The tidal wave also hit Langkawi, but the damage was not as bad as on other places along the coastal line of the Indian Ocean. On Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah the flood destroyed several beach hutches, deck chairs, fences and boats. Some spots looked chaotic, but the real damage is relative small compare to the disaster in other countries and islands.

The marina in the newly built "Telaga Harbour Park" was hit quite hard by the flood. After the harbour was sucked almost empty the next swell created a washing machine effect. The pontoons could'n't stand the pressure and the yachts became play balls of the water masses. The marina was almost completely destroyed and 9 yachts went down. Apart from the financial losses the were no serious casualties reported.

Two of Langkawi's fishing harbours, Kuala Cenang, Kuala Muda and Kuala Teriang the boats were piled up to the road and burried cars underneath their remains. In Kuala Teriang houses colapsed under the pressure of the wave and the entire village was left covered in mud.

The response of the world public to the tsunami disaster was one of heartfelt empathy and an instinctive desire to help fellow human beings in trouble. Never before have so many people, from so many countries given so much to the victims of a disaster. World governments have promised and provided far greater sums of aid than they originally intended to offer because of the sheer magnitude of the public’s generosity. The US initially pledged $15 million but in the end promised $350 million while the UK government raised their pledge to $96 million.

How many people realise, however, that many of the deaths caused by the tsunami could have been prevented? The areas affected have been hit by tsunamis in the past, with far fewer deaths resulting, because the coastlines of South East Asia were protected by a natural defence system, composed of coral reefs and mangrove forests.

Many of the previous tsunamis were tamed by the coral reefs before hitting the coast, where they were absorbed by a dense layer of red mangrove trees. These flexible trees, with long branches growing right down into the sand below the surface of the sea, absorb the shock of tsunamis. Behind the red mangrove trees there is a second layer of black mangrove trees, which are taller and slow down the waves.

Thousands of miles of coastline in South East Asia were densely covered in mangrove forests, protecting the coastline from erosion, absorbing carbon dioxide and providing a breeding ground for crustaceans and fish, on which the local population depended for their livelihood. This was a fragile environment, which ecologists have long recommended should enjoy special protection.

While the belt of mangrove forest still existed, the people of the area lived inland, behind it. In 1960 a tsunami hit the coast of Bangladesh in an area where the mangroves were intact. No-one died. These mangroves were subsequently cut down by the shrimp (prawn) farming industry and in 1991 thousands of people were killed when a tsunami of the same magnitude hit the same region. On Dec 26th 2004, Pichavaram and Muthupet, in South India, who still have their mangrove forests, suffered fewer casualties than the surrounding mangrove-less areas of coast. Mangroves also acted as a barrier, helping people to survive on Nias Island, Indonesia, close to the epicentre of the Dec 26 tsunami. Burma and the Maldives suffered less from the tsunami because the shrimp and tourism industries had not yet destroyed all their mangroves and coral reefs.

Mangrove Swamps As Strong Waves Barriers Malaysia will set up a national tsunami early warning system targeted to be operational by the end of 2005. The country will also replant and restore mangrove swamps to act as natural shields against strong waves. Malaysia's new tsunami warning system will comprise a network of buoys and sensors monitored via satellite. Announcing this, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said the system would allow officials to detect any sudden surge of waters so warnings can be sent out early. "Subject to the cabinet go-ahead, it can be done by the end of the year," he said. The cost has yet to be ascertained, but Mr Najib said it would be reasonable. He welcomed any assistance from the United States, as the US had earlier indicated its readiness to help developing Asian countries put in place such a system. Mr Najib was speaking after chairing the country's first committee meeting on national disaster and relief management. The Malaysian government had been criticised for doing too little, too late. A total of 68 people were killed by giant waves that hit four coastal states in the country. Families of the deceased, many of them fishermen, will each be given some US$5,000. In another measure to try and prevent a repeat of the latest disaster, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi ordered the replanting of mangroves damaged by the tsunami. Environmentalists say if there had been more mangroves, their complex root system could have reduced the devastation caused by the waves. Dr Sharma Dionysious, WWF of Malaysia, said: "Originally most of the West Coast was actually mangrove-lined. Now, lost a lot through development. A lot of these places actually hit by the tsunami could have been saved especially the lives of people if there were more mangroves still lining the shoreline." There is now greater commitment from the government to conserve and restore mangrove swamps in the country.