The role of coastal forests in the mitigation of tsunami impacts

Abstract

The tsunami of 26 December 2004 was a major natural disaster, killing some 229 866 men, women and children and causing billions of dollars in damage (United Nations, 2007). With a moment magnitude, Mw, between 9.1 and 9.3, the earthquake that caused the tsunami was the largest in the last forty years and second largest in instrumental history (Bilham, 2005). Yet, the devastation caused by the 2004 tsunami (like most other tsunamis) could have been greatly reduced in many of the thirteen countries that were hit, particularly in those countries farther from the earthquake epicenter and subject to less massive tsunamis. While it is well documented that the lack of an adequate early warning system for the Indian Ocean was largely to blame for the high casualty rate, the tragedy occurred for another reason, as well. Much of the coastline in many parts of Asia and the Pacific is heavily populated – an increasingly growing phenomenon seen around the world. As a consequence of this development, coastal vegetation – and the associated setback – that would have provided natural protection from hazards such as storms, cyclones or even tsunamis has been degraded, severely altered or completely removed.