"Mangroves can act as a shield against tsunami"

[Nothing Without Hope]

Anybody hear about this? Did it really work as well as briefly described in this article? Is it relevant to significant sections of the Indian Ocean coastline? Could it be used to help screen residental coastal areas?

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/122904V.shtml

'Mangroves Can Act as Shield against Tsunami'
  By G. Venkataramani
  The Hindu

  Monday 27 December 2004

  "Tsunami is a rare phenomenon. Though we cannot prevent the occurrence of such natural calamities, we should certainly prepare ourselves to mitigate the impact of the natural fury on the population inhabiting the coastal ecosystems. Our anticipatory research work to preserve mangrove ecosystems as the first line of defence against devastating tidal waves on the eastern coastline has proved very relevant today.

  The dense mangrove forests stood like a wall to save coastal communities living behind them," said M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai.

  The mangroves in Pitchavaram and Muthupet region acted like a shield and bore the brunt of the tsunami.

  The impact was mitigated and lives and property of the communities inhabiting the region were saved.
(snip)

[TheFarseer]

1. I think I speak for everyone when I say

:shrug:

[Porcupine]

2. Mangroves are destroyed for shrimp farming operations

particularly in Thailand and Indonesia. Not that this would have helped those island and beach communities that did not have natural mangrove habitat.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. Ah yes, shrimp farming...

...forgot about that. Guess we can't expect a major mangrove forestation project anytime soon. At least, from what the article said, the areas that did have the trees this time had some degree of protection.