Answers to questions: WWF & the Tsunami of 2004
What was the environmental impact?
The greatest environmental damage was to coral reefs and mangroves. In Indonesia, almost all of the mangroves around Aceh and Nias Island in Northern Sumatra were destroyed, while a third of the coral reefs were damaged. In India, three quarters of the mangroves on the Nicobar Islands were damaged while nearly all the coral reefs in the central and northern Andaman islands were eroded. In Thailand, most of the damage was to coral reefs, particularly in Ranong Province and on the Surin, Similian and Phi Phi islands.
What has WWF done in the year since the Tsunami struck?
Immediately after the tsunami, WWF carried out environmental impact assessments as part of the UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) taskforce and promoted green reconstruction solutions. These solutions include restoring coral reefs and mangroves, rebuilding livelihoods and minimising the environmental impact of reconstruction work.
Why is green reconstruction important?
A healthy environment is key for long-term economic prosperity and security. Coral reefs, mangroves and forests are important natural defence barriers. It has been proved that reefs and mangroves reduce the impact of tsunamis while forest minimise the impact of landslides and flooding after heavy rain. It is also important to protect the forests from over-logging as for example in Aceh, they provide some of the last remaining habitat for orang utans, Sumatran elephants, rhinos and tigers.
What has been the response to WWF's call for green reconstruction?
Governments, UN agencies, the Red Cross and various NGO's such as World Vision and Wetlands International have welcomed our green reconstruction solutions. The UN special envoy for Tsunami recovery, Bill Clinton, the former US President, has endorsed our green reconstruction guidelines. The guidelines call for the use of responsibly sourced building materials, especially timber, sustainably managed fisheries, agricultural and aquaculture industries and for the rehabilitation of coastal and marine ecosystems.
What progress has been made on the use of responsibly sourced timber?
Shipments of responsibly sourced timber from forests in Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada are being sent to Aceh, where there is a massive illegal logging problem. This "Timber for Aceh" initiative is funded by USAID and supported by the Indonesian and Australian governments, US timber companies, the Red Cross and NGO's such as WWF,Oxfam and World Vision.
What is WWF doing to help affected coastal communities?
WWF, along with Wetlands International, ENDS and IUCN, is involved in the "Green Coast" project to restore natural resources in order to generate income for coastal communities in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. The goal is to get communities involved in planting mangroves, cleaning up coral reefs, protecting fishing grounds and restoring coastal wetlands. The project also focuses on lobbying local governments and construction companies not to build near the seafront but more inland.
WWF is developing a plan to introduce state of the art shrimp aquaculture techniques and infrastructure in Aceh and southern Thailand. Shrimp aquaculture offers considerable scope for job creation and could give a significant boost to economically depressed communities.
WWF is also working with the Thai authorities in restoring damaged marine parks, promoting sustainable tourism and improving turtle conservation on nesting beaches.
How satisfied are you with the pace of green reconstruction at this point in time (December 2005)?
A year on the picture is mixed. We are pleased at the response to our green reconstruction solutions and hopeful that the Timber for Aceh initiative will offer an alternative to cutting down the province's depleted forests. However green reconstruction is not integrated across the province and we are concerned that in the long term this will result in higher financial and environmental costs.
In Thailand, there are signs that some tourist centres are ready to "build back better". However construction has not been sustainable in some of the more commercial areas. There is a serious risk that poorly planned reconstruction could in the long term cause more damage to the environment and local communities than the disaster itself.
The greatest environmental damage was to coral reefs and mangroves. In Indonesia, almost all of the mangroves around Aceh and Nias Island in Northern Sumatra were destroyed, while a third of the coral reefs were damaged. In India, three quarters of the mangroves on the Nicobar Islands were damaged while nearly all the coral reefs in the central and northern Andaman islands were eroded. In Thailand, most of the damage was to coral reefs, particularly in Ranong Province and on the Surin, Similian and Phi Phi islands.
What has WWF done in the year since the Tsunami struck?
Immediately after the tsunami, WWF carried out environmental impact assessments as part of the UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) taskforce and promoted green reconstruction solutions. These solutions include restoring coral reefs and mangroves, rebuilding livelihoods and minimising the environmental impact of reconstruction work.
Why is green reconstruction important?
A healthy environment is key for long-term economic prosperity and security. Coral reefs, mangroves and forests are important natural defence barriers. It has been proved that reefs and mangroves reduce the impact of tsunamis while forest minimise the impact of landslides and flooding after heavy rain. It is also important to protect the forests from over-logging as for example in Aceh, they provide some of the last remaining habitat for orang utans, Sumatran elephants, rhinos and tigers.
What has been the response to WWF's call for green reconstruction?
Governments, UN agencies, the Red Cross and various NGO's such as World Vision and Wetlands International have welcomed our green reconstruction solutions. The UN special envoy for Tsunami recovery, Bill Clinton, the former US President, has endorsed our green reconstruction guidelines. The guidelines call for the use of responsibly sourced building materials, especially timber, sustainably managed fisheries, agricultural and aquaculture industries and for the rehabilitation of coastal and marine ecosystems.
What progress has been made on the use of responsibly sourced timber?
Shipments of responsibly sourced timber from forests in Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada are being sent to Aceh, where there is a massive illegal logging problem. This "Timber for Aceh" initiative is funded by USAID and supported by the Indonesian and Australian governments, US timber companies, the Red Cross and NGO's such as WWF,Oxfam and World Vision.
What is WWF doing to help affected coastal communities?
WWF, along with Wetlands International, ENDS and IUCN, is involved in the "Green Coast" project to restore natural resources in order to generate income for coastal communities in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. The goal is to get communities involved in planting mangroves, cleaning up coral reefs, protecting fishing grounds and restoring coastal wetlands. The project also focuses on lobbying local governments and construction companies not to build near the seafront but more inland.
WWF is developing a plan to introduce state of the art shrimp aquaculture techniques and infrastructure in Aceh and southern Thailand. Shrimp aquaculture offers considerable scope for job creation and could give a significant boost to economically depressed communities.
WWF is also working with the Thai authorities in restoring damaged marine parks, promoting sustainable tourism and improving turtle conservation on nesting beaches.
How satisfied are you with the pace of green reconstruction at this point in time (December 2005)?
A year on the picture is mixed. We are pleased at the response to our green reconstruction solutions and hopeful that the Timber for Aceh initiative will offer an alternative to cutting down the province's depleted forests. However green reconstruction is not integrated across the province and we are concerned that in the long term this will result in higher financial and environmental costs.
In Thailand, there are signs that some tourist centres are ready to "build back better". However construction has not been sustainable in some of the more commercial areas. There is a serious risk that poorly planned reconstruction could in the long term cause more damage to the environment and local communities than the disaster itself.
