National
Societies around the world are celebrating the World Red Cross
Red Crescent Day on 8 May. This year, the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Movement is highlighting the power of
working together for humanity. As part of a four-part series
to mark 8 May, we look at how a strategic partnership between
the American Red Cross and the environmental group, World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF), is helping communities and the environment
recover from the devastating effects of the tsunami.
The tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean in December 2004
not only destroyed lives and homes, but also devastated the
natural environment, altering coastlines and shattering coral
reefs, as well as mangrove forests right around the Bay of Bengal.
The natural environment is a vital resource for communities
directly affected by the tsunami. Healthy forests provide materials
for construction; watersheds provide drinking water and marine
ecosystems are a source of food and livelihoods.
Healthy environments can also provide natural defences against
future disasters. Mangroves, for example, can be a natural barrier
protecting coastal areas against erosion, sea surges and strong
winds.
Shortly after the tsunami struck, the American Red Cross entered
into a partnership with the environmental group WWF who, in
the wake of the disaster, had developed some “green construction
policy guidelines”. These guidelines are now helping the
American Red Cross and other organisations involved in tsunami
recovery to plan and carry out recovery projects while protecting
natural resources.
“It is critical that our decisions do not have adverse,
long-term consequences for the environment,” explains
Chris Herink, the partnerships coordinator for the American
Red Cross tsunami recovery programme. “This partnership
recognizes that helping people and helping the environment can
be mutually reinforcing and it is therefore an important step
towards healthy recovery.”
WWF is providing advice on a range of American Red Cross livelihood,
water and sanitation, construction, and disaster management
programmes, ensuring that the programmes adhere to accepted
environmental standards.
By combining the humanitarian expertise of the Red Cross with
the environmental expertise of WWF, this partnership is helping
make sure that recovery is sustainable by restoring livelihoods,
protecting natural resources and strengthening communities against
future disasters.
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The
natural environment is a vital resource for communities
directly affected by the tsunami. Acehenese villagers
explain to the donors how to proces the natural compost
by using some of home rubbis. (p15661)
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Healthy
forests provide materials for construction; watersheds
provide drinking water and marine ecosystems are a source
of food and livelihoods. (p15662)
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