After the tsunami: rapid environmental assessment

The earthquake and tsunami of 26 December 2004, and the events that followed, will be remembered as among the worst human tragedies in history. The loss and devastation caused by this disaster brought
incalculable suffering to millions of people around the Indian Ocean. Their grief is shared around the world, and their experience is a humbling reminder that we are all vulnerable to the powerful forces of
the natural world that sustains us. From Banda Aceh, to the tourist resorts of south Thailand, to the fishing villages of Sri Lanka, and onward to the coasts of Africa, communities were overwhelmed by the
damage and loss.