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First Environmental Survey of Tsunami Damage Shows Sri Lankan Coasts and Forests Hurt but ReboundingSurvey by The Nature Conservancy and Sri Lankan officials find coral reefs still standing, but debris and pollution pose grave threats to marine areasARLINGTON, VA—February 24, 2005—The deadly tsunami that struck the southern coasts of Sri Lanka has left the island nation’s marine areas dangerously clogged with debris that scientists warn could cause long term damage to coral reefs and marine species if it is not cleaned up soon. Scientists surveying the tsunami damage also found salt water contamination of inland areas and an increase of invasive species such as the prickly pear cactus that was spread across the land by the massive wave. Tsunami damage was found in areas up to one mile inland from the shore.
But the researchers said there were many signs of hope: trees knocked over by the wave’s impact are regenerating, wildlife is returning to damaged areas and coral reefs were largely intact. “The good news is that the physical impact of the tsunami was limited and the coral is relatively intact,” said Sanjayan, lead scientist of The Nature Conservancy and a member of the survey team. “The bad news is that post-tsunami impacts, such as debris washed into the ocean, are high and unless we clean it up immediately, damage will continue to accrue.” The survey team gave a list of recommendations to the Sri Lankan government for environmental recovery activities. Among those recommendations is the hiring of local workers to immediately remove debris from marine areas, and to prevent additional debris from being dumped into the ocean. The team found that local communities are using the ocean as a repository for destroyed buildings, boats, trees and other debris left from the tsunami damage. “As these fishing communities begin to recover and head back to the sea, they may not be able to fish using nets because the sea floor is covered in debris,” Sanjayan, a native of Sri Lanka, said. The environmental survey team also called for the launch of an invasive species removal program. The Sri Lankan government has begun implementing the team’s recommendations. The survey team was organized by the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society, The Nature Conservancy and other local organizations at the request of the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation. The team surveyed 50 miles of shoreline along Sri Lanka’s southeastern coast – the area hardest hit by the tsunami. The team visited four of Sri Lanka’s largest wildlife sanctuaries: the Hikkaduwa Marine Sanctuary known for its coral reefs; the Bundala National Park (a RAMSAR-designated wetland); the Kumana Bird Sanctuary; and the Yala National Park which has a high population of elephants, leopards and is extremely popular for ecotourism. The survey members were the first people to visit many of these places since the tsunami. During the survey of inland forest areas, the team saw numerous animal tracks – including those of elephants and leopards – indicating wildlife is returning to damaged areas and beginning to drink from ponds that had been contaminated with saltwater but are returning to fresh water. The team interviewed witnesses who found sea turtles that had been carried by the tsunami to ponds miles inland. But many one-way turtle tracks heading back toward the ocean were documented by the team, suggesting that some animals had made their way back to the shores. Spending several days diving at Hikkaduwa, the team was surprised to find minimal breakage of the coral reefs. However, the overall health of the reefs is in jeopardy from damage caused long before the tsunami by poor environmental practices from local hotels and tourism. “In many ways, the tsunami gave us a chance to realize the damage that is taking place and to change bad behavior,” Sanjayan said. “Many of the resources we assessed would have been destroyed in a few decades even if the tsunami hadn’t hit. Hopefully aid money will not only be spent to reconstruct people’s lives, but also to ensure the sustainability of their livelihoods by protecting the natural resources people depend upon.” Much of the tourism and fishing activity along Sri Lanka’s coast is essentially unregulated, resulting in overfishing, boats dropping anchor on coral reefs, coral mining and other damaging activities. In areas where human activities had not damaged the environment, healthy sand dunes and mangrove systems acted as natural barriers and minimized damage from the tsunami. For more information about the survey, listen to NPR/National Geographic “Radio Expeditions” on Feb. 24 and 25 on NPR’s Morning Edition. You also can hear a live, audio web chat with Sanjayan about his trip to Sri Lanka on Feb. 24. Visit nature.org/chat/ for more details. The Nature Conservancy’s participation in the survey was made possible through the generous support of the Seedlings Foundation – a non-profit family foundation registered in Illinois – and the National Geographic Society. ### For more information:
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