Environmental Impacts of the December 26, 2004 Tsunami

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Environmental Impacts of the December 26, 2004
Tsunami
Tara Sullivan and Kelly ONeill
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Environmental Impacts

• Countries significantly impacted
• Maldives
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand
• Indonesia

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Maldives
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Maldives

• The tsunami produced 290,000 cubic meters of
  waste on 69 inhabited islands
  
• Asbestos from roofing material was crushed and
  mixed in with debris
  
• The tsunami worsened previously existing
  environmental problems.
  
• This includes coastal erosion, and destroyed
  vegetation, including food crops.
  
• Groundwater was contaminated with saltwater and
  sewage
  
• In some instances levels of groundwater
  contamination were too high to measure
  
• High levels of nitrates were also found in the
  groundwater
  
• This poses a serious threat to infants and young
  children if nitrates are ingested
  
• Groundwater is not usually used for the drinking
  supply, but the water supply was at a shortage
  when the tsunami occurred because rain water
  collection systems had been damaged and it was
  right before the rainy season

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Maldives (contd)

• Assessment by the United Nations found that
  villages and cultivated fields without coastal
  protection, were more impacted by the tsunami.
  
• Areas with protection (such as coastal forests)
  were found to have suffered less coastal erosion
  and building destruction.
  
• Assessment by the Australian government found
  that the tsunami had only a minor impact on coral
  reefs surrounding the islands

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Maldives
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Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka

• The tsunami struck a relatively thin but long
  coastal area in Sri Lanka
  
• 2/3 of the countrys coastline (over 1,000 Km)
  was struck by the tsunami.
  
• Damage was seen in the North stretching all the
  way down the eastern and southern coast, as well
  as across the west coast.
  
• The wave surge was recorded at between 5 and 6.5
  meters in most of the eastern and northeastern
  coast, and parts of the southern coast.
  
• Most damage was done up to 3 meters above sea
  level.
  
• Seawater penetrated from tens to hundreds of
  meters inland (in places thousands of meters)
  
• Most of this water drained away within 30
  minutes.
  
• Environmental issues include impact on coral
  reefs, shore erosion, coastal land use planning,
  water pollution, and soil contamination.
  

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Sri Lanka (Contd)

• The tsunami moved enormous boulders and sections
  of reef, as well as thousands of smaller
  fragments, sand and silt.
  
• This rubble crushed, smothered, and killed marine
  biota.
  
• The backwash of water carried large quantities of
  waste, debris, soil and organic matter into the
  ocean.
  
• damage to reefs ranged from total destruction in
  some areas to almost no impact in others
  
• This reflects the recent history and condition of
  the reef, as well as the tsunami energy that was
  delivered to that area.
  
• Litter and debris is abundant.

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Sri Lanka (Contd)

• Severe damage on the coast was observed where
  coral mining in the sea had been rampant in the
  past.
  
• There were signs of absorbed impact and less
  damage in locations with healthier vegetation and
  less disturbed ecosystems.
  
• Farming was affected by large amounts of salt
  water and marine sediment in fields and wells.
  
• Most people in rural Sri Lanka rely on wells for
  their drinking water
  
• all dug wells in areas where the tsunami
  intruded, approximately 62,000 wells, were
  contaminated
  

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Sri Lanka
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Thailand
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Thailand (Contd)

• Agricultural lands were damaged by saltwater
  intrusion
  
• Freshwater plants have died after exposure to
  saltwater
  
• Ecological habitats of various animals have been
  adversely affected
  
• Sandy beach forests and Peat swamp forests were
  greatly affected
  
• Sand erosion has caused many trees to be uprooted
  
  

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Thailand (Contd)

• The tsunami damaged coral reef systems along the
  Andaman coast of Thailand
  
• Most of the damage was a result of debris that
  was brought out to the ocean from resorts in the
  area.
  
• Objects such as television sets and kitchen sinks
  have been found in reef beds
  
• It has been estimated that rehabilitation,
  cleanup, and protection of these corals will cost
  400,000
  
• Overall, assessment done by government agencies
  has shown
  
• 13 of coral reefs damaged
• 3.5 of seagrass beds damaged, 1.5 of seagrass
  beds destroyed
  
• 0.2 of mangrove forests damaged

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Thailand (Contd)
Thailand
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Indonesia
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Indonesia (Contd)

• Initial estimates show the tsunami caused 675
  million dollars worth of environmental damage in
  Indonesia
  
• 30 of coral reefs in Aceh and North Sumatra were
  damaged
  
• 25,000 hectares of mangroves were damaged and
  15,000 hectares were destroyed
  
• Parts of the coastline were degraded and washed
  away
  
• Approximately 300 Km of coastal land area have
  been degraded or lost.
  
• Sludge and saltwater were washed into rivers
• Hundreds of wells were contaminated with saltwater

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Indonesia
Indonesia
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Importance of Natural BarriersMangrove Forests
and Coral Reefs

• Found in tropical and subtropical coastal
  regions
  
• Provide habitat and protection for various marine
  organisms
  
• Absorb wave energy and break up waves
• Protect coastline from erosion and wave action
• Prior destruction
• Coral Reefs and Mangrove forests are two of the
  most threatened communities in the world.
  
• In the past two decades, at least 35 of the
  mangrove forests have been lost. In part due to
  coastal development and shrimp farming.
  
• Shrimp farming also impacts coral reef systems
  indirectly by polluting the water.
  
• Among other threats, coral mining and blast
  fishing are two threats facing coral reef systems
  in Southeast Asia.
  

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Mangrove Forest
Coral Reef
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ConclusionThe environmental impact seen in the
Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia was
highly significant. Estimates in Indonesia
alone, suggest that 675 million dollars worth of
damage has been done. Additionally,
environmental assessment has shown that areas
with intact coastal protection were less severely
impacted by the December 26th Asian Tsunami than
areas that had been previously damaged or
destroyed.

• The Executive Director of United Nations
  Environmental Program has said,
  
• We learnt in graphic and horrific detail that
  the ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangroves
  and seagrasses which we have so casually
  destroyed are not a luxury. They are life savers
  capable of defending our homes, our loved ones
  and our livelihoods from some of natures more
  aggressive acts. -Klaus Toepfer

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References

• http//www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid
  /29167/story.htm
  
• http//www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default
  .asp?DocumentID434ArticleID4817len
  
• http//www.undp.or.th/tsunami/documents/env_22june
  2005_000.pdf
  
• http//www.unep.org/tsunami/reports/TSUNAMI_SRILAN
  KA_LAYOUT.pdf
  
• http//www.flickr.com/photos/tsunamimaldives/
• http//www.tsunamimaldives.mv/index.php?actiongal
  lery
  
• http//www.tsunamireefactionfund.org/MayUpdate/Feb
  Images.htm
  

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References (Contd)

• Valiela, I., Bowen, J., York, J.K. (2001)
  Mangrove Forests One of the Worlds Threatened
  Major Tropical Environments. Bioscience
  51(10)807-815.
• http//www.toddadams.net/images/wallpaper/
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40669000/jpg/_4
  0669589_ap_thailand3_300.jpg