Impact of tsunami on mangrove forest cover along the cuddalore coast using remote sensing data

Mangrove forests form one of the primary coastal ecosystems in the tropical and subtropical region of the world. They are biologically diverse and have therefore traditionally been utilized for food resources, firewood, charcoal, timber and other minor products. However, mangrove ecosystems are very sensitive and fragile. In recent years, the pressures of increasing population, and the resulting expansion of agricultural land and industrial and urban development, have caused a significant proportion of the world’s mangrove resource to be destroyed. In addition, significant areas of mangrove swamps in Indonesia and other regions of Southeast Asia have been developed to create ponds for the commercial production of fish and shrimps. The mangrove ecosystem forms as a natural barriers and protects the coast from natural disasters like, seasonal cyclones and tsunamis. Hence the present study aims to map the mangrove forest using optical remote sensing data during the pre and post Asian tsunami periods; and also to assess the impact of mangrove forest cover and how this has been a protective cover to the coast in Cuddalore coast zone. For this purpose Indian remote sensing digital data have been used to study the pre and post tsunami conditions and the mangrove ecosystem.