For Me to Learn

Natural Hazards and Site Selection
Many regions of world are vulnerable to natural hazards such as floods, cyclones, volcanic erruption, landslides or earthquakes. It is important to understand the effects of these natural phenomena to decide where and how to build safe houses.
A very interesting discussion that triggered last week among a very strong group of conservationists in http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/andamanicobar/ is on topic that said "Mangroves 'do not protect against tsunamis".the report published in http://www.scidev.net/en/news/mangroves-do-not-protect-against-tsunamis-.html [CHENNAI] Claims that coastal forests can protect communities from the impact of tsunamis have been dismissed in a new report.
There are still many other reputable scientists who differ in their viewpoints.
The only statement that striked me in the discussion where someone said " science is rational, unlike conservation which is sensational", i really valued that expression.
Growing of mangrove as understood is a natural phenomenon mainly functional to prevent soil erosion, buffering is an extended feature.
Take the case of River Koshi or the deltas of Bengal with the changing courses of rivers almost every year it is really difficult to identify a safe location for resettlement and is still uncleaver to design a permanent shelter programme in such site by implying ideas like Reclamation of land or what is called bandhs or barriers. in anycase we are far incapable to fight the mother nature. "Change is the law"and we need to learn to adapt it!
The Communities need to understand it for themselves to save their own lives more than the external aid agencies disseminating informations to them. it need to be more sensational will responding the needs of the community and mother nature.
Engineering can make safe structures but has its own limitations.
A very good example of engineering sucess is from the Tsunami: when Andaman and Nicobar Islands experienced the earth quake of 8.9 ritcher scale and a negligible amount of buildings were damaged in Port Blair Town, the Islands being in the Seismic Zone IV category the RCC structures were designed to the Std Bldg Codes, but it may not survive repeated shocks of similar magnitude forever. so the Message is quite clear.
I need to learn the future.