In the main street of Hikkaduwa, a small town in Sri Lanka, there is a Chitikka Photo Museum. There you can see photos related to the devastation caused by the devastating tsunami that struck on December 26, 2004. This museum is also built with no frills. There is a small tin roofed building. The residents of Hikkaduwa jointly run this museum.

A tall statue of Buddha has been installed near the museum, the height of which is equivalent to the sea level of Urlinda from the devastating tsunami of 2004. This new destination is not only attracting tourists every day, but it is also melting the hardened minds like the pictures in the photo museum. 

Remembering the human damage caused by the tsunami still breaks my heart. We have also lost many of our acquaintances' said a Sri Lankan woman who met there in an emotional mood. 

A tsunami is a natural disaster. No one could stop it from coming, nor could anyone stop it after it came. However, the residents of the affected area have created a museum and exhibited photographs of the destruction, making such a heartbreaking event a place of collective memory and alerting everyone who comes there about the danger of natural disasters.

Another exemplary message here is the museum building built in a typical architectural style covered with tin. Which has proved that grand structures and expensive new technology are not needed to attract tourists. Even if the memorial is presented in a very simple way, the value of the impression it leaves is high. 

There are many such museums in the world. Disaster museums provide important education and information to the public at the same time. America's '9/11 Memorial' is another such example. Natural calamities are not the only ones in the list of disasters. All the unpleasant and unpleasant events in human history fall under the category of disasters. America's '9/11 Memorial' commemorates the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. That event has become enshrined in the collective memory of American citizens, which the role of institutionally passing on to future generations is fulfilled by the commemorative museum. It also has other benefits. The world knows about that 2001 terrorist attack. That is why millions of tourists visit the museum every year, from which the economic benefits of the tourism industry to the entire country are also happening. 

Another example is the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in Poland. Auschwitz was the largest 'concentration camp' and 'extermination center' of the German Nazis. The museum here commemorates Hitler's atrocities against the Jewish population during World War II. About 11 lakh people lost their lives here. This museum has also been attracting a large number of international tourists every year. In the year 2023 alone, 16 lakh 76 thousand 345 people arrived here, from which 24 million euros were earned, the museum has announced. 

Several tsunami museums in Japan are playing an important role in educating the public about the disaster, preserving historical memory, sensitizing the new generation to natural disasters, and preparing them to fearlessly face potential disasters. Among such museums, the ``Rikuzentakata Tsunami Memorial Museum'' and the ``Okushiri Tsunami Museum'' are working together as educational centers and memorials. The exhibitions there cover historical events such as the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and the stories of survivors, which increase disaster awareness and preparedness among the public. Apart from that, these museums are also helping the victims in their community rehabilitation by giving them an emotional place where they can feel respect.  In addition to benefits related to

knowledge and restoration, these organizations stimulate the local economy through tourism. They are also involved in research in collaboration with disaster management organizations. Focused on preserving artifacts, sharing personal stories and disaster preparedness, these museums have learned from the past and helped increase community preparedness for similar disasters in the future.

Nepal is also a country that is facing natural disasters in recent times and is in danger of even bigger disasters in the future. Due to the geographical structure, mountains and hills, the inhabitants of this place have to face crisis historically. The ratio has increased sharply in recent years. The latest example of a terrible natural disaster was seen/suffered in the second week of October this year. The landslide after the heavy rains which happened unexpectedly at the end of the monsoon caused an unimaginable amount of damage. At that time, 249 people lost their lives due to flash floods in three days. According to the statistics obtained by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, a total of 46 billion 680 million 43 million rupees was lost, including 39 billion to the physical infrastructure. Due to our geography and unplanned development activities, hundreds of people have lost their lives in such disasters every year.

Now let's remember that devastating earthquake of 2072. On the 12th of Baisakh, the earthquake of 7.8 magnitude, centered in Barpak of Gorkha district, destroyed tens of thousands of physical structures from villages to cities in the country's capital Kathmandu and many surrounding districts. According to the data of the Nepal government, 8 thousand 789 people lost their lives due to the devastating earthquake of Baisakh 12 and the subsequent aftershocks.

22,309 people were injured. 5 lakh 11 thousand 390 houses in the affected area were destroyed while another 2 lakh 86 thousand 767 houses were partially damaged. The earthquake caused great destruction in historical monument areas like Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. As much as the lives of the affected people were disrupted after the earthquake, the country's economy declined due to the amount of destroyed structures. This incident gave a serious blow to the morale of the common citizens. Apart from the human loss and destruction of infrastructure, the pain of turning public buildings into ruins, from people's residences to schools where children study, is still hurting the hearts of millions of citizens. However, with the construction of the tower that was destroyed in the earthquake, we Nepalis are slowly forgetting the destruction that happened at that time. opportunity for

locals 

Local communities that have experienced some sort of disaster can also focus on building a disaster museum. Like, opening a photo museum about the impact a small community has had on its place. This allows the history of their survival and the records of disaster events to be passed down to the next generation. Through such an initiative, the identity of the community will be revealed, an attractive destination for tourists will be added, and it will also contribute to the preservation of the local community's culture and job creation. 

Such small-big possibilities  Following the

, if the tradition of building a disaster museum is established in Nepal, it will also help to strengthen the nation's identity at the international level. With this, foreign tourists will have an opportunity to come here and study in depth about the natural disasters and their effects in the community. Special programs that can be organized at the museum will promote local creativity. Regular discussions about disasters and disasters through community events, workshops and interactions will create new ideas in the community along with raising public awareness, which is now essential. 

The need for a disaster museum in Nepal 

At the very least, a national-level disaster museum in the capital city of Kathmandu would compensate for the lack of a permanent structure to commemorate those who lost their lives in previous major disasters. It will explain the phenomenon through various illustrations and source materials. For example, if there is a museum of earthquake disasters, it can address the history of earthquakes, the stories of people who managed to survive and the trauma that bereaved people carry after the loss of a loved one. Such a museum can present media materials, such as pictures, videos, and personal experiences, that describe actual events that occurred during the earthquake. 

For example, there is a documentary called 'Earthquake: 2015' available on Netflix, which extensively presents the impact of this event. Such materials compel us to question, 'Why are we slow to build such realistic and informative museums?' Because museums do not only serve to commemorate the past, they can also impart broad education and awareness as a means of informing new generations about historical events. Apart from that, future students and researchers can make the museum a platform for in-depth study of the principles and practices of disaster management. 

Since the historical period, the important part of the cultural identity of us Nepalis is high self-strength, determination and bravery. Disaster museums will continue to remind us of this same cultural legacy, perpetuating the message that we can rise above any disaster unitedly and move forward with the same spirit. To fill this gap, the Nepal government should not delay in building a means to remember the disaster and tragic experience. Because the memory of historical events is not enough to be stored only on paper, it should be spread to the hearts of the people, so that it can transmit the energy of self-respect and patience. Therefore all three tiers of government should stop building grand but useless view towers and concentrate on establishing disaster museums.