Solomon Islands tsunami update
11 Apr 2007
WWF staff members in the Solomon Islands have temporarily put aside their conservation work to assist in the relief effort following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the Pacific nation on April 2.
The earthquake and tsunami that struck the Solomon Islands has wrought a great deal of human suffering to Solomon Islanders living in the western part of the country. It also caused destruction of buildings, mainly houses but also shops and businesses, water supply and sewerage systems and telephone and power supplies.
Most of the 25 members of WWF's staff in Solomon Islands are based on the island of Gizo, which bore the brunt of the devastation. They have put aside their valuable work in forest and marine conservation for the time being and pooled their efforts with their neighbours and other Solomon Islands' civil society organisations to assist where they can in the emergency relief phase of the disaster.
Once this phase is over, WWF will consider whether they have a role to play in assessing damage to the marine and terrestrial environment and in offering advice to government on environmentally sound reconstruction efforts.
