The role of coastal forests in the mitigation of tsunami impacts unexpectedly became a hotly debated topic in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which ranked amongst the most devastating natural disasters in recent history. A proportion of the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort was focussed on rehabilitation of coastal forests, which early information suggested had been extensively damaged by the tsunami. Information from a range of sources also suggested that mangroves and other coastal forests mitigated the effects of the tsunami. These factors and reductions in risk associated with increased distance of human habitation from the coastline provided justification for tree planting programmes and led to calls to establish coastal buffer zones in a number of tsunami-affected countries.
The effectiveness of trees and forests in shielding coastlines from tsunamis was later called into question and the surrounding debate revealed the imprecise nature of existing knowledge and the associated danger of potentially harmful policies being formulated. In response, FAO’s “Forestry programme for early rehabilitation in Asian tsunami-affected countries”, funded by the Government of Finland, organized a workshop on “Coastal protection in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami: What role for forests and trees?” The meeting drew together a wide range of participants and revealed the manifold nature of the subject area.
The diversity of opinion revealed the urgent need for interdisciplinary work to bridge the gap between science and policy and provide information on whether and how to plant or manage coastal trees and forests for protective purposes. The work summarised in this publication was therefore undertaken to specifically address the physical aspects of tsunami mitigation by forests, which form the core of the debate. Though the work represents the current state of knowledge on this subject, it is not intended to be exhaustive on all aspects of establishing coastal forests. It is hoped that the information provided will be used in conjunction with economic, social and environmental considerations to improve management of coastal trees and forests both in the Indian Ocean region and elsewhere in the world.
He Changchui
Assistant Director-General and
FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific
