As stated in the Secretary General’s Report: “The devastating impact of the Indian Ocean tsunami has reminded us all of the vulnerability of human life to natural disasters, and also of the disproportionate effect they have on poor people. Unless more determined efforts are made to address the loss of lives, livelihoods and infrastructure, disasters will become an increasingly serious obstacle to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.” Environmental degradation is well-recognized as both enhancing cause and outcome of natural disasters, particularly impacting the livelihoods and well-being of the poor and vulnerable.
Natural Disasters, Climate Change and Human Vulnerability
Natural disasters like droughts, floods, fires and earthquakes increase poverty and impose enormous human and economic costs, including loss of life, injuries, disabilities and displacement, as well as damage to agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure. The destruction of assets can trap poor families into chronic poverty. Developing countries face the brunt of natural disasters: between 1990 and 1998, 94% of the world’s major natural disasters took place in developing countries. Such countries have limited capacity to mitigate the adverse effects of natural disasters.
The Indian Ocean tsunami highlighted both the vulnerability of poor people to natural disasters as well as the role resilient ecosystems can play in protecting human lives and livelihoods and mitigating the impacts of extreme events. There is evidence that in some places, intact coastal ecosystems and natural barriers such as mangroves and other coastal forests, coral reefs, sand dunes, sea grass belts and mature shelterbelt plantations played a crucial role in saving human lives by breaking the devastating impact of the incoming waves and acting as the first line of defence. Where coastal ecosystems and natural barriers had been degraded or converted to other land uses, the damage was far greater. This is a powerful illustration of the rationale for conserving and sustainably managing natural ecosystems.
Rebuilding Hope after the Killer Wave
The villagers of Wanduruppa village, a small settlement nestled in the southern coast belt of Sri Lanka, organised a simple, heart-warming
ceremony on 28 April to recognise the work of IUCN to enhance sustainable livelihoods in the aftermath of last December’s tsunami disaster.
The ceremony marked the presentation of US $ 2,000 grants by IUCN, one each to 12-orphaned children to support their long term educational needs. Also presented were livelihood enhancement grants to several identified villagers and dictionaries, advanced level texts and model examination papers to high school children. This support constitutes part of the larger relief and rehabilitation programme undertaken by IUCN after the tsunami.
Post Tsunami Marine Cleanup at Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
In continuation with its post-tsunami reef and beach cleanup programme, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in collaboration with St Thomas College Sub Aqua Club (STCSAC), the Marine Conservation Society of Sri Lanka (MCSSL), Sewalanka Foundation, Diving The Snake, and the Coast Conservation Department, carried out a cleanup at Trincomalee on the east coast of Sri Lanka on 25 and 26 June 2005.
A previous cleanup of Swami Rock in the Back Bay of Trincomalee was conducted by IUCN in May, where large amounts of fishing net and lines were removed by divers. Since then the dive operator in Uppuveli (north of Trincomalee), Diving The Snake, had identified another reef area where tsunami debris was causing harm to the corals and marine organisms. It was therefore decided that a second cleanup was needed to clear this site and also to remove any remaining fishing nets at Swami Rock. In addition, during the east coast monsoon period which ended in late April, a lot of the town’s litter had been washed up along Uppuveli Beach, so IUCN also organised a beach cleanup.
Other Examples of IUCN initiatives
Asia - Post-Tsunami rehabilitation in Thailand and Sri Lanka
Central Africa - Floodplain Restoration for Poverty Alleviation in Waza Logone (ended in 2004)
West Africa – Floodplain Restoration for Poverty Alleviation in Diawling
Southern Africa - Contribution to Improved Flood Monitoring and Adaptation Strategies in Zimbabwe
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Conservation for Poverty Reduction |
