Lost Mangroves Left Myanmar Vulnerable

In another entry for the “disaster that could have been lessened by sound environmental planning” file, according to Surin Pitsuwan, head of ASEAN, the damage from the tropical cyclone that recently devastated Myanmar (or Burma, depending on who you get your news from) could have been significantly mitigated if mangrove forests still protected the shoreline.

Mangroves, which include several different species of tropical trees and shrubs that grow in the mud and salty water along coastline, can remain rooted through the force of a tropical storm, and quickly regrow leaves, allowing them to act as both a natural wave break, and as protection against shore erosion.

However, mangrove plots worldwide have been vanishing rapidly, largely due to human encroachment into previously pristine areas. Resort developments and expanding shoreline industry are fingered as the major culprits, and with all the other high-tech efforts aimed at protecting oceanfront communities taken since 2004, you’d think someone would have taken the time to plant a few more mangroves.