of this big waves sweeping the
lands was held on the Boxing Day, 26 December 2004. The tsunami have been triggered by the
massive 9.3 magnitude undersea earthquake off the coast
of Banda Aceh, northern Sumatra, Indonesia. This massive disaster affected
Indonesia and neighbouring countries in Asia (including India, Malaysia,
Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) and the east coasts of Africa (including
Somalia and Yemen), causing serious damage to the coastal areas and small
islands. However, the tsunami hit across the ocean
banks by the speed up to 500 mph. The final
death toll are never accurately be known or told, an estimated 250,000 persons
have perished in the tsunami, huge count of them were women and children.
Millions more have been displaced or rendered homeless. The damage from the
tsunami was particularly severe as an increasingly percentage of the
population, and many key cities and towns, lie within 50 km of the ocean edge.
All the countries involved were directly imbalanced in most of the sector
especially economics, health, social, politics and etc. The international
response mounted to provide rescue and relief to the affected communities was
unprecedented in its volume and scale, with national institutions,
international organizations, community groups and NGOs, and a variety of other
entities coming together to provide different kinds of aid and services. This
huge disaster need to be analysed and remarked with ethical theories and
perspective. The carriage of this ethical studies is to define and understand
the values of ethics upon the profession and the theories within ethics in
analysing the disaster mannerly.
1.0
Introduction
1.1 Background of case
1.1.1 Tsunami
Tsunami (‘soo-nar-me’) is
a Japanese word; 'tsu' meaning harbour and 'nami' meaning wave. The phenomenon is
usually associated with earthquakes, landslides or volcanic eruptions in, or
adjacent to oceans, and results in sudden movement of the water column. Until
recently tsunami were called tidal waves, even though the event has nothing to
do with tides.
A tsunami is different from a wind generated surface wave on the
ocean. The passage of a tsunami involves the movement of water from the surface
to the seafloor which means its speed is controlled by water depth.
Consequently, as the wave approaches land and reaches increasingly shallow
water it slows. However, the water column still in deeper water is moving
slightly faster and catches up, resulting in the wave bunching up and becoming
much higher. A tsunami is often a series of waves and the first may not
necessarily be the largest.
When a tsunami travels over a long and gradual slope, it allows time
for the tsunami to grow in wave height. This is called shoaling and typically
occurs in shallow water less than 100m. Successive peaks can be anywhere from
five to 90 minutes apart. In the open ocean, even the largest tsunami are
relatively small with wave heights of less than one metre. The shoaling effect
can increase this wave height to a degree such that the tsunami could
potentially reach an onshore height of up to 30 metres above sea level.
However, depending on the nature of the tsunami and the nearshore surroundings,
the tsunami may create only barely noticeable ripples.
1.1.2 Tragedy
Just before 8:30 am domestic time on December 26, 2004 Tsunami waves
with maximum heights ranging from two (2) to fifteen (15) meters began to crash
coastlines in the Indian Ocean. The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of magnitude
reading at 9.3 with an epic enter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia
displaced water above the sea floor set off the waves that directly hit 12
countries. The Tsunami decimated human settlements and their livelihoods. More
than an estimated 250,000 people died, over 40,000 went missing and in excess
of 1,700,000 were displaced. India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia suffered the most
extensive losses of life. The provinces of Aceh and Nias in Indonesia saw
600,000 people lose their livelihood and 141,000 homes destroyed. In India,
close to 1,090 villages were affected in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
Pondicherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Total estimated damages in
the affected region exceed $10 billion, including physical infrastructure,
residential and commercial structures, community institutions, and the
environment. Countries Sweden, the United States, and Australia, bore an
indirect effect, being home to a large proportion of affected tourists. Losses
in fishing, agriculture and tourism industries as well as informal sector
economic activities all around the Indian Ocean paralyzed livelihoods among
affected populations and national economic growth. In the agricultural sector,
among the impacts, the Tsunami affected close to 130,000 farmers in Aceh,
Indonesia, ruined 39,035 hectares of cropped area and killed over 31,000
livestock in India and flooded over 23,000 acres of cultivated land in Sri
Lanka. In Thailand, the tourism sector lost more than 120,000 jobs and
estimates suggest tourism industry losses of around US$ 25 million per
month. The devastation caused by the
Tsunami is difficult to put in perspective. What was unavoidable? What could
have been prevented? Under what circumstances? The Tsunami’s impacts are
further elaborated below – contextualized in relationship to the
vulnerabilities that caused them and strategies that could mitigate similar
effects in the face of future hazards. How can this tragedy can be discussed in
ethical perspective or according the ethical code?
2.0 Chronology
Harbour waves or
Tsunami is caused by earthquakes mainly, especially those that involve vertical
displacement.
Horizontal displacement is not associated with tsunamis.
It is totally unstable and unpredictable most of the time. Submarine landslides
are also an important trigger for the tsunami. Other than that, landslides and
volcanic eruption are part list as the factors that triggers Tsunami.
However, tsunami
disaster came offshore several time in several countries centuries ago and even
a reading of tsunami before civilisation (BC).
Chronologically, tsunami is a disaster that might take place on any time
according to the natural disaster destined. Coastline, such as the Pacific, the
East Coast of Asia, the Carribean and the Mediterranean, are especially vulnerable.
Several harbour wave incident were located in the Pacific Ocean.
|
Date
|
Source Region
|
Wave run-up (m)
|
Report from
|
|
15 BC
|
Santorini (Med)
|
N/a
|
Crete
|
|
1707
|
West Pacific
|
Several
|
Japan
|
|
1 Nov 1755
|
Eastern Atlantic
|
5-10
|
Lisbon, Portugal
|
|
21 Dec 1812
|
California (Pac)
|
Several
|
Santa Barbara, CA
|
|
7 Nov 1837
|
Chile (Pac)
|
5
|
Hilo, Hawaii
|
|
17 May 1841
|
Kamchatka (Pac)
|
<5
|
Hilo, Hawaii
|
|
2 Apr 1868
|
Hawaiian Islands (Pac)
|
<3
|
Hilo, Hawaii
|
|
13 Aug 1868
|
Peru–Chile (Pac)
|
>10
|
Arica, Peru
|
|
10 May 1877
|
Peru–Chile (Pac)
|
2–6
|
Japan
|
|
27 Aug 1883
|
Krakatau (Pac)
|
30–40
|
Java
|
|
15 Jun 1896
|
Honshu (Pac)
|
24
|
Sanriku, Japan
|
|
3 Feb 1923
|
Kamchatka (Pac)
|
c.5
|
Waiakea, Hawai
|
|
2 Mar 1933
|
Honshu (Pac)
|
24
|
Sanriku, Japan
|
|
1 Apr 1946
|
Aleutian Islands (Pac)
|
10
|
Wainaku, Hawaii
|
|
4 Nov 1952
|
Kamchatka (Pac)
|
<5
|
Hilo, Hawaii
|
|
9 Mar 1957
|
Aleutian Islands (Pac)
|
<5
|
Hilo, Hawaii
|
|
9 July 1958
|
Alaska (Pac)
|
524
|
Lituya Bay, Alaska
|
|
23 May 1960
|
Chile (Pac)
|
>10
|
Waiakea, Hawaii
|
|
28 Mar 1964
|
Alaska (Pac)
|
6
|
Crescent City, CA
|
|
28 Feb 1967
|
Eastern Atlantic
|
>1
|
Casablanca
|
|
16 Aug 1976
|
Moro Gulf (Pac)
|
5
|
Philippines
|
|
1983
|
NW Pacific
|
14.5
|
Noshiro, Japan
|
|
26
Dec 2004
|
West coast of Sumatra (Pac)
|
10
|
Banda Aceh
|
*most recent
Tsunami tragedy
The timeline of the
most recent Tsunami, Boxing Day Tsunami, 2004. Timelines are +0700 GMT, unless
otherwise stated.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2004
0058 GMT (7:58 am):
Jakarta's Geo-Physical Center registers an
earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale off the island of Sumatra. The
epicenter is located in the Indian Ocean, 250 kilometres (155 miles) to the
southeast of the island. Data evolves until the quake is registered at a
magnitude of 9.3, the strongest earthquake registered in the world for 40
years.
0114 GMT (8:14 am):
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii
registers the quake.
0130 GMT (8:30 am):
Sumatra is
devastated by the tsunami unleashed by the quake. The province of Aceh is
overcome by waves of nearly 35 meters (115 feet) high in certain places. Dozens
of villages are wiped from the map. Indonesia will eventually count around
170,000 dead or missing, including some 131,000 on Sumatra's west coast.
Near to the
epicenter, the Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar are among the first hit in
the Bay of Bengal.
0230 GMT (9:30 am):
Beaches in the
south of Thailand such as Phuket, Khao Lak and Phi Phi, very popular with
tourists in the end of year period, are in their turn hit by walls of water.
Around 5,400 are killed there, of whom half are foreigners of 37 different
nationalities. Nearly 8,500 are injured.
The southernmost
tip of Myanmar is also hit, leaving 61 dead, as is the south of Bangladesh.
0300 GMT (8:30 am Sri Lanka time):
In Sri Lanka,
the tidal wave sweeps across more than 800 kilometres of coastline from the
northeast to the south, destroying houses and tourist centers: 31,000 are
killed.
In India, around
16,400 people die, with the southern state of Tamil Nadu paying the heaviest
price. Protected by Sumatra, Malaysia is relatively spared the impact of the
tsunami, with 68 dead, mainly on the tourist island of Penang.
0400 GMT (9 am Maldives time):
The tsunami
reaches the Maldives archipelago. Two-thirds of the capital Male is flooded, as
well as most of the 1,192 islets. More than 100 people die.
0700 GMT:
The tsunami
reaches the east African coast. Nearly 300 die in Somalia, including around 100
fishermen. At least 10 die on the Tanzanian coast. In Kenya, where evacuation
procedures have been put into place, there is only one casualty.
Towards 0900 GMT:
Strong waves
reach Mauritius and Rodriguez Island, causing material damage. During the day:
Airports in the region, notably of Bangkok, are besieged by thousands of
holidaymakers seeking to return home. Governments mobilize to help their
nationals.
Towards 1430 GMT:
The first global
tolls speak of more than 5,400 dead. As days pass the toll worsens, reaching
120,000 on December 30, 146,000 on January 5, more than 160,000 by the 13th, to
end at more than 220,000 dead.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 27
On beaches
scattered with debris, searches take place to try to find survivors.
Foreign
countries and international organizations earmark emergency aid. Planes
carrying foodstuffs, medicines and rescue workers leave for the disaster area.
3.0
Cause
3.1 Cause of Tragedy (Tsunami 2004)
Earthquakes in
underwater commonly occur at the boundaries between tectonic plates. They
release and subsequently transfer large amounts of energy as these plates
shift. In 2004 earthquake, under the ocean near West-Coast of the Indonesian
island of Sumatera, a part of the tectonic plate unstably broke off from the
crust, sending rocks shooting upward through the water. There was a rise in
huge force deep from the water above the surface of the ocean. This energy from
the rise then changed from vertical motion to horizontal motion due to gravity,
and began crossing the ocean towards various countries' shores.
The horizontal
motion of the wave formed in a ripple effect, similar to what is observed when
tossing a stone into a still pond. The energy traveled faster in deep water,
but as it entered the shallow water near the beaches where the tsunami broke
ground, the wave slowed and built height.
According to
Geo-Science, the earthquake involved an amount of energy equivalent to 23,000
of Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. Several factors intensified the damage of this
particular tsunami. It struck a highly populated area, as tourists filled the
resorts in the area during the recent holiday. The death toll from this
disaster event was around 230,000 people.
In
short and clear, the Boxing Day Tsunami was caused by a massive magnitude
breaker at the reading of 9.3 richter-scale. The 9.3 richter earthquake had
risen and made the changes of tectonic motions in deep under the sea and made
the quake to form huge waves to reach the shores (Tsunami). Clearly, in 26
December 2004, Boxing Day Tsunami was caused by the earthquake deep under the
sea near West-Coast of the Indonesian island of
Sumatera.
4.0
Implication
4.1 Implication of Tragedy
The natural
disaster (Tsunami 2004) that swept the shore of almost 12 countries. Those
countries are the neighbouring countries at the West-Coast of the Indonesian.
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Maldives, Somalia, Yemen and few other
countries were affected of this huge harbour wave caused by the Indonesian
Island of Sumatera, West-Coast deep sea earthquake. Estimating of 250,000 civilians have been
perished in this tsunami disaster, huge count of them were women and children.
Impacts were on the
main source of living for the populations of a country. Damages that is caused
by the huge wave with a speed of up to 500 mph affected social life, economic
and the environment of every country.
4.1.1 Social
The estimated death
toll of 250 000 is a huge change of growth in the society. This is due to the
loss of family and any of the member in it. Other than that, almost 1.7 million
of people are homeless and unprotected, no shelter to get protected and
accommodation. Besides, they are spread everywhere seeking for help, some might
still finding their family which might or might not exist anymore. Injuries and
wounds are made by the huge wave and its great force of impact onto the people
around. Emergency aid was needed to the public which stands up 5 to 6 millions
of people including the need of food and water for the public. Threats of
disease are another problem that occurred due to the mix of salt water with
fresh waters as well as with the sewage. Specifically in Sumatera, 1 500
villages were destroyed and dislocation of homes. All this impacts will hugely,
cause a drop of other sectors in the country.
4.1.2 Economic
Mainly, harbour
ports of the countries involved were destroyed by the disaster. This caused the
drop of import, export and entreport of a country. Other than that, the fishing
industry are the most obviously ruined. The boats, nets and other equipment are
washed off by the waves. An estimated of 60% of Sri Lanka’s fishing fleet
destroyed. Moving on to the financial part, reconstruction cost billions of
money to build the country back to normal. Adding on to the affect, loss of
earnings from tourism is another bad implication to the country. This caused foreign
visitors to Phuket dropped at almost 80% in the year 2005. Moving on to the
connection sector, roads, bridges, railways, and network connection damaged.
4.1.3 Environmental
The crops are
destroyed. Thus, grains and basic need foods are unable to be grown for a
certain period of time. Most of the farm land are ruined by saltwater and some
are fuul of trash that is made by the waves. In Indonesia, 8 million litres of
oil were destroyed through the death of the particle death in the palm trees.
Moreover, the mangrove forest along the coast were destroyed and people who is
depending on mangrove were unable to make their living. At the sea, coral reefs
and the wetlands such as beach are damaged.
4.2 Conclusion
The implications from the disaster hugely affects a country in many
sectors and industries. This leads a country more to debt to the World Bank.
This will lead the country to an unstable level and seek of help in building
and improving their country in all ways.
5.0
Actions
5.1 Actions taken after the tragedy
It would be
difficult to identify a group not involved in the response. In addition to the
national governments and their militaries, civil society organizations, foreign
militaries, private enterprise, and international NGOs also played key roles.
The action taken
were immediate search and rescue of the public and their family members.
Supplying emergency food and water. Setting medical cares and temporary shelter
for the public. Re-establishment of infrastructure and
communications were planned to bring back the social connectivity. The British
public gave £330 million through charities, and the average of Action aid
donation was £84 – their best ever response. The authorities ordered quick
burial or burning of the dead to avoid the spread of disease.
The resources and
logistical expertise available to and utilized by national militaries was
critical in the early days, particularly in the areas of security,
communications, and movement of relief supplies. However, there were limiting
factors affecting their response. The Indonesian military, for example, had few
helicopters in the region. However, the U.S. aircraft carrier was in the region
and its 25 helicopters began flying missions within days of the disaster. Even
with added capacity, insufficient transportation assets were a major element, as
well as the critical factor that the military and their families were among the
victims.
The contribution of
civil society organizations, including NGOs, church groups, and other community
organizations, notably, the national Red Cross/Red Crescent societies, was
extraordinary and many would argue that these local groups represent a little
understood or appreciated component of the overall response. Interestingly,
these organizations were not routinely included in national disaster management
planning. This exclusion also extended to private corporations.
6.0 Discussion
This tragedy or case study is to make use of the ethical perception
and perspective in analysing the case. Hence, as a Designer of National Art
Gallery, the case study is about Tsunami and how it can consisted with the code
of ethics.
6.1 Code of Ethics
6.1.1 Utilitarianism
The approach of utilitarianism is about
facilitating or providing the greatest good for the greatest number. Besides
it is about managing things around to be more efficiently smoother to be
carried out. Utilitarian approach prescribes ethical standards in the areas of
organizational objectives, efficiency and conflict of interest especially upon
the responsible one.
Tsunami is a
disaster that is beyond the control of human’s hand, thus this approach can be
analysed as the methods and action that is made after the tragedy on Boxing
Day. National governments and their militaries, civil society organizations, foreign
militaries, private enterprise, and international NGOs taken initiative in
supplying utilities for the victims. Major actions are also taken to
reallocation of the victims to a safer place by all the organisations involved.
Other than that, the authorities ordered quick burial or burning of the dead to
avoid the spread of disease.
This is due to avoid the disease from spread into the perimeter. Other
utilities such as medical aids, foods, cloths and other daily needs are well
supplied by all the bodies including the neighbouring city publics.
6.1.2 Right Ethics and Duty Ethics
This approach of ethics is about Natural rights of certain basic, important,
unalienable entitlements that should be respected and protected in every single
action. It is also to include the right
to freedom of speech, conscience, consent, privacy and the entitlement to fair
legal rights whereby this rights has been enunciated by Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804, a German philosopher) and
is called the Kantian/Rights.
The approach in
this ethical code is a part of rights of being human and about humanity.
Humanity approach like doing rational things which is essential at the moment
without further thoughts or delay. In 2004 Tsunami, there were limiting in the
Indonesia. For example, Indonesia had few helicopters in the region. However,
the U.S. aircraft carrier was in the region and its 25 helicopters began flying
missions within days of the disaster. Moreover, the British public gave £330
million through charities, and the average of Action aid donation was £84 –
their best ever response.
Additionally, the
contribution of civil society organizations, like NGOs, deities groups, and many
community organizations, the national Red Cross/Red Crescent societies, was
extraordinary and many would argue that these local groups represent a little
understood or appreciated component of the overall response.
6.1.3 Virtue Ethics
Virtue Ethics contends that morally correct actions are those
undertaken by actors with virtuous characters. Therefore, the formation of a
virtuous character is the first step towards morally correct behaviour. This is
more to acquirement
of characters of people or a person which leads a good life.
The disaster which perished estimated 250000 life, was a tragedy
that shook the world and people, thus, it was never left over. Helps in moral
and rational values were flowed in many ways both direct and indirectly. The
involvement of neighbouring city people was a major factor that made the other
main organisation and bodies to clear the coastal dislocated properties. It was
ethically proved that even the tragedy is not under the human circumstances, it
is still manageable with ethical values.
Code of ethics are voluntary statements that commit organizations,
industries, or professions to specific beliefs, values, and actions and/or that
set out appropriate ethical behavior for employees. Below are the, supportive
discussion and analysis of ethical codes.
·
Organizational or corporate codes of ethic
These are specific to a single organization. Basically these codes
seek to identify and encourage ethical behaviour at the level of the individual
organization. In this case of ethics, the organisations such as civil society
organizations played as a single organisation that helped to supply food and
water with medical aids as well. This is another ethical perception that is
shown which is the Utilitarian Approach according to the complex judgments on
the balance between economic performance and the social performance of an
organization.
·
Professional Codes of Ethics
Traditional professional groups such as doctors, lawyers and
accountant have their own guidelines for their members. However this is
increasingly common for other professions such as marketing or engineers to
have their own conduct. In this case study, the involvement of professional
group such as doctors for the aid and other professionalised characters to help
the victims of the tragedy. The NGOs and foreign militaries, private enterprises
in ethical perception as in Responsible
Professionals and Ethical Corporations followed and approached the highest
degree of socially responsible practices (Social
Contribution).
·
Industry Code of Ethics
Particular industries also sometimes have their own codes of ethics.
According to this code of ethics, the bodies, firms, and organisation that took
implications to improve the alert of such a disaster in a very specialised
method of strengthening the coastal reading in the pacific Ocean such as the
Indonesian Coastal organisation prepared for the upcoming tsunami (learn from
past).
·
Programme or Group codes of ethics
This are code of ethics
established by certain programmers, or other sub-grouping of Organization
participating in specific programmers. This ethical code is shown by the Group
of Britain public that showed some courtesy to contribute and help the victims
of the Tsunami (Social Contribution and Organizational General Social Welfare)
7.0 Conclusion
The Tsunami tragedy
can be predicted but it is still a natural disaster tragedy that is can’t be
stopped. Instead of that, several ways can be conducted to avoid massive
damages to take place. The tsunami, recent 2004, are still under development in
certain countries that is implicated. Greater impact were brought by the
tragedy but ethically, it is not just left behind without doing further studies
and planning about it. Most of the Tsunami disaster causes are taken as a
serious matter of consideration. In ethical perspective, the previous mistake
or faultiness would never occur if the values in professional ethics are being
highlighted. Other than ethical point of
perspective, social science and social sense might be taken into a deep
consideration as the countries around the coastal are alert of the Sumatera
earthquake.
Reference
·
Jaffe, B., E. Geist, and H.
Gibbons (2005) “Indian Ocean Earthquake Triggers Deadly Tsunami,” Sound Waves,
Monthly Newsletter of the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Science Information
Sources (USGS) http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/
·
Jayasuriya, Sisira and Peter McCawley, "The Asian Tsunami: Aid and Reconstruction after a Disaster" (http://www.eelga
r.co.uk/Bookentry_Main.lasso?id=13668)
·
Cheltenham UK and Northampton MA USA: Edward Elgar, 2010.
·
Srinivas,
H., & Nakagawa, Y. (2008). Environmental implications for disaster
preparedness: Lessons Learnt from the Indian Ocean Tsunami Journal of
Environmental Management, 89 (1), 4-13
·
Indonesian Delegation, World
Conference on Disaster Reduction, Kobe, Japan, 1 22 January,2005. URL:
http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr/. Date accessed: 20 February 2005.
·
Class notes of Professional
Ethics (HSD 3023)
