Long Term
Recovery and Environmental Remediation
Revitalizing the Economy
The aspects
of the economy that will be of focus in our recovery plan are
agriculture, cattle/livestock, tourism, fisheries, and livelihood.
Agriculture
The main hindrance on agriculture is the quality
of the
soil. Farming cannot be revived if the land is not suitable. To restore
the
quality of the land, there are several options, such as desalination or
flooding. An alternative to restoring the quality of the land is to use
the
salinized fields to an advantage through salt water farming.
Removing
salt from the soil is called desalination.
Desalination works by the way of reverse osmosis and distillation. The
water
needs to be pumped through filters in order to remove the particles and
then
the water is distilled to obtain fresh water. This method seems like a
quick
and easy way, but it comes at a cost. Desalination plants are expensive
because
of the high financing and energy costs (California Coastal Commission).
Another method we can use would be
to flush the land with tons of water. This option is obviously ruled
out for
the fact that water will be too expensive to ship huge amounts of water
and
dump them on lands. Water is rationed and money and time could be put
to better
uses.
If
there are monetary restraints, an optimal way is to let nature take its
course.
There is not much to do on our part to help speed up the process of
desalination without overspending and wasting our efforts.
For example, should the northwestern
coast of Peru or Micronesia be damaged by a tsunami, the El Nino effect
should help
speed up the desalination process of the land. (Waylen, PR; Tapley,
TD, 1990)
In Micronesia receives plenty of rainfall and especially in
the state of
Pohnpei, more than 40 rivers are the result of such excess water. There
is
heavy rainfall in the center of the island. (Lander and Kroshopanah
2004)
There
is an option to make use of the salt water to the nation’s advantage.
There
have been studies on a new type of farming called “saltwater farming”
in which
salt water replaces fresh water. The main crop is salicornia, a
halophyte or
salt-tolerant plant. There have already been studies done on the
farming of
this crop in other coastal areas such as Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, (Glenn, Edward P.,
O’Leary, James
W, Watson, Carolyn, Thompson, T. Lewis, 1991) Salicornia
does not
need to be genetically altered to grow in salt water. It is a natural
protein
that contains 26 to 33 percent oil, 31 percent protein, and is low in
fiber and
ash. This oil can replace the soybean oil in check diets. Salicornia
can even
be turned into animal fodder, particleboard, and firebricks.
Salt water farming is novel in
today’s age. There exists
one commercial salt water farm in the world. (Greening the Desert
2005)
It is the project of Carl Hodges, an atmospheric scientist of the University of Arizona. His project is introducing salt water farming
to the arid
region of Eritrea in Africa, a land devastated by revolution and drought.
He created a
cyclical farm in which the saltwater made a loop into the land through
one end and
out through another. This closed system was self-sustaining. It began
with
mangroves on the outer edge, to form a habitat for fish and shrimp. The
waste
produced fertilized the salicornia fields that the water would flow
through and
then filter back out into the sea.
There
have been other studies as to what are options are. Barley is one of
the most
halophytic annual grains. The yields from this plant were decent, in
the sense
that they did not all die, like the experiments carried out with wheat.
(Hollaender
1979) Some other crops that can grow in brackish water for
irrigation are
tomatoes, onions, melons, and asparagus. A green plant, atriplex
triangularis, is similar like spinach in appearance and nutrition.
There
exists a number of plants that can grow in coastal areas using seawater
and
these options should be explored when there is only seawater available.
We
must realize that most crops cannot tolerate living in the harsh
condition of
sea water. Rice is a big example that plays a major role in the diets
of the
inhabitants. Rice will not grow in sea water. To do so, they need to be
genetically altered which is an option that the public may not like. We
are not
going to tread the waters of the controversies of GMO’s, but it should
be
considered.
Another
important aspect to address for the farmers in tsunami torn areas is
the tools
that they need. They need to be given supplies by either the government
or some
non-governmental organization. As time progresses, plots of land can be
sponsored and this will allow farmers to begin planting and harvesting
and
resume normal life.
Cattle/Livestock
It
is assumed that most to all of
cattle/livestock that was once living in (post-tsunami) devastated
areas would
be obliterated. To repopulate ranches and other relevant places
with lost
livestock, livestock would be transported from other parts of Peru (and other neighboring countries, if
necessary), primarily
by truck. The livestock would be voluntarily given up by other
ranches,
or would be paid for, as determined by the “central agency”.
It is
important that animals of
all age groups (and, of course, both sexes) be transported for optimal
growth,
for sociological reasons.
Tourism
Tourism
can be revived by offering confidence to the tourists and restoring
areas back
to good condition.
Thailand is seeking to assure its tourists that the
areas are safe
to visit again. They have already installed 62 early tsunami warning
towers
along the coastlines and practice frequent tsunami drills. (MediaCorp
NewsAsia 2005) In the same way, we can install warning towers and
practice
drills, if they are not already in place. Showing and being prepared
for
another disaster will restore the confidence into the tourist that was
lost.
Besides
offering assurance, the actual tourist sites need to be remedied. In Peru, however, the main tourist sites are located
usually in Cuzco, near the Inca ruins. That site is too far
inland (closer
to the Amazon) to be of consideration. The main locations of
consideration are Lima, Callao, and Trujillo, due their proximity to the coast lines. In
these areas,
the main attraction are the beaches, so in order to attract the
tourists back,
cleaning up the beaches of the debris from the disaster is a sensible
plan of
action. A prominent component of Micronesia’s tourism is given to diving. Micronesia has to offer these famous wreckage dives: the
Tokai Maru
and the SMS Cormoran, two sunken battleships from World War I and World
War II.
There are other diving sites in every state, but those two are by far
the most
attractive to tourists. Besides the beaches, the underwater sea level
needs to
be cleaned up.
The
Maldives Project by the Red Cross is in effect after the tsunami that
occurred
on the 26th of December, 2005. (Asia Earthquake & Tsunami 2005) The Red Cross is working in coalition with the
local
government to clear the land and start up a proper waste management
program.
When the beaches are clean in both Peru and Micronesia, we can expect that tourism rates will
increase.
Campaigns
to increase tourism in the nation can also be implemented. In northern Sumatra, conventions have been attracted there,
promoting local
tourism. Head of the North Sumatra Provincial Tourism Office, Henry
Hutabarat, has
urged to create more four and five star hotels to attract visitors to
the area.
(Antara 2005) In Indonesia, plans of new events and celebrations are
concocted. The
year of 2005-2006 has officially been announced as “The Year of
Indonesian Arts
and Culture.” They have extended the visa-on-arrival facility for
foreign
tourists to 33 countries instead of the original 20. (Saraswati 2005)
Campaigns like these will help boost the tourism industry.
Fisheries
Coastal
regions are
generally near fishing grounds. Fishing grounds are not necessarily
near the
coastal regions, so we are assuming that the fish are not affected by
the
tsunami. Often, fisheries exhibit overfishing, so the period in which
there is
no fishing should give time for the population to grow. (Ibarra,
Reid,
Thorpe) If the fish supply is low, the plantation of
mangroves
(which are also part of preventive measures taken by countries) will
provide a
healthy habitat for the fish and other aquaculture to live in.
The main objective in reviving the fishing industry is to give tools
and boats
to the fishermen who need it in order to relive their old lives.
Damaged boats
need to be fixed or new ones need to be allocated to those who need
them. The
government and non-governmental organizations have supplied boats and
supplies
to farmers after the tragedy in the Indian Ocean basin.
Peru is known for its Peruvian anchovy and the
processing of
it. Specifically in Peru, a processing company needs to be rebuilt in
order for
profit to be gained by the country. As the fishermen continue fishing,
new
processing plants need to be built to accommodate the catches made.
Micronesia has rich fishing grounds. It is not only
exploited by the
islands, but by foreign countries who give money to the nation to
obtain rights
to operate in Micronesia’s territory. Micronesia receives $20 million annually for the right to
operate in
its territory. (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs 2005)
The
fisheries in Micronesia should not face many problems. The period in
which no
fishing occurs will allow the fish to multiply.
Livelihood
While the
“central
agency” has the responsibility of deciding how funds are allocated, it
is the
responsibility of the government to actually implement
livelihood/civilian
reemployment. The government shall keep records of all funds
allocated to
civilians. This would probably cause a major change in the degree
to
which the government of Peru keeps track of its citizens (Population
Trends: Peru, Thomas McDevitt), but perhaps not as much for
the
government of Micronesia (Government of the Federated
States of Micronesia). Funds may be allocated in many forms,
some of
which include:
(a)
hourly
wages for short-term/long-term employment;
(b)
physical
funds;
(c)
market
recovery incentive funds
(a) Hourly wages for short-term/long-term
employment:
the government shall offer monetary assistance to civilians hired for
temporary
jobs, particularly those pertaining to long-term relief tasks, such as
reconstruction of roads, buildings, etc. (naturally, those civilians
hired for
certain types of semi-skilled or skilled labor will have been proven to
be
qualified for the labor). Monetary assistance shall also be
offered to
civilians that begin farming, especially farming that is specifically
begun as
a response to new agricultural demands (i.e., because of the
tsunami).
For farming, physical funds will also be provided.
(b) Physical funds: physical funds are forms
of
assistance that the government offers that are separate from funds for
hourly
wage, and are generally intended for particular physical things.
For
example, in the case of farming, the physical funds that the government
offers
are tractors, plows, other essential farming equipment, seeds,
etc. For
the fishing industry, the government offers physical funds in the form
of boats
and fishing equipment to those civilians involved in fishing/fisheries.
(c) Market recovery incentive funds: the government shall
introduce to
the public a “Market Restoration Incentive Program” that would
encourage
civilians to reintroduce their stores/markets. With this program
the
government would assist the concerned civilian with 20% of startup
costs (or
another percent based on available funds, as decided by the “central
agency”)
for the store/market.
To
receive these funds, the concerned civilian would have
to prove that his/her store/market is a legitimate market by an
application
process. Included in the application process would be a
description of
the market, and, more importantly, an explanation (or list) of the
sources of
goods going into the market. The government would only offer
assistance
to civilians that were getting their goods from sources already okayed
by the
government, such as NGO’s or other government-approved agencies.
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(2005).
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Thompson, T. L.,
& Kuehl, R. O. (1991, Mar 1, 1991). Salicornia bigelovii torr.: An
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