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  PlanetArk 17 Mar 06
Coral Reefs Seen Threatened by Tsunami Rebuilding

IUCN 14 Mar 06
Most Tsunami-hit coral reefs will recover if human impacts can be effectively managed, says new report

Current rehabilitation efforts may actually result in more economic damage in the future, warns the World Conservation Union and Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network

Gland , Switzerland , 14 March 2006 (IUCN):

Most Indian Ocean coral reefs escaped serious damage and could naturally recover within five to ten years if damage from human activities can be reduced. This is according to "Status of Coral Reefs in Tsumani Affected Countries: 2005", the most comprehensive report to date on the impacts of the devastating December 2004 tsunami on Indian Ocean coral reefs.

While a small number of coral reefs may take 20 or more years to recover, and some individual coral reefs may not recover at all, the major threats to the reefs of the Indian Ocean continue to be from human activities.

"These human activities include over-fishing, deforestation and climate change," says Clive Wilkinson, one of the editors of the report and Global Coordinator at the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

The tsunami, equivalent to a 100-gigaton bomb, caused unprecedented devastation, killing between 229,000 and 289,000 people, displacing more than a million and causing several billion dollars' worth of damage. Unparalleled in modern times, the wreckage engendered major economic disruption for the countries of the Indian Ocean and serious, although short-term damage to tourism, primary and secondary industry sectors.

Yet, the dramatic effect of the tsunami and the damage to the coral reefs in the Indian Ocean was patchy, depending on the distance of the country from the source of the tsunami, the local bathymetry and the health condition of the reef.

Most of the damage to coral reefs resulted from backwash of debris and sediment from land, including from waste disposal sites.

However, the tsunami has caused less damage to coral reefs than the cumulative direct anthropogenic stresses such as over-fishing, destructive fishing, sediment and nutrient pollution, and unsustainable development.

The report raises a new concern about potential economic damage caused by the ongoing rehabilitation efforts. While immediately after the disaster the main concern was about the potential tsunami damage to coral reefs and the associated livelihoods for millions of people, the unsustainable reconstruction efforts are now moving into the spotlight.

Many of the replacement boats, motors and general fishing equipment use different technology, often leading to inappropriate use and increasing fishing effort.

"There is a major need to sit back and assess what was successful during the whole rehabilitation process and what needs improvement, what lessons can be taken from this experience and what still needs to be put into place before the next coastal disaster," says Wilkinson.

PlanetArk 17 Mar 06
Coral Reefs Seen Threatened by Tsunami Rebuilding

GENEVA - Coral reefs that survived the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami are coming under threat from rushed rebuilding efforts in the region, two international environmental groups said on Thursday.

In a report issued in Geneva, they said studies along coastlines hit by the tsunami, the tidal wave which left nearly 200,000 dead on December 26, 2004, found little harm to coral formations.

Only a few reefs were severely damaged, and most would recover naturally within 10 years, said the two bodies -- the inter-governmental World Conservation Union and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

They said clean-up efforts had already addressed much of the initial damage which came from debris backwashed from shorelines mainly off the coasts of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia.

Since then, however, new threats have emerged from a rush to rebuild homes and other buildings wrecked by the tsunami.

The need for urgent supplies of building material has led local people to take sand and rock illegally from the coral reefs, which are protected under international conservation agreements.

Felling of coastal forests for building timber has also increased the risk of landslides that could cover reefs with sediment.

"Reconstruction material should be drawn from sustainable sources and not from protected areas or steep forested hills," the report said. "Sand and rock should not be dredged or mined from coral reef flats."

Donations of new, powerful and highly efficient boats and equipment to fishermen who lost their gear in the tsunami also heightened the likelihood of over-fishing and a decline in fish stocks, it added.

"A balancing act is required to re-establish employment for the fishers, while introducing sustainable fishing practices ... so that communities will have sustainable fisheries benefits in the future," it said.
links
"Status of Coral Reefs in Tsunami Affected Countries: 2005" on the IUCN Global Marine Programme page download the report 6MB
Related articles wild shores and Tsunami and the environment
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