The latest news is that the toll from the tsunami in the Indian Ocean
has climbed above 115,000. Aid is coming, bodies buried. The largest
natural disaster in memory.
What lessons can be learned from this disaster, and what would our
permaculture training suggest as to how to move forward from here on
the coastlines of the countries affected. Could we do a meta-site
analysis of the regions? Find out where the Type 1 errors occurred?
Suggest improvements? Are there safe areas/ways for people on the
coasts to live which aren't already used? What would make for a
tsunami, typhoon, flood proof community along a shoreline?
The blog WorldChanging has an interesting piece: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/001835.html
It appears that most of the coastal areas with intact mangrove forests
were spared massive effects thanks to the forest's buffering effects.
There are various projects creating silvofisheries, salt water farms,
etc by using and planting mangrove forests. They provide the nursing
areas for much of the marine life in the areas. Mangroves can also
absorb much of the nutrient runoff from shrimp farms, preventing it
from polluting open waterways.
This one too: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/001817.html
"Encouraging communities to be active participants in the rebuilding is
key to creating sustainable solutions and to reducing the impact of a
disaster. Representatives from the International Red Cross (IRC) spoke
at the (last) World Urban Forum on disaster relief and noted the new
city of Ciudad Espuma in Honduras - built after Hurricane Mitch swept
through in 1998 - was the best example of a "disaster reduction
initiative". The 14,000 families who has lost homes had rebuilt their
own houses with an awareness of the potential of future disaster."