When coastal forests have been reduced by years of exploitation and a natural disaster occurs, all eyes naturally turn to the survival needs of the affected people. This is all well and good during an emergency, but we also have to ask at what point do longer term issues such as environment become a priority? All too often, "long term" means "to be dealt with in the future." In the case of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, such a perception may have meant that environmental issues were never addressed, given that emergency funds were only available for a relatively short period of time.
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