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19.1.2005 - GLAND (WWF ) - It has been several weeks since the Sumatran earthquake and the subsequent tsunami wreaked havoc on the Asian region and parts of east Africa, killing more than 200,000, injuring scores of people, and displacing millions from their homes. But, the memories are still fresh. The following are on-the-ground reactions from WWF staff directly affected by the tragedy and who are now focussing on humanitarian relief efforts and reconstruction issues.
INDIA
India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal were one of the worst-hit areas by the tsunami, claiming the lives of more than 10,000 people. Most of the 356,000 residents on the remote island chain — the majority living in the capital city of Port Blair — were affected and thousands made homeless, including Biplab Biswas, a Project Officer with WWF-India, whose home was completely destroyed.
Some of the luckier ones were able to leave their homes for higher ground after high tide waters swept across the islands’ low-lying areas.
“It was 6:14 am on the morning of December 26th when the earthquake first hit us. About an hour later we heard people shouting all around saying that ‘water is coming, water is coming’. Our house is surrounded by a creek and water suddenly rose and spilled over the bank and came rushing into the house. That is when my wife and I and our two dogs went to the back of the house, climbed a small hill and sat there for an hour before the water receded. We then went down to assess the damage…our house is seriously damaged from the earthquake and the sea water.”
“The general mood is very grim. People have suffered. I lost everything I had acquired from all over the world during my 29 years of service in the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. This is a personal loss for me but life moves on. At the moment, our thoughts and actions are with the people who have suffered personal tragedies. It is certain, though, that people whose life and livelihood is the sea will return. After all, you can’t expect fishermen to sit on a hill. Life has to go on.” – Debesh Banerjee, Honorary Secretary WWF-India, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
As part of initial reconstruction efforts and the need to house the thousands that have been left homeless, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have lifted a ban on felling trees. The logging ban will be in effect for six months, but does not affect forests within 1,000m of the sea, national parks, sanctuaries, and coastal mangrove forests. While WWF recognizes the immediate need for timber for emergency housing, it is strongly advocating that timber for long-term reconstruction efforts should be harvested from responsibly managed forests. Indiscriminate logging could contribute towards other calamities in the future, such as landslides and flooding.
INDONESIA
The December 26th earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale struck the north-western end of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, flattening buildings and sending a wall of water higher than the tops of coconut palms into the towns and villages in the province of Aceh. Over 110,000 people have been reported killed, with thousands still missing, including one WWF staffer from the office in Banda Aceh. The families of four other members of staff working in Banda Aceh have been temporarily relocated to Medan, the capital of North Sumatra Province. Their homes were destroyed or severely damaged by the tsunami.
"I was watching BBC and CNN and was horrified by the news. When I heard the epicenter was in Aceh, I scrambled for the television but on the 26th there was still hardly any news on Indonesian TV and radio. We learned later that the reason was because Aceh was entirely devastated, the administration damaged severely, and telecommunications cut off entirely. The horror of Aceh became clear the next day and continued to become more and more heartbreaking as the days passed by.” – Chandra Kirana, Communications Officer WWF-Indonesia
“A few days after the tsunami disaster several of us from the WWF Tesso Nilo project office in central Sumatra traveled to Aceh on a solidarity mission. In Banda Aceh we saw the damage — human corpses were scattered all around, on the street, in the river, and under the wreckage. The trauma was written all over the faces of the survivors. Donations had arrived in Aceh but due to the lack of cars or other vehicles, distribution was proving difficult. Our car was used to help transport medicine from the airport to some of the refugee camps. We also distributed the donations we collected in Tesso Nilo, an area that was not affected by the earthquake. We pray that Aceh people be given the strength to start their new lives after the killer disaster.” – Samsuardi, Tesso Nilo Project Community Officer WWF-Indonesia
“I know of many friends who have lost dear ones in this disaster. The damage, the human suffering and the death toll of this event is beyond imagination. WWF-Indonesia has been coordinating volunteers to go to Aceh — we have already sent 140 people — and are working to send a further group who have community organizing and camp management skills. We are financing the transportation costs of some of these volunteers and are working to fund-raise for further emergency efforts. WWF-Indonesia is also commissioning some rapid research to estimate the need for wood in the reconstruction effort of Aceh. We are trying to influence the government to ensure the wood used in the reconstruction will come from sustainable sources. We will also try to push for a national policy for better coastal management and mangrove development in coastal areas.” – Pak Ian Kosasih, Forest Programme Director WWF-Indonesia
WWF Indonesia is working with the Aceh Forum, a coalition of local non-governmental organizations. The forum is providing assistance in the management of refugee camps, community organization, and aid distribution. Part of WWF’s office in Banda Aceh is being used by the National Commission for Child Protection. A local WWF staff member has joined a reconnaissance trip organized by Save the Children, which is looking at the social and environmental aspects of reconstruction in coastal villages. WWF Indonesia is also helping to mobilize doctors, engineers, paramedics, psychiatrists, logistic managers and public kitchen specialists for the relief effort.
THAILAND
In Thailand, over 5,000 people have been reported dead and more than 3,000 missing, many of them foreign tourists vacationing on the popular beaches of Phuket, Khao Lak, and Phi Phi Island. Among the fatalities were three Marine National Park rangers working on the Naucrates Turtle Conservation project on Phra Thong Island. Six were badly injured. All twelve Marine National Parks on the Andaman coast have been closed.
“I had just been down there [Surin Islands] for a visit. The infrastructure on the island was completely flattened, but the park’s staff and the 180 Moken people who live there are safe — they saw the warning signs of the water going down very quickly and drawing on their local folk wisdom they knew what to expect and scrambled to higher ground. This is another lesson learned about the importance of local knowledge.”
“The Tsunami has been a terrible tragedy for all those involved, and a shock for people all over the world. As we begin to rebuild, we should learn the lessons of the past and make sure Thailand’s coastal tourism is achieved in a more sensitive and equitable manner, which over the long term provides a better quality of life and more sustainable fishing- and tourism-based livelihoods for local people, and a better tourism experience for their surviving relatives for generations to come.” – Robert Mather, Director WWF Thailand Programme Office
WWF Thailand plans on establishing a coral reef recovery research and monitoring programme in the Surin Islands. Quick surveys have shown that between 2 to 10 per cent of the coral reefs in the Andaman Sea have been damaged or broken, or covered in sediment and debris. In Koh Phi Phi, a quarter of the reefs are reported to be damaged. A full survey, conducted by eight universities and coordinated by the Thai Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, will be completed shortly. In the meantime, WWF Thailand is providing information for foreign divers planning on visiting Thailand who would like to volunteer to assist in coral reef clean up efforts.
WWF is also working with other organizations on the ground, advocating for improved environmental sustainability in infrastructure reconstruction, particularly in tourism-related businesses. This will include proper land-use planning and zoning of coastal areas, enforcement of legislation, and introducing aspects of payment for environmental services. WWF Thailand will also work with the tourism industry, including hotels and dive operators to promote commitments to codes of conduct and best practice. Efforts are already underway by volunteer divers in removing heavy debris that are suffocating and crushing the fragile coral reef ecosystem. And, tourists are already inquiring about diving holidays to help out.
Looking ahead…
WWF India, Indonesia, and Thailand are working, together with WWF International and the entire WWF Network, to develop a long-term strategy to engage in the greening of reconstruction efforts. WWF recognizes that the priorities right now in the hardest hit areas are urgent human needs, such as food and shelter. But, priorities for sustainable reconstruction efforts also need to be addressed as communities begin to rebuild. An important lesson of the tsunami is that one of the best defenses against natural disasters is nature itself. Through the enhancement of natural protection features and careful coastal and land-use planning, economic and social costs of future disasters can be reduced.
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