Almost a hundred tourists were among those who died in the Nepal earthquake. Those who were saved by a whisker returned from the hill country with traumatic injuries and painful memories.
Can a vacation be more tragic? How can we avoid this?
We should start with the time when we plan our holidays. A lot depend on where we go to and the time we go. Internet is filled with data on all possible places you might have in mind. The Caribbean, for example, is not a nice place to visit between July and October, since it is the time when the land is battered by many cyclones.
We know landslides are rife on Kerala’s high ranges during the monsoon. That trip to Munnar could wait until the rains are over. We should avoid the kind of 'disaster tourism' that is on the rise. Should you really go watch a volcano which is about to erupt?
Natural disasters such as earthquake and tsunami strike unexpectedly but we know about the places prone to such phenomena. Chances of earthquake are higher in places such as Japan, Indonesia, Chile and California, in the U.S. Many cities from Tehran to Jerusalem have a history of earthquakes. It could happen again.
The coasts of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific have been hit by tsunami. Tourists do not have to shun these places but they should be aware of this and act accordingly.
Chances of survival are greater in any disaster if you are well prepared. Every tourist must carry a 'grab bag', which contains the essentials like mobile phone, emergency charger, torchlight, first aid kit, essential medicines and, if you are abroad, your passport and $500.
The idea is to grab the bag and flee a place within a minute in case a disaster strikes. The bag should also have the numbers of the Indian consulate and the local Malayali association.
You have to choose your hotel carefully. It is wiser to avoid beach cottages in places with a history of tsunami and hill resorts in places with a tendency for landslides. Always ask for a room between the second and sixth floor, low enough to run out of it in case of a natural disaster but high enough to protect you from break-in and theft.
All these precautions are no guarantee that you do not end up in a disaster. Then your first priority should be your own safety. If you are in a disaster zone, text one or two close relatives that you are safe. Switch off the phone as soon as they have acknowledged it. Or you might end up describing the scene to every friend and relative and television news presenter. The mobile network will crash with the heavy traffic or your phone will run out of charge.
You can pitch in in the rescue operations but it is not a good idea to delay your return trip for that. Disaster management is for professionals. You are doing yourself and others a favour by leaving the calamity-hit place as soon as possible.
(The writer is the chief of Disaster Risk Reduction in the UN Environment Programme)