Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (Burma) highlights the need to re-establish mangrove forests

In times of emergency, the urgent requirement is to meet the basic needs of food, shelter and safe water. However, there is a less obvious need which does not hit the headlines - to plan for the future. ITF is already talking to NGOs in Myanmar to see where and how we can use trees for a safer future.

After the Asian tsunami more people realised the importance of mangroves to the safety of people and longer term security of livelihoods. The recent cyclone has again demonstrated that communities were more vulnerable where the mangroves had been removed. Most of the mangrove regeneration work which ITF supports is with our partner organisation, Mangrove Action Project (MAP) In Thailand, Jim Enright, was interviewed by Clare Bolderson on BBC.