Solid waste and disaster debris after tsunami

There will be a huge amount of disaster debris to deal with. In the 2004 tsunami it was far beyond the coping capacities of the cities and towns that were affected. Disposing these wastes in an environmentally appropriate manner, and recycling the waste where possible (for example, crushing of concrete and brick to produce aggregate for road and building construction) will be critical priorities.
Add to this the problem of sorting hazardous and toxic materials that have been inadvertently mixed up with ordinary debris. These may include asbestos, oil fuel, and other industrial raw materials and chemicals. Going by the 2004 tsunami experience, rapid clean-up of affected areas also resulted in inappropriate disposal methods, including air burning and open dumping, leading to secondary impacts on the environment.