The
tsunami tragedy: OBC's perspective
Globally threatened birds
The following globally threatened waterbird species occur in
some of the wetlands affected by the tsunami: Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus
philippensis, Milky Stork Mycteria cinerea,
Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus, Spotted Greenshank Tringa
guttifer, Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus and
Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis.
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Indian
Skimmer
(Rich Andrews) |
Three threatened waterbirds, Storm's Stork Ciconia stormi,
White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata and Masked Finfoot Heliopais
personata, occur in swamp forests (and sometimes mangroves)
including at some localities near the coast. A few of the threatened
waterbird species will have been nesting at the time of the tsunami,
including Spot-billed Pelican on Sri Lanka, and it is possible that
there will have been some mortality of chicks at their nesting colonies.
Otherwise, although many wetlands will be somewhat changed in character
by the tsunami, it appears unlikely that there will be significant
negative effects on any of the species listed above. Indeed, some
wetlands (including shrimp ponds and salt pans) might revert to more
natural ecosystems, which could (at least in the short term) be of
benefit to some waterbirds.
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White-winged
Duck
(Pete Morris/
Birdquest) |
Two threatened seabirds occur in this part of the
Indian Ocean, Abbott's Booby Papasula
abbotti and Christmas Island Frigatebird Fregata andrewsi,
although neither is likely to have been affected. Colonies of some nesting
seabirds, for example terns and noddies in the Maldives, may have suffered
complete loss
of chicks and eggs, and some nesting islands may be gone altogether, but
these species are generally able to adapt to such losses and can be expected
to re-nest
or seek out new nesting sites.
Indirect and long-term impacts on birds and biodiversity
Despite the wealth of biodiversity in the region affected
by the tsunami, this preliminary assessment indicates that
few (if
any) threatened species
are likely to have been seriously affected by its direct effects,
and no extinctions are predicted. However, surveys are needed
to
confirm the situation,
particularly in the Nicobar Islands. It is likely that many coastal
wetlands will have been affected by the large inflow of salt-water
and wreckage
during the tsunami, with longer-term effects including changes
in their hydrology caused by changes to coastlines and damage
to sea-defences.
The impact on these areas will need to be assessed with the
use of satellite
imagery and field visits. Forest habitats, particularly important
forest areas on small islands in the Nicobar Islands and off
Sumatra, were
probably unaffected at first, but some areas could suffer
die-off as a result
of saltwater intrusion.
In the longer term, the reconstruction process might have
significant impacts on biodiversity, particularly if communities
of people are
to be resettled in
forested areas inland. It is important that the environmental impacts
of new developments are properly assessed. There is a risk
that
the disaster is used
as a cover for the re-emergence of proposed infrastructure projects that
were previously prevented from implementation owing to environmental
concerns. There
is a danger that shortages of the timber that is urgently needed for
reconstruction of buildings and local fishing fleets could
lead to the illegal logging and
trading of timber. Imported, sustainably produced timber could
be supplied free as in-kind
assistance by donor states. This measure would greatly reduce the possibility
of opportunistic illegal logging of natural forests.
The reconstruction process is likely to provide opportunities better
to integrate environmental protection and management with economic
development in the region,
including the opportunity to conserve and restore coastal habitats such
as mangrove as coastal defences.
Recovery - we can all help
Apart from the huge sums donated immediately after the event
by people worldwide and the possibility that the OBC may
be able to help from time
to time through the award of conservation grants, are there ways
in which we can continue to help?
I have personally visited both southern Thailand and Sri Lanka
since the events of 26 December and whilst obviously I am unable
to offer
any formal scientifically
based evidence, what I saw does support much that is written above. As
birdwatchers, the best way we can help from now on is by visiting
the affected areas. The
most important way this helps is by putting cash in the pockets
of the local people
and helping them re-build their lives. Even in the Klong Thom basin (home
to Gurney's Pitta), which was physically unaffected, there has
been a human impact
and I have met several local people who had been employed in the tourist
hotels north of Krabi town, had lucky escapes and are now without
gainful employment
thanks to the destruction. In Sri Lanka the human situation is far worse
and, in addition to the tragedy, the loss of tourism affects many
livelihoods outside
the immediate hotel trade and throughout the entire country.
It was quite by chance that Margaret and I made our first post-tsunami
visit to Krabi within ten days of the event - we were on a planned
holiday to Thailand
and were in fact overflying Bangladesh when the earthquake occurred.
Our immediate reaction was to cancel our plans in the south of Thailand,
but
our local contacts
encouraged us to continue. We found Krabi town untouched and the rich
mangrove forest intact. Krabi had been protected from the full force
of the tsunami
waves that had dissipated their energy on Phuket and the Ko Phi
Phi islands - the latter
being overwhelmed by the wave with heavy loss of life. We were the first
foreigners to venture into the strangely quiet mangroves, almost devoid
of local fishermen,
but alive with Brown-winged Kingfishers and calling Mangrove Pitta. At
least this small corner survived intact. During a subsequent visit, I
was able
to see at first hand that the islands at the mouth of the Krabi river
and the adjacent
mudflats famous for wintering Nordmann's Greenshank were also intact
and being
utilised by feeding shorebirds.
I first visited Sri Lanka in January 2002, when we enjoyed relaxed birding
in beautiful and varied habitats with the chance of many stunning
endemics. Even
at that time the number of people dependent on tourism in which birdwatching
played a significant part was self-evident. I decided to make a brief
visit to Sri Lanka in late March 2005; in the short time available I
split
my time between
the beautiful forests of Sinharaja and the coastal areas around Tissa
including Yala National Park, to look at the effects of the tsunami on
the people and
wildlife of this area. Sinharaja was as I remembered it, a great
area of forest containing
wonderful species as well as a good many less desirable leeches!
The manner in which the tsunami waves had penetrated all the weak spots
along the south coast was all too apparent to anyone who had visited
the area before,
but the scale of the clean-up had been enormous, given the delays created
by requests from western nations in some localities to allow exhumation
of bodies
hastily buried in the immediate aftermath. But it was poignant to see
the number of tented villages still occupied by survivors awaiting more
permanent
housing.
The scale of destruction and loss of life in the small coastal towns
has been enormous. Some communities have suffered as much as 70% mortality.
How
easy
is it for them to rebuild? Even so, shops that had suffered only
minor damage had
reopened, and farmers were working the ricefields. Life goes on, and
the small towns just a short distance inland are physically untouched.
Whilst
the human
tragedy is enormous and the healing process slow and painful, there were
many signs that nature is bouncing back. The coastal lagoons on the approaches
to
Yala from the west appeared just as they were in 2002, and they were
teeming with birdlife. I saw many good species of shorebirds as well
as many resident
breeding birds - breeding was in full swing. Whilst many bushes and trees
had been uprooted and killed, those that remained were putting on new
foliage following
the rains, and indeed rain showers in the days following the tsunami
may well have helped to flush away saltwater residues.
I came away feeling that there was a good chance that nature was busy
restoring herself, but the human population needed help. More than
300 people were employed
as drivers of tourist jeeps in national parks such as Yala, and presently
they are amongst those in the frontline of suffering in the aftermath:
without visitors
they have no livelihood. They along with all other Sri Lankans dependent
on tourism can best be helped by the immediate return of overseas visitors
who put their
tourist dollars into the economy of this beautiful country. But this
message applies, of course, to all the countries affected by the tsunami.
OBC members
can all contribute to the recovery by choosing to holiday in one of these
afflicted
areas in the coming year.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank BirdLife International for allowing me to
use the information on their website in compiling this review.
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