“It was like a terrible dream. All the boats were destroyed, all the houses flattened, and so many lives lost,” recounts Nilichandra Ando, a Sri Lankan fisherman whose village was devastated by the 2004 tsunami that claimed over 225,000 lives. “It was like the sea rose up and swallowed us. I’ll never forget the horror of that day.” 

Just a few miles down the coast, Chandraseera Darayan remembers that day as well. “We all heard a loud noise, like thunder. There was a crashing sound and people were yelling. Then it was over, and we didn’t know what had happened.” 

Both fishing villages were hit by the tsunami, but the results were quite different. In Mr. Ando’s villages over 6,000 people lost their lives, while in Mr. Darayan’s there were only two casualties. What caused this amazing difference?  

Sri Lanka, like most other tropical and sub-tropical countries, has long possessed a natural barrier against tsunamis and cyclones. Mangrove forests ring the coast, living in the brackish waters of the intertidal zone. Traditional fishing villages are built behind these mangrove barriers, not only to take advantage of the protection they provide but also to benefit from the complex ecosystem that provides natural resources and nursery grounds for the fish species that sustain the village.  

Both Nilichandra Ando and Chandraseera Darayan’s villages were originally located behind the mangroves. However, in recent years Mr. Ando’s village saw its mangroves cut down to make room for shrimp farms that developers promised would create jobs and improve the lives of the villagers. Instead, the village saw lives lost when the protective shield of mangrove forest wasn’t there to stop the tsunami’s devastation. 

In Chandraseera’s village the mangroves remained intact, and were able to absorb the majority of the tsunami’s force. Casualties were minimal and most houses were left standing.  

Recent studies have concluded that mangroves dramatically reduce death, and comparisons of communities affected by cyclones Nargis and Aila verify these findings. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) studied the affect of mangrove cover in these two villages. "It saved a lot of lives as well as properties. In some areas the damage was very minimal, and mangrove vegetation had played a role,” concluded Vimukthi Weeratunga of IUCN. "People tend to respect these natural barriers even more, especially after the tsunami. Now everyone is keen to plant a lot of mangroves in the coastal areas."

It’s a shame that it often takes tragedy to bring the importance of mangroves to the forefront of our consciousness. These amazing plants have been fundamental to the ecological health of our planet for millennia.

In addition to mitigating the effects of tsunamis and cyclones, mangroves provide habitat for 75% of commercial important tropical fish. They reduce erosion, stabilize the shoreline, and their roots provide a natural filtration system that greatly reduces the amount of pollutants that enter our oceans. Mangroves also provide one of the most reliable carbon sinks in the world, helping to slow global warming.

However, despite their numerous benefits, mangrove forests are being removed at an alarming rate. The main causes of mangrove loss are shrimp farming, tourism, urbanization, and intrusive developments. Half of mangrove loss has occurred in the last 50 years, mostly in the last two decades.

At this point over half of the world's mangrove forests (32,000,000 hectares) have been lost already, and less than 15,000,000 hectares of mangroves remain. The FAO estimates that roughly 1% (150,000 hectares) of the remaining mangroves continue to be lost every year. The world’s mangrove forests truly are reaching a point of no return, but the reality is that mangrove conservation and restoration should have been priorities long ago.

Nevertheless, we at Mangrove Action Project believe that now is the time to act, and to do so decisively by putting our words into effective action. But we cannot do this alone. We need your support and involvement in finding and implementing long-term solutions. Please support and join us in supporting our efforts to save the mangrove forests and that living treasure trove of biodiversity that the mangroves nourish and engender. Together we can see that these remarkable wetland resources thrive and continue to provide for the world long into the future. 

Sincerely,

Alfredo Quarto
Executive Director
Mangrove Action Project

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