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Saving The Tsunami-Affected Trees: Maldives

Most severe damage near east coast in Villingili island

A strong earthquake detected on 26 December 2004 near Sumatra, Indonesia generated huge tsunami waves that hit the coastlines of several countries in South and Southeast Asia, including Maldives. Almost the entire country of Maldives was affected by the tsunami. Of the 199 inhabited islands in the archipelago, 53 islands suffered severe damage, and 20 islands were totally destroyed. About 100,000 people, or 35% of the total population of $290,000 have been severely affected.

The tsunami badly hit the major economic sectors of tourism, fisheries, and agriculture. Particularly in the agriculture sector, there were substantial destruction to standing crops and perennial crops, fruit and timber trees, loss of farming equipment and damage to agriculture infrastructure. Soil and groundwater resources, are affected by the tsunami waves causing temporary, semi-permanent or even permanent damage. These include salinization of many agricultural soil and direct injuries to the leaves of many agricultural crops, including banana, mango, and palm trees. It has been observed that within a week of the tsunami, breadfruit trees were drying up. The breadfruit is among the staples in the Maldivian diet and takes about 15 years to reach fruit-bearing stage. Mango tree are a major source of income for many farmers in small villages.

The tsunami has caused substantial destruction to fruit trees like banana and mango

Papaya field partly salinized and partly killed in Mendhoo Agricultural Center

Garden soils and ground water wells have been heavily contaminated with salt from seawater due to tsunami

It is these poor atoll communities who have been the worst affected by the tsunami, and the treatment of tress will help meet their immediate needs. Urgent countermeasures are needed to save the trees and to ameliorate the affected soil and wells.

Through the Poverty and Environment Program (PEP), a project in Maldives is currently being undertaken to assist the Government's effort in restoring sustainable livelihoods of the tsunami-affected farmers through a systematic program to help save the country's trees.

Stem injection in breadfruit

Sprouting breadfruit in Maenboodhoo Island

Sawdust by boring insects on mango