The Lungs of the Earth
Tropical rainforests maybe the most important environmental habitat on earth. They are home to 40% to 70% of all species on earth, with millions of species yet to be discovered by scientists. Many modern medicines originate from rainforest plants. They also play a huge role in regulating the global climate as they are responsible for 28% of the world’s oxygen turnover and they recycle huge quantities of rainwater.
The forests of Aceh unfortunately are not given the protection they deserve. In the 1980s, much of Aceh’s forest was converted into logging concessions. And after most of the tall trees were cut from the concession area, the land parcel was converted into an oil palm plantation.
The 2004 tsunami did not cause major damage to the rainforests, which were further inland. However, logging activities intensified as there was an immense demand for wood to repair the damage caused to buildings, roads, government offices and schools. This lured illegal loggers to cut big trees in protected areas of rainforest.
We will see how and why the tide of forest destruction in Aceh was stopped.
Guardians of the Coast
Like coral reefs and rainforests, mangroves are extremely productive ecosystems which provide numerous goods and services both to the marine environment and people. After the horrific events of 2004, the preservation of mangroves became even more important due to their ability to protect coastlines.
The miracle of mangroves was demonstrated not in Aceh, but in Cuddalore, a district in south-eastern India. The shoreline of Cuddalore is unique in that it is relatively straight and the beach profile is relatively uniform. It also contains stretches of vegetated and non-vegetated areas. A post-tsunami study showed very clearly that areas with trees suffered less destruction than areas without trees (Danielson et al, 2005). The study confirms earlier laboratory experiments which have shown that 30 trees per 100 square meters may reduce the maximum flow of a tsunami by more than 90 percent.
Read on to see what the citizens of Aceh did to protect their mangroves.