Awareness is growing in the Asian region that tsunami damage was worsened by poor environmental management of coastal areas. After witnessing first hand that devastation was less in areas with intact mangroves, a state government in India is embarking upon a mangrove restoration project. The suggestion that coastal deforestation, development and climate change could have exacerbated the destruction has been ridiculed by many - including apologists for the global growth machine.

The ecological fact that degraded ecosystems resulted in more damage than would have otherwise been the case was misrepresented as "environmentalists blame tsunami on climate change". What a bunch of Neanderthals (growth machine's apologists | shameful exploiters | unfair and unbalanced Fox).

However, those in harms way know better, and have had a rude awakening that rich/poor or technologically advanced/traditional; ecosystems give us life and protect us from natural harm. Shame on those that would suggest otherwise, to protect their narrow economic interests at the price of developing nation lives.

After the disaster, Kerala's green drive

This may sound like locking the stable after the horses have bolted. The state government has decided to float a Rs 35-crore project aimed at insulating Kerala coasts against tidal surges with mangroves and castanea. The sudden move to adopt an eco-strategy stems from the fact that the tsunami attack left smaller scars on coasts with a green buffer than barren beaches and sea-facing landscapes. The government is mooting heavy incentives for institutions who adopt a shoreline and give it a protective belt.