U Ohn is the general secretary of the Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association (FREDA), one of a handful of Burmese nongovernmental organizations dedicated to protecting the country?s forests Environmentalist U Ohn (Illustration: Harn Lay/ The Irrawaddy)... Question: Cyclone Nargis destroyed many mangrove forests in the Irrawaddy delta. What was the impact of the storm on biodiversity in the region? Answer: The cyclone caused a tidal surge which was up to 20 feet (6 meters) high. Almost 100 square miles (260 square km) of land was flooded and turned into a virtual sea. Meinmahla Island, for instance, was completely covered by seawater, but then resurfaced after the cyclone. The biodiversity of the mangrove forests, sea-grass beds and coral reefs was severely impacted. A large number of plants and animals, including trees, fish and even turtles and crocodiles, were killed in the deluge. Q: What consequences do you foresee if the destruction of the mangrove forests continues? A: If the mangrove forests disappear, the impact of similar disasters in the future will be immense..."