Thumbnail Image

Coastal protection in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami: What role for forests and trees?

Year of publication 2007

Pages 219

Author Braatz, S.; Fortuna, S.; Broadhead, J.; Leslie, R.;Forestry Group

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title RAP Publication

Series number 1020-6221|1014-2789|18194591|0428-9560

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Following the widespread wreckage and loss of life caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, unprecedented efforts where made to restore order and rebuild the lives and livelihoods of the millions affected. A proportion of the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort was focused on environmental rehabilitation and a part of this again on the rehabilitation of coastal trees and forests. Many programmes were implemented during the post-tsunami period to restore coastal trees and for ests, and in particular mangrove forests. Early information suggested that extensive areas of forest had been destroyed by the tsunami. It later became clear that the area of forest destroyed by the tsunami was small in relation to that removed by human activity over past decades. Other information from a range of sources strongly suggested that coastal forests had afforded some degree of protection from the devastation caused by the tsunami. However, the effectiveness of trees and forests i n shielding coastlines from tsunamis was later called into question. To assess and synthesize information on the protective functions of coastal forests, FAO organized a workshop on “Coastal protection in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami: What role for forests and trees?”. Workshop participants represented a wide range of disciplines including physicists and coastal engineers, disaster management specialists, government representatives and policy-makers, field-based practitioners, acade mics and international development workers. This report provides the proceedings of the workshop including technical presentations, outputs from the working group sessions and recommendations.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    The role of coastal forests in the mitigation of tsunami impacts 2007
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Following the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, tree planting campaigns were initiated in coastal areas to rehabilitate devastation wrought by the tsunami and to afforest coastlines cleared of trees in the preceding decades. These efforts were partly justified on the basis of claims that trees and forests had provided protection against the tsunami. Such claims were later questioned, however, and the lack of clear information available to decision-makers became apparent. The role of coastal forests in the mitigation of tsunami impacts attempts to bridge the gap between science and policy by presenting and synthesising information on tsunami protection and forests drawn from empirical studies, simulations and mathematical models.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Regional workshop on the rehabilitation of fisheries and aquaculture in coastal communities of tsunami affected countries in Asia 2005
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This is the final report of the Regional Workshop on Rehabilitation of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Coastal Communities of Tsunami Affected Countries in Asia held in Bangkok, Thailand from 28 February to 1 March 2005. It was organized by CONSRN – a consortium of regional fisheries/aquaculture bodies formed in the aftermath of the 26 December 2004 tsunami to restore the shattered livelihoods of communities in tsunami affected countries. The objectives of the workshop were to build an agreed strat egic framework and draft programme based on country inputs and advice from non-governmental organizations and donors. The meeting was attended by 53 participants from six of the tsunami affected countries (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand), CONSRN participants, donor agencies and non-governmental organizations. Major topics discussed were: introduction to the workshop and regional strategic framework; country priorities for rehabilitation; vision and guiding principles for rehabilitation activities; rehabilitation strategies; aligning donors/agencies/countries to strategies and recommendations.
  • Thumbnail Image
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.