The destruction suffered by Sri Lanka due to the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami was exacerbated by the destruction of its offshore coral reefs.
Being an island, Sri Lanka is well known for its coastline, having at least 830 miles of it. As such, the sea has always provided rich resources for its inhabitants, not only supplying salt, fish, and a tourism draw, but also another treasure: coral reefs. However, by 2019, it was found that nearly ninety percent of the Sri Lanka’s reefs had been destroyed both by climate change and human destruction.
Coral mining is the process of breaking off pieces of reef material for processing into other forms, mainly lime, which is used in the production of mortar for construction. While coral mining has been going on in certain southern areas of the island for over 400 years, its effects were limited by the technology of the time and the minimal demand. Furthermore, most of the reefs originally mined were relic reefs, geological formations made up of ancient reefs that were actually inland and had no impact on the offshore reefs. However, as the construction industry grew in the 1960’s and 1970’s, so did the demand for lime.
In Sri Lanka, coral is actually the source of ninety percent of the lime produced in the country. Most of the mining occurs off the south and south-east shorelines of the island, where some families had relied on coral mining as their livelihood for generations. Therefore, even when offshore coral mining was outlawed in 1983, illegal coral mining continued due to the establishment of the industry and the inability of the government to enforce the law.
As early as 1992, studies were noting the deleterious effects of the reef destruction, especially by coral mining. One of the major consequences noted was the lack of offshore barriers to provide a breakwater that would ease the effects of waves on the shoreline and prevent erosion. It would only be twelve more years before their fears would be brutally confirmed.
On December 26, 2004, an enormous tsunami triggered by an underwater earthquake spread across the Indian Ocean, battering many coastlines, especially Sri Lanka. It is estimated that more than 35,000 people died on the island alone. However, later studies of the wave showed some interesting inconsistencies. Certain areas suffered thirty foot waves that swept far inland, whereas other places little over a mile away suffered only eight foot waves that did much less damage. Scientists found that the areas that suffered the greatest damage were the areas where the reefs had been severely degraded by coral mining.
While efforts are currently being made to repair some of the coral reefs through coral farming and replanting on artificial reefs, coral grows slowly and is easily affected by many ocean factors, especially temperature. Although human intervention may currently be on the side of the reefs, the damage which is occurring due to climate change cannot be so easily undone.