Natural barriers to natural disasters: replanting mangroves after the tsunami

The Indian Ocean tsunami disaster of December 2004 has increased interest in replanting degraded and deforested mangrove areas in Asia to improve coastal protection. Evidence from Thailand suggests that concern over mangrove deforestation by shrimp farms is an important motivation for many coastal households to participate in mangrove rehabilitation. However, successful re-establishment and management of mangroves as effective coastal barriers will require developing new institutions and policies, and must involve coastal communities in Thailand and other Indian Ocean countries in the conservation and protection of their local mangrove forests.