Observations from the EEFIT-TDMRC mission to Banda Aceh, Indonesia to investigate the recovery from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

On 26th December 2004 a subduction zone earthquake of magnitude Mw 9.3 struck off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. A large area of the Indian Ocean seabed was vertically displaced, and as a result a tsunami wave was generated that went on to affect many countries around the world. One of the worst hit places was the Aceh province of Sumatra where the capital city, Banda Aceh, experienced serious ground shaking and significant sea water inundation. In Indonesia at least 126,732 people were killed, a further 93,652 people were confirmed missing and 533,770 people were displaced. In 2022, nearly 20 years on from the disaster, engineers and scientists from the UK Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) and from the Indonesian Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Centre (TDMRC) conducted a joint longterm recovery mission. This paper reflects on how a society rebuilds after such a devastating loss and what lessons can be learnt as a community for future disaster risk reduction. The scope of the paper includes the rapid assessment of post-disaster housing, community infrastructure and preparedness measures.