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Madagascar
Sumatra and Andaman Islands
Human fire use is widespread and threatens the island ’ s unprecedented endemic biodiversity . An average of 356,189 fires were detected every year in Madagascar from 2012 – 2019 . But protection works to reduce fire frequency , with on average 65 % lower incidence of fires within national parks than within their surroundings .
On “ Boxing Day ” in December 2004 , the powerful Sumatra-Andaman earthquake measuring 9.15 on the Richter scale hit , with its epicenter off the coast of Sumatra , Indonesia , in the Indian Ocean . The 100-foot waves of the tsunami triggered by the earthquake devastated Indonesia , neighboring countries in Asia , and coasts as far away as Africa and the Middle East , killing over 227,000 people and destroying vast coastal areas . In Sri Lanka , the Yala and Bundala National Parks fared better than developed coastal areas because protective ecosystems were in place .
Philippines
On December 17 , 2022 , Typhoon Odette ( aka Rai ), a Category 5 storm with winds of over 157 mph , slammed into the Philippines . Rainforest Trust ’ s partners reported extensive damage to reserve infrastructure at the Refuge for the Critically Endangered Palawan Forest Turtle . The threat to the turtle population was heightened by hunting when food supplies for surrounding communities were interrupted . Rainforest Trust awarded disaster relief funding to our partners to assist with rebuilding infrastructure .
The annual number of tropical cyclones forming globally has decreased by approximately 13 % during the 20th century .
According to a new study in “ Nature Climate Change ” by a group of international scientists , this decrease in number is due primarily to global warming . While these complex climatic forces contribute to a decrease in the number of cyclones , they also contribute to increased intensity and the length of time tropical cyclones linger , causing more destruction in their path .