After the tsunami : rapid environmental assessment / United Nations Environment Programme.

"Job no. DEP/0651/GE"--Inside cover.

"Published in February 2005"--Inside cover.

Includes bibliographical references.

The earthquake and tsunami of 26 December 2004, and the events that followed, will be remembered as among the worst human tragedies in history. The loss and devastation caused by this disaster brought incalculable suffering to millions of people around the Indian Ocean. Their grief is shared around the world, and their experience is a humbling reminder that we are all vulnerable to the powerful forces of the natural world that sustains us. From Banda Aceh, to the tourist resorts of south Thailand, to the fishing villages of Sri Lanka, and onward to the coasts of Africa, communities were overwhelmed by the damage and loss. If counted in sheer numbers, the challenge of recovering from the earthquake and tsunami appears nearly insurmountable. Approximately 250,000 lives have been lost. Millions of people have been displaced and are struggling to restore their homes and regain their livelihoods. The UN Humanitarian Flash appeal estimated immediate needs at $1 billion, but the overall damage is thought to exceed $10 billion. A snapshot of the region, however, shows a more complex and more hopeful picture. In the weeks since 26 December, the people and the governments of the impacted countries have demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination. Their efforts to alleviate the suffering of affected communities and to put their countries on the road to recovery have been heartening. Even in areas affected by decades-long conflicts, positive signs of cooperation could be observed. At the same time, there has been a remarkable outpouring of concern and assistance from the world community. Together, these efforts have begun to replace despair with a sense of possibility. So far, international public and private pledges of assistance total more than $4 billion. In response to requests from tsunami-impacted governments, the United Nations system, under the leadership of Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, has swiftly mobilized emergency humanitarian assistance. Housing, health care, education, transportation, water and sanitation services have all been rapidly deployed to the region. In all of these efforts, the UN has worked side by side with scores of public and private international relief agencies to address the urgent daily needs of the tsunami victims. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has played a vital role in this process. The tsunami was an unprecedented natural disaster with enormous consequences for the region's environment. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, on 28 December, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer created the Asian Tsunami Disaster Task Force, which was charged with responsibility for assisting governments to assess and respond to the environmental impacts of the tsunami. In response to requests from governments, UNEP immediately deployed experts to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives, and later to the Seychelles and Yemen. These teams have remained in the region to conduct and facilitate rapid assessments and help coordinate environmental recovery programmes in partnership with national authorities, UN colleagues and the international community. No government could have been prepared for the events of 26 December 2004. Overburdened environment ministries now have to cope with innumerable urgent tasks. UNEP is supporting government efforts in every way possible: conducting spot assessments of urgent issues; providing specific technical advice; training national counterparts; and identifying priority concerns for international attention. Working together with governments and other partners, UNEP included a number of priority environmental concerns in the UN Humanitarian Flash Appeal, and has contributed environmental inputs to a number of short-term assessments. At the same time, UNEP has begun preparations for more thorough cross-sectoral assessments of the tsunami's impacts on the environment in the region. U