Mangrove loss 'put Burma at risk'

News -
06 May 2008 - 18 Jan 2016
Destruction of mangrove forests in Burma left coastal areas exposed to the devastating force of the weekend's cyclone, a top politician suggests. ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said coastal developments had resulted in mangroves, which act as a natural defence against storms, being lost. At least 22,000 people have died in the disaster, say state officials. A study of the 2004 Asian tsunami found that areas near healthy mangroves suffered less damage and fewer deaths. Image: BBC News. Mangrove forests might have reduced the cyclone's impact, a politician says.

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