The vegetation response to environment is very sensitive and not only affects the ecological balance and climate but has also been found to be effective barrier against natural disasters. This paper shows how differences between the visible red and near-infrared (NIR) bands of a LANDSAT image can be used to identify areas containing significant vegetation. It uses a LANDSAT Thematic Mapper image covering part of Paris, France, made available courtesy of Space Imaging, LLC. Seven spectral bands are stored in one file in the Erdas LAN format. It also describes how remote sensing techniques and vegetation analysis were used to study the effect of mangroves and other woody coastal vegetation as a protective measure against the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. © Gi4DM 2011 - GeoInformation for Disaster Management.All right reserved.