Natural disasters

Increasing incidence and intensity of natural disasters and climate change are having over-arching impacts on the environment. Sustainable development is being undermined. Ecological services and their indirect economic values are frequently omitted from assessments. Mainstreaming ecosystem concerns – both ecological and economical – and integrating them into disaster management is essential.

Increasing incidence and intensity of natural disasters and climate change are having over-arching impacts on the environment. Sustainable development is being undermined. Ecological services and their indirect economic values are frequently omitted from assessments. Mainstreaming ecosystem concerns – both ecological and economical – and integrating them into disaster management is essential.

In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, four organizations, Both ENDS, World Wide Fund for Nature, Wetlands International and IUCN Netherlands Committee, implemented “Green Coast: for nature and people after the tsunami”, to assist the tsunamiaffected countries in Asia: India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia.

The objective of these guidelines is to evolve a systematically designed common approach for rehabilitation of a vegetation buffer stable enough to absorb the devastating energy of natural disasters. These Guidelines provide implementers with a quick reference to the procedures. For a more thorough and technical overview of the methodology it is necessary to refer to the technical guidelines below.

The need to establish a coastal green belt following the post-tsunami scenario has led to unregulated rehabilitation work. The objective of these technical guidelines is to evolve a systematically designed common approach for rehabilitation of a vegetation buffer stable enough to absorb the devastating energy of natural disasters.

Following the magnitude of the destruction that resulted from the December 2004 tsunami there was an urgent need to draw up emergency strategies and action plans, in order to contain, and wherever possible to reverse, the adverse impacts on the environment, while at the same time continuing reconstruction work to restore livelihoods and infrastructure. A situation analysis was undertaken and from this analysis the current strategy was formulated.

This book presents the economic justification for including mangrove rehabilitation and restoration efforts in current tsunami reconstruction projects in Sri Lanka. The results provide a solid platform for the decision makers to select the best development strategies for the tsunami-affected communities by comparing the results provided by this study with the value of alternative uses of mangroves in these areas.

Vulnerability to natural disasters continues to increase, severely compromising the achievement of poverty alleviation goals in many developing countries. A more effective approach is needed to reduce the impacts of these disasters. This publication proposes an approach that integrates ecosystem management, development planning and risk reduction strategies to reduce disaster impacts and improve both livelihoods and biodiversity outcomes.