The S.E. Asia Tsunami:
People and their Environment

Key Lessons and Recommendations for Post-Tsunami Recovery and in the Aftermath of Global Natural Disasters

by Dr. Deborah Brosnan

August 2006

Overview

Tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes are natural disasters that destroy lives and property and leave us at the mercy of nature. Last year alone over 140 million people were devastated by a natural disaster and the number keeps increasing annually.

Although there are differences in the nature of natural disasters (e.g., tsunamis differ from hurricanes), nevertheless they produce similar devastating effects on people’s lives, natural resources, and economies. Therefore lessons learned in one disaster can often be applied in others.

Immediately following a natural disaster, our first priority must be the safety and wellbeing of people. After that, rebuilding lives and the resources on which those lives depended is key.

Natural resources are often the mainstay of economic and social health in a community. In a disaster, these resources are damaged and this in turn exacerbates suffering and hampers recovery. Despite this, in post-disaster aid and recovery efforts, we frequently overlook the link between humans and their natural resources. This adds to human suffering and economic costs.

In our experiences in several natural disasters we have found that:

Intact habitats and ecosystems frequently protect people from the full force of the impact. They save lives, property, and economies.

Intact ecosystems provide essential services immediately after the disaster. For example, after the SE Asia tsunami, people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Maldives turned to rainforests for shelter and to reefs for food as there were no other sources of shelter or food.

Natural resources are an essential source of solace and refuge for traumatized people. In the aftermath of the tsunami and hurricanes, people (who had themselves lost loved ones and/or property) kept asking park staff how long before they could revisit their parks and wilderness areas.

Damaged ecosystems are less resilient and suffer more destruction. Tragically, these damaged ecosystems are often ones that people depend on the most.

When natural resources are damaged, they can provide fewer services and this often leads to increased conflict among communities who need food and/or water.

In places where habitats are intact, damage is less and recovery is also faster. This is because there are resources for people to draw upon, and because sources of revenue such as tourism (e.g., reef diving and fishing tourism) rebound quickly.

Providing aid to communities to restore their natural resources helps the community rebound faster and helps avoid additional conflicts.

Recommendations

Recognize the essential economic, social, and spiritual connection between people and their natural resources. Recognize that restoring natural resources for people is a critical aid issue.

  1. Assess the damage and its consequences for people as quickly as possible and develop a recovery plan. Use scientific expertise in assessment.
  2. Engage the local community in assessment, planning and rebuilding their environment. This not only rebuilds lives and economies; it provides disaster victims with a sense of dignity, value and purpose. Remember that by “healing one you heal the other.”
  3. Pay attention to over-exploitation of natural resources in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. People put more pressure on resources after a disaster. This can push an ecosystem from sustainability to collapse.
  4. Engage the brightest scientific minds, with the best engineering/technological advances and with the community leaders. This ensures sustainable solutions that will fit the culture.
  5. In providing aid, identify the local leaders, entrepreneurs, and most skilled, i.e., ” the best and brightest” who are committed to helping their communities rebuild. Train and support them. Local people know best how to help each other and are attuned to the sensitivities of the community. Help them to help their community.
  6. External expertise is often needed, but it is best appreciated when it is linked with local people and there is good technology and information transfer.
  7. Good intentions can often go awry. Concerned but poorly trained or equipped volunteers or staff can often exacerbate a difficult situation and create additional damage. This includes damage to the natural resources as well as to communities and to the volunteers themselves.
  8. Reliable information and good communication are two of the scarcest commodities in the aftermath of a disaster. This often results in efforts being duplicated and wastes valuable time and effort. This is exacerbated as more aid groups begin to work in a disaster zone. A good coordinator is essential to link needs with resources and to link complementary or similar recovery efforts. This is especially true with natural resources but also in other efforts.
  9. Celebrate the successes and advances along the way to recovery.
  10. Natural disasters are transformative events, but the transformations can also be positive. There are opportunities to build new and more sustainable relationships between people and their environment in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
  11. Remember that there is a short window of opportunity. Act smart but act fast. People who have neither food, shelter, nor income cannot wait for scientific or policy debates on sustainable redevelopment.
  12. We know that natural disasters happen. Plan ahead so that we can respond in a timely and effective way. Leverage the experiences and lessons learned from previous disasters so that we may save lives and the resources on which they depend.

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