If you’re interested in learning about how the tsunami has affected specific Sri Lankan areas – including district-by-district refugee statistics, death tolls, and refugee camps – click here. All information is as of 01/01/05. The map is interactive, you can rollover the districts to see damage and the restoration efforts of Sarvodaya
Maps are good, but like every representation, they can communicate erroneous information. The coloring of the entire district communicates an inaccurate (and possibly harmful) picture of the scale of damage (which is limited to at most 0.5 km from the sea). It would better to use the map that uses the Divisional Secretariat Units rather than the districts as the units of reporting. This exists; I have a copy that I can provide if MapAction has not already given it.
The relentless media coverage is creating an image of Sri Lanka as a broken, devastated land. This will be harmful for all our industries and to our people, if not corrected. For our part, we should avoid reinforcing this image.
i couldn’t agree more with that comment.
You’re right Tha. I’m trying to contact MapAction to develop a more robust mapping system than this. I’ll look around for the specific map you mentioned.
Today in Atlanta, Georgia, I tried to rent a phone with direct dialling to Sri Lanka, but they said Sri Lanka is delisted because of the Tsunami. What nonsense.
Yes, we need to get the word out .