HKBWS Project
HKBWS Officers
BBS God
Please support HKBWS!
Posts: 207
|
 |
BirdLife's response to Indian Ocean Tsunami
« on: Jul 4th, 2005, 3:03pm » |
 Quote  Modify
|
BirdLife's response following the Indian Ocean Tsunami
The immediate priority of course was to respond to the humanitarian crisis, and the terrible loss of life and destruction of livelihoods. Response by the public, and governments, around the world was extremely heartening, and in the hardest hit countries of Sri Lanka and Indonesia the BirdLife Affiliates - BirdLife Indonesia and the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) - were very quickly able to provide some direct humanitarian assistance.
BirdLife immediately undertook a review of the environmental impact, with a particular focus on threatened species and Important Bird Areas, with summary information posted on the BirdLife website. This included a number of rapid field assessments by the BirdLife Network throughout the region affected. As far as we can tell, whilst many IBAs were impacted, none have been destroyed, nor any threatened species significantly affected.
As an International Organisation Partner (IOP) to the Ramsar Convention, BirdLife accepted an invitation to join the Ramsar Tsunami Reference Group, co-ordinated by Wetlands International. The aim of the Group has been to provide co-ordinated, scientifically sound advice to governments and the international community on the impact of the tsunami and the most effective response measures. BirdLife's rapid assessment was quickly fed into this mechanism, and has been used to provide guidance to Ramsar Contracting Parties via a meeting of the Ramsar Standing Committee that took place in June. The Reference Group has further provided co-ordinated input to the UN agencies in their assessment and response to the disaster.
BirdLife is in the midst of a more detailed review of the impact of the tsunami on IBAs, and this will feed into information and guidance to the Ramsar Contracting Parties in time for the next Conference of Parties to be held in Uganda, in November 2005.
FOGSL has continued its involvement in humanitarian efforts, as part of an integrated programme of activities in the vicinity of wetland IBAs in Sri Lanka. FOGSL has participated in wetland restoration work and monitoring, the rehabilitation of schools, the establishment of education and tourism development initiatives, as well as coastal zone land-use planning, with support from the BirdLife Asia Bird Fund and other donors.
BirdLife Indonesia is planning to help people in a way that will contribute to both conservation and the rebuilding of people's lives. The first activity is to help students of biology and environmental disciplines from Aceh to continue their studies. Some of them were already studying at Bogor’s famous agricultural university when the disaster occurred; others have been forced to move here after the University in Aceh lost its buildings and many staff. In both cases, the continuation of their studies is threatened because they no longer have the support of families to top up the meagre support available from the Government. In particular, third year students hoping to do their thesis research back home in Aceh face problems with transport and field costs. BirdLife Indonesia wants to be able to help at least some of these students to continue their studies, and so to remain involved with Aceh. These young people represent the future of conservation and environmental management in the province.
BirdLife Indonesia is also planning to help with the rebuilding of housing for teachers, schools and clinics, and some financial assistance for one year to school teachers, on two small islands close to the centre of the earthquake that caused the disaster, Nias and Simeulue. Nias of course has been hit by a more recent, and also severe earthquake, which has caused further destruction. Communities have lost schools, clinics, houses and other facilities. The forests of each island have endemic or threatened bird species (and both are IBAs). People have turned to the threatened forests of their islands for their needs. The sooner they can be helped to get their lives back to normal, the more secure will be the future of both the people and the birds that depend on them.
BirdLife Indonesia expects that its contribution will lead to a long-term relationship with the people of Nias and Simeulue, thereby enabling the continuation of education, awareness, and bird conservation activities in the area.
If you wish to support the above-mentioned activities, then please do not hesitate to contact me, or in the case of the work in Sri Lanka and Aceh, Indonesia, do directly contact FOGSL or BirdLife Indonesia.
They can be contacted via the following e-mail and mailing addresses:
Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Colombo 03,
Sri Lanka
Email: fogsl@slt.lk
BirdLife Indonesia
Indonesian Association for the Conservation of Birds and their Habitats
PO Box 310 / Boo
Bogor 16003
Indonesia
Email: birdlife@burung.org
Dr Michael Rands
Director & Chief Executive
|
BBS
Help
Search
Members
Login
Register
Reply
Send Topic
Print
Author
Logged