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| Reuters,
10 Jan 05 Tsunami rebuilding should not overlook nature -WWF BASEL, Switzerland - Poorly planned coastal development compounded the impact of Asia's tsunami and rebuilding efforts should use natural protection provided by reefs and forests, conservation group WWF said on Monday. In a report ahead of a U.N. meeting on the plight of small-island states, the Worldwide Fund for Nature warned against over-logging and urged protection for tsunami-hit fishermen who could be pushed aside by opportunistic outside fleets. "It is also vital that coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangroves, marshes and forests that buffer the impact of tsunamis are rehabilitated and restored," the Swiss-based WWF said in a statement. U.N. disaster prevention experts last week said natural barriers to the sea's fury had in some areas mitigated the impact of the tsunami, which claimed over 150,000 lives in the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26. In areas where reefs and coastal forests had been damaged by economic development or prawn farming, the wave spent its rage on villages and tourist hotels unhindered. Almost 40 nations plan to attend a United Nations conference on small island developing states this week in Mauritius. The states face threats including AIDS, poverty and global warming, as well as natural disasters like cyclones and tsunamis. The WWF warned that opportunistic fishing fleets from outside the damaged region could compound the plight of fishermen whose livelihoods were devastated by the tsunami by moving into the affected area as locals struggle to rebuild. The group also warned against indiscriminate logging for lumber to reconstruct the devastated region. It said though some trees would be needed for emergency housing, forest resources had to be managed sustainably to avoid other natural disasters. "Indiscriminate logging could create other calamities in the future such as landslides and flooding," the group said. links Related articles on Tsunami and the environment |
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