Condolences to all people suffering from
the tragictsunami disaster
- Calls for information on tsunamis and mangroves -



We at ISME would like to send our deepest condolences to all people who are suffering from the tragic disaster of the tsunami which occurred on 26th December 2004.

It is reported that more than 180,000 people were dead or missing, and more than 1.5 million people were displaced. A great number of towns and villages were destroyed, the survivors are struggling to rebuild their lives, and thousands of children lost their parents and families.

Many of the reports from the affected area indicate that where there were mangroves, there was less impact of the tsunami. Many of the newspaper articles say that mangrove forests, other coastal forests and coral reefs can reduce the impact of tsunamis.

To prevent such tragic disaster to happen again, ISME would like to do its share of work. ISME is collecting and will disseminate information on tsunamis and mangroves, especially on the role mangroves may play in protecting people and land against such a natural disaster. Please send ISME Secretariat, through e-mail or by post, any reference and material relevant to the tsunami and mangroves. ISME intends to share the information through the GLOMIS web-page.





ISME Secretariat

c/o Faculty of Agriculture

University of the Ryukyus

Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0129 Japan

mangrove@ryukyu.ne.jp


Copyright 2006 ISME. All rights reserved.