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  IUCN 30 Aug 06
'Natural' disasters are often man-made

A new World Conservation Union publication demonstrates how well-managed ecosystems reduce the impact of extreme natural events and urges closer collaboration among the disaster response and conservation communities

Davos , Switzerland : In Asia , the 2004 tsunami would have been less disastrous if the mangroves, serving as a natural barrier, had not been destroyed for tourism and shrimp farming; in the Northern Pakistan earth quake, local people claim that intact forest cover prevented landslides which caused extensive damage elsewhere.

More and more natural hazards such as hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts or floods are taking an increasing toll on human lives, infrastructure, and the global economy.

While they cannot be controlled, natural hazards do not need to trigger a disaster.

Their impact can be much reduced by leaving nature's protective infrastructure firmly in place--such as dunes, mangroves, coral reefs, forests on steep slopes.

Even better, this 'insurance policy' is not only free, but comes with an immediate bonus: mangroves for instance are natural fish nurseries, supporting the livelihoods of poor fisherfolk along the coast.

At the International Disaster Reduction Conference, being held this week in Davos , Switzerland , the World Conservation Union (IUCN) is launching a new publication providing practical ideas on how to link disaster risk reduction with ecosystem management.

Entitled "Ecosystems, Livelihoods and Disasters: An Integrated Approach to Disaster Risk Management", the book provides examples of how conservation and disaster communities can work together to help rebuild local communities-- livelihoods while minimizing their exposure to future disasters.

"Extreme natural events, such as tsunamis and earthquakes, do not necessarily have to lead to a disaster. It is forest destruction or inappropriate housing that leads to land slides, famine or thousands of casualties through earth quakes," said Jeff McNeely, IUCN's Chief Scientist, in his key note presentation at the International Disaster Risk Reduction Conference in Davos.

Ecosystems also come into play in the reconstruction phase after a storm, earthquake, flood or drought has provoked a human disaster: Disposal of debris in wetlands can cause a decrease in fish stocks and freshwater supply.

Local people in many countries depend on forest for their livelihoods: they provide meat, firewood, fruits, honey, medicinal plants and fiber such as rattan or palm leafs for housing material. However, these are often no longer available to them as the forests had been cleared before or during the reconstruction effort.

Despite their valuable services, ecosystems are hardly taken into account in land allocation, disaster preparedness, or the relief and reconstruction phase following a disaster.

The World Conservation Union has been active in Meso-America, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other areas of the world to work with local communities, governments and development agencies to ensure that the services healthy ecosystems provide - such as supplying water, food and fiber, or serving as a natural barrier for example - are maintained for the benefit of people in disaster prone areas.

"Healthy ecosystems provide shelter from disasters and therefore are of huge economic value," said Simon Rietbergen, coordinator of IUCN's Ecosystem Management Programme. "If we want to avoid unnecessary hardship for people and long-term damage to their livelihoods, environmental standards need to be integrated into the disaster response phase. Governments and development agencies need to realize that."

The book "Ecosystems, Livelihoods and Disasters: An Integrated Approach to Disaster Risk Management" is being launched on 30 August at the Davos conference. The event is organized by the World Conservation Union in collaboration with Cemagref (France's Agricultural and Environmental Research Institute), the World Meteorological Organization, the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka and the United Nations Environment Programme.
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