In South-East Asia, ecosystems suffered considerable damage from the 2004 tsunami. These countries have temporarily lost a significant source of income. At the same time there could be observed that tourism activities had damaged ecosystems leading to reduced environmental functions. Therewith, the natural risk prevention potential of intact ecosystems became lost and allowed for more devastating impacts of the tsunami.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has been supporting the countries of Asia that were affected by the tsunami in December 2004. UNWTO has joined forces with the Government of Germany to provide a range of consultancy and advisory support in the field of biodiversity and tourism development following the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This collaboration provides consultation and assistance to national and local governments so as to contribute to the reconstruction in the tsunami hit countries by improving capacity, knowledge sharing and participation processes to develop sustainable tourism practices and to demonstrate that tourism development and biodiversity can be mutually supportive.

Indonesia is one of the target countries for these UNWTO activities. The Indonesian Government has agreed to cooperate with UNWTO in the framework of a project in Kabupaten Ciamis (West Java Province). The project aims to build sustainable tourism practices in the model site of Pangandaran. It s shall provide these communities with the expertise to develop tourism in a sustainable manner giving special emphasis to the conservation of biodiversity and risk prevention through intact functioning ecosystems.