Posted on 12/27/2004 4:03:18 PM PST by Dallas59
PARIS (AFP) - Human activities, notably the building of coastal resorts and the destruction of natural protection, contributed to the enormous loss of life from killer tidal waves that hit the shores of the Indian Ocean after an earthquake, an environmental expert said.
Jeff McNeely, chief scientist of the Swiss-based World Conservation Union (IUCN), who lived for several years in Indonesia and Thailand, two of the countries hit by Sunday's disaster, said it was "nothing new for nature" in a geologically active region.
"What has made this a disaster is that people have started to occupy part of the landscape that they shouldn't have occupied," he told AFP in a telephone interview from Paris. "Fifty years ago the coastline was not densely occupied as now by tourist hotels."
The hotels did not replace traditional villages because the villagers built inland, McNeely said.
"What has also happened over the last several decades is that many mangroves have been cleared to grow shrimp ponds so that we, here in Europe, can have cheap shrimp," he added.
"The mangroves were all along the coasts where there are shallow waters. They offered protection against things like tsunamis. Over the last 20-30 years, "they were cleared by people who didn't have the long-term knowledge of why these mangroves should have been saved, by outsiders who get concessions from the governments and set up shrimp or prawn farms."
The shrimps and prawns are sold to Europeans and other foreigners "at a price that does not include the environmental cost which is being paid today," McNeely said.
The same thing has been happening with the coral reefs that also provided protection to the coast, he explained.
"When a tsunami comes in, it first hits the coral reef which slows it down, then it hits the mangroves which furthers slow it down. It may get through that but by then a lot of the energy has already been dissipated."
Conservationists in India and Srilanka and Thailand had warned that mangroves had tremendous value for conservation and to protect the coastline, McNeely said.
On the other hand, Sunday's quake would not have been a disaster for local wildlife still left in the affected areas, he added.
"Those living along the coast are seldom particularly rare, that's not a rare habitat, the mangroves are not particularly rich in species, the species that live there are used to typhoons, to storms and all that.
"Animals are smart enough to move."
More than 23,000 people were killed in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar and Thailand as a result of the massive quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Many victims were European and other holidaymakers swept away when the waves hit beach resorts.
But the bulk of the dead were residents of coastal towns inundated by waves more than 10 metres high and fishermen living in flimsy housing along the shores of the Indian Ocean.
Oh BS.
The list of donors for this organization says it all (notice that one donor is the US State Dept...):
http://www.iucn.org/about/donors.htm
In the beginning the universe was created. This has made a lot of people angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.
The immediate coastline is a dangerous place. Both storms and tsunami. To a degree it's simply bringing up an issue of personal responsibility. In this country we're still basically subsidizing people to live on the immediate coastline.
I'm speechless, no mention of Bush, no mention of Republicans, I can't believe we're not being blamed for this,,,,tick tick tick tick tick, just a matter of time before some dimwit dem decides to blame Repubs, what did blather have to say about this?
"I'm amazed...nothing about Bush or America...yet.."
It is amazing. I watched two network news shows tonight and neither one mentioned anything connecting this with Bush.
Ah HA!!!! The real reason for the tragedy!!!
I bet you Euro-weenies have been monkeying with the O-Zone, too.
And the global warming thing - just so you toads can have more shrimp. Tsk tsk. Shame on you.
And here we were thinking that GWB caused all of this.
Whew!
Schmucks.
LVM
At least, he blamed European shrimp-eaters as the cause of the problem...
"...if we had only signed Kyoto."(wringing hands furiously while weeping aloud and nashing my teeth)
If the governments concerned had tsunami warning systems in place, thousands of lives could have been saved - I guess now they will try to blame America/Bush for not providing the money.
The taxes at the coastal resorts must be sizable - but given the corruption of the officials little probably finds its way into anything that could have warned the coastal areas.
Well, it's still early.
Seems to be a fairly accurate assessment of the event.
Just like the idiots who live in the coastlines in S>E> USA knowing full well that a hurrican will destroy their homes every few years (then they want us to pay for their stupidity!)
I am NOT refering to the fishermen of these countries, but the govts and others who knowingly build tourist attractions in disaster prone areas.
They are the one who cry the loudest at how much $$$ it cost them to re-build.
The fishermen know how to live with their environment - and they accept the risks that come with it.
Where income is absolutely dependent on foreign tourism...I don't think the indigenous human population was thinking about animals, reefs or other natural occurrences when they built "luxury" resorts.
Let me guess, it's Bush's fault.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
