coastal mangroves and green belts offer little or no protection against the power of a tsunami, according to a recent study.

Conducted by the arc Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Australia, the University of Guam, and the Wildlife Conservation Society-Indonesia Programme, the study has overturned claims that death rates were lower in villages shielded by mangroves during the 2004 tsunami.

The findings challenge current advice by the United Nations Environment Programme, ngo s and scientists that