Week 10: Reading 01 - Tsunami Warnings, Written in Stone

As there were no specified readings for Week 10, I have gone back and reflected on some from past weeks which had been assigned multiple readings. This week’s reflection is on the reading Tsunami Warnings, Written in Stone by M. Fackler, assigned to Week 2.

The reading is about “tsunami stones” situated along the coastline of Japan that mark the extent of inland destruction caused by past tsunamis. They stand as a reminder to future generations of the devastation made possible my tsunamis and warn not to build any lower than where the stones have been positioned.

However, as time goes on, the article notes that modern day Japan has become ignorant to the warnings of these stones and the message of their ancestors. Development spreads into low-lying areas, seawalls are built taller and reliance is put on advancing technology to quell Mother Nature. It was proposed by Masayuki Oishi that modern versions of these tsunami stones are needed.

This reading reminded me of the January 2011 Brisbane floods and the consequential debates that followed regarding the buying back of river side properties by the council and redeveloping them into recreational park lands or sporting grounds. A lot of conversations/discussions with peers, families and friends brought up similar viewpoints regarding the same issue of the inclination of future generations to forget what has happened in the past. Many of the people I spoke to seemed to believe that, although house prices in flood prone areas have decreased substantially, they are bound to rise again as the generations go on.

In this case, I believe there is a need for a “modern day tsunami stone” not only in Japan, but also in Brisbane and every other city prone to natural disasters. Although I admire the simplicity and straightforward message of the tsunami stones, I believe with the evolution of the way we live and the way messages are now conveyed in the virtual and digital sense, simple messages such as those of the stones can be so easily overlooked in today’s world. As also mentioned in the article, a heavy reliance on technology to prevent and repair everything will also eventually be out down fall.

What could be Brisbane’s version of the tsunami stones? Wivenhoe Dam was supposed to stand as a reminder of the destruction of the 1974 floods but how well did it remind us? Is changing legislation enough? What happens when the next generation is in charge of determining this legislation?