Mangroves : a natural defense against cyclones; an investigation from Orissa, India

Abstract

In October 1999, the state of Orissa in India was battered by a super cyclone that killed almost 10,000 people and caused a massive loss of livestock and property. Following this disaster there was a great deal of controversy over whether the high levels of mangrove forest destruction in the area had increased the impact of the cyclone. Many argued that the loss of human life caused by the storm was directly linked to the removal of the natural defenses provided by mangroves.