We are relieved to report that our scientists and project staff in southeast Asia survived the tsunamis of December 26, 2004, and are in the process of assessing the damage and rebuilding after the devastation. Luckily, we did not have any volunteer teams in the field in any of the affected areas at the time.
Earthwatch Institute has a long history of working in Southeast Asia. This catastrophe saddens us all, and our thoughts are with all of those who are suffering. If you would like to support immediate recovery efforts, we would suggest making a contribution to UNICEF's South Asia Tsunami Relief Effort.
Our January and February teams in southeast Asia will go ahead as planned, and will help with recovery where needed. Earthwatch will continue our support of projects in southeast Asia, particularly those that address the social and environmental sustainability issues that can improve the lives of the survivors in coastal communities. The people of southeast Asia have an enormous challenging and difficult task ahead. We will do everything we can to help them rebuild their lives and continue the vital work necessary for a sustainable future, and hope you will join us in our continuing efforts.
If you have a personal interest in one of our southeast Asia projects or are a past team member, and would like an update on conditions, please email us at info@earthwatch.org, and we will send you the latest information we have from the principal investigators. Thank you for supporting Earthwatch.