Asian Tsunami Inflicts Severe Damage To Indonesia's Environment
According to a preliminary damage and loss assessment of the disaster carried out by the Government of Indonesia and the international donor community the economic cost to the environment was estimated at Rp. 5.1 trillion (approximately $US 675 million). UNEP was one of the key contributors to the report.
Commenting on the report, Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director, said, "These latest findings show that the consequences for the environment are even more alarming than previously feared. They also reveal the increased vulnerability to disasters."
"First and foremost we must continue to respond to the terrible human tragedy and humanitarian relief effort in Indonesia, and other countries affected by the tsunami," he said. "But, it is clear that the recovery and reconstruction process underway must also invest in the environmental capital of natural resources, the forests, mangroves, and coral reefs that are nature's buffer to such disasters and their consequences."
Among critical coastal habitats in Aceh and North Sumatra, 25,000 hectares (ha) of mangroves, 30 % of 97,250 ha of previously existing coral reefs, and 20 % of 600 ha of seegrass beds have been damaged according to the new report. The economic loss is valued at $118.2 million, $332.4 million, and $2.3 million respectively.
As a result of infiltration of saline water, sediment and sludge, it is estimated that 7.5 kilometres of river mouth is in need of rehabilitation, and hundreds of wells in the rural area need to be cleaned up.
Along the coastal strip, it is estimated that 48,925 ha of forest area was affected, with the assumption that 30 % of this area has been lost. In addition, large areas approximately 300 kilometres of coastal land area have been degraded or lost.
The report also notes the importance of properly managing the collection, processing and disposal of the huge amount of debris and waste caused by the tsunami. If not properly managed, wastes may pose a risk to human health as well as ecological functions.
Local environmental management capacity buildings, equipment, staff and records have also been significantly affected by the disaster, and the report stresses the importance of early re-establishment of solid waste management and other essential services.
Three major industrial sites are confirmed to be damaged: Pertamina (oil depot in Krueng/Banda Aceh), Pertamina (oil depot in Meulaboh), and Semen Andalas Indonesia (cement factory in Banda Aceh). Possible contamination, including negative effects to human health and the environment, caused by damage to these and other industrial installations are a matter of serious concern.
Mr Toepfer said that the findings in the Indonesia report added a sense of urgency to the on-going work by UNEP and its partners in the region.
Specific requests for help have so far come from Indonesia, which has asked UNEP to establish an environmental crisis centre, the Maldives, which has requested emergency waste management assistance and impact studies on coral reefs and livelihoods, and Sri Lanka and Thailand for environmental impact assessments.
UNEP's own initial assessment report of the environmental damage, including damage to natural sea defences such as coral reefs and mangrove swamps and chemical and waste installations, is expected next month. In addition, there will be more detailed assessments of the impact on the environment in affected areas.
Mr Toepfer said that the latest news from Indonesia also underlined the central role of the environment in long-term disaster risk reduction, one of UNEP's key messages to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction that ends here in Kobe tomorrow.
Welcoming the good progress made at the meeting, Mr Toepfer said it was now accepted that environmental issues must be fully integrated in disaster preparation and response. He stressed the importance of tackling the issues at the regional level, particularly in Africa.
He also emphasised the need to also adequately address man-made hazards, such as chemical accidents and oils spills. And, to implement community based approaches to disaster reduction such as UNEP's Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level (APELL) programme.
"The central role of the environment in disaster reduction, whether in early warning systems, or as a factor in reducing risk and vulnerability has been intensively discussed and integrated into the plan of action coming out of Kobe. There is now wide acceptance that environmental degradation and depletion of natural buffers increases risks for, and impacts from, natural and man-made disasters," Toepfer said. "Now we need action, targets and a firm timetable of implementation."
Indonesia: Preliminary Damage and Loss Assessment was released in Jakarta on 19 January and is available on UNEP's web site dedicated to the Asian Tsunami disaster. See www.unep.org
For more information please contact: Robert Bisset, UNEP Press Officer in Kobe on 090 3466 5423 (until 22 January 2005), email: robert.bisset@unep.fr
웹사이트: http://www.unep.org.
연락처
UNEP Press Officer in Kobe on 090 3466 5423
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2010년 6월 10일 10:36