| The three remaining coastal peat swamp forests of Aceh' s West coast - Tripa, Kluet and Trumon-Singkil - were impacted by the 2004 tsunami disaster, and the later earthquake in Nias, but acted as an efficient buffer zone, protecting local people and providing local livelihoods. In Tripa, however, the ongoing conversion to palm oil estates has catastrophic consequences for the Aceh reconstruction process and future Tsunami preparedness. In a paper, SOCP Director Ian Singleton examines the value of this unique ecosystem, and the impact of palm-oil conversion on local people, climate change and biodiversity. |
