water rice-based systems and wetlands to mangrove and coastal
strips used primarily for fishing. Much irrigation (mainly rice)
is practised in the coastal low-lying areas where drainage is
often difficult due to lack of slope. Assessment of the impacts
of the tsunami will address the damage by flooding (duration),
erosion, scouring, deposition and salinity in these fragile
tropical agro-ecosystems. This will require mapping the aquatic
and agro-ecosystems and diagnosing the physical impact of the
tsunami (extent, severity and type). High resolution global
irrigation maps show no irrigation in coastal areas in Aceh and
North Sumatra, none or almost none in Thailand's affected areas.
This suggests a concentration of likely effects to irrigated
rice production in South-Eastern India, West Coast and the
middle of Southern Coast of Sri Lanka. Very roughly, the
coastline of the affected areas would be 700 to 800 km in Sri
Lanka, 2000 km in Aceh, and 2000 km in South-east India. Areas
of intervention Assessment of t