68 many cases, both the male and female heads of a household practiced at least one
type of livelihood. For example, one proposed project was raising goats. This activity was already practiced by families in the study area and often women and
children would attend to the goats. This responsibility was often in addition to another occupation or attending school for children. Residents also wanted to
generate as much income as possible in the aftermath of the tsunami in order to return to the style of life that they enjoyed before the disaster occurred. At the time
of the survey, daily rains and choppy seas prevented or inhibited fishing offshore. During this time of year, fishermen often fished in the canals and mangrove areas,
providing them with more time to participate in other livelihood projects. Therefore, positive attitudes toward fishing could be correlated with greater
willingness to participate in projects because individuals intend to do as many projects to generate income and food as possible in order to aid recovery of their
household.
4.4.3. Damage to Productive and Material Goods
Residents living in ‘tsunami houses’
19
mentioned the need to acquire savings for improving their homes. While the houses provided shelter, residents
complained of their quality. For instance, after several days of heavy rain, the walls of the bathroom showed water stains where the window was not well sealed in the
house where the researcher stayed. A resident in Village 7 also had to repair the roof of their ‘tsunami house’ because the aluminum sheeting used on the roof did
19
“Tsunami house” was the term assigned to the houses built by the Thai Air Force soon after the tsunami in order to provide housing for residents that lost their houses.
69 not join completely at the peak of the roof and water would come through the roof
when rain came from a certain direction. Therefore, although these residents were living in houses, they needed money for repairs and improvements in addition to
income for regular household needs. Some residents also lost savings and the ability to practice their occupation
as a result of the tsunami. Because there was no commercial bank in the area, residents stored money and other valuables inside their houses. When houses were
washed away by the waves, money, jewelry and other valuables were also lost, creating a more severe loss for the household by eliminating savings in addition to
the house and its contents. For example, a seamstress lost her sewing machine, fabric and all of her needles and thread when her house washed away. In order for
her to begin recovery, she had to find another source of income in order to begin saving money to purchase a sewing machine and materials needed to re-start her
pre-tsunami occupation. Fishermen in particular, lost productive materials including boats, engines and gear because of the tsunami. One fisherman whose
house was located inland of water inundation lost his boat because it was resting on a bank of the river. The water was focused into rivers and streams which flooded
riverbanks further inland of the inundation on land. Other fishermen had set gear in the sea that was lost when the waves moved through.
4.4.4. Fatalistic Thinking
