Ronaldo (CR7) just came to my country over the weekend to campaign and support efforts to educate and raise public awareness of the importance of protecting mangrove forests. Is it an effective way?
As we know that over half the worlds mangrove forests have been destroyed over the last 30- 40 years to make way for commercial enterprises such as aquaculture (mainly shrimp farming), agriculture and coastal development. Intensive shrimp farming has devastating environmental effects. Not only does the practice clear large areas of coastal habitat including mangrove forests but it also pollutes nearby coastal waters and marine habitats such as coral reefs with waste matter from the shrimp ponds.
Increased human settlement along our coastlines also leads to agricultural expansion. This is believed to be the most destructive human impact on mangrove forests due to the scale of the problem. Unregulated urban development increases pollution and alters the distribution and use of water and with increased tourism into tropical regions over recent decades; this is only compounding the problem.
In India, we have programs to increase awareness of local public about the services & goods that mangroves provide. Local Universities, NGOs & educational institutes promote it. Also, there are regulatory enforcement by the Government. Besides, plantation of mangroves at suitable places are being done as a part of saving mangroves in India. People living along the coastal part of India now understand the impact of clearing mangrove forests, especially after the latest super-cyclone (1990s in Orissa) & tsunami (2004 that devastated the southern coastal parts of India).
It is clear that mangroves can not be saved without soliciting help from the locals. Government in India is encouraging locals that live in the vicinity of mangrove forests to take up alternative jobs for their livelihood rather than going into the forests & extract resources (timber, honey etc).
From my point of view, the alternative way for saving the mangrove is by involving local people. This management practice are used in conserving the Matang Mangrove forests(Malaysia) which i think a successful one. By giving awareness to the local communities, automatically they will feel the important of this halophytic plant to them.
Previously (especially in India) the mangroves are either considered as waste lands or dumping yards. These areas were coming under revenue department under the state government jurisdiction. They are not much worried about the environmental significance of the mangroves. After so much pressure from the scientific communities and environmentalists, these ecosystems are now under the forest department. As mentioned in the previous comments, participatory management was found to be the most effective management plan for mangrove forests. In Kerala majority of the mangrove patches are under private properties. Government having limited control over it. Its a serious issue in India because most of our mangrove areas are already been lost or reclaimed for many developmental activities. So no scope for further destruction of this fragile ecosystems.
Help people to know more about mangroves is a good way to start:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236000095_Comparative_Guide_to_Asian_mangroves?ev=prf_pub
Then, get people, community and government to preserve, conserve and even replanting mangroves!
Data Comparative Guide to Asian mangroves
Dola, what kind of alternative activities are being encouraged by the Govt of India ?
When mad-made destruction of mangroves is evident, all of the above strategies are very good. Community radio programmes aimed at coastal communities may also benefit. to some extent.
The anthropogenic activities also affect the natural system in which the mangroves thrive. For example, rising sealevel, changes in coastal morphology, and pollutant load are some of the other factors that should be considered for management of existing mangrove ecosystems.
Sealevel rise increases the salinity within the mangrove ecosystems. Construction of dams across the rivers have the effect of reducing both freshwater input as well as sediment supply to the mangroves. Construction of harbours may have the effect of changing the current patterns along the coast and affect sediment accretionary and erosional processes on the long run. Organic pollutants shall affect the oxygen levels in the water column; metals may induce plant stress due to toxic effects and alter mangrove physiology and its growth.
These factors should also be given due importance when mangrove management plan is prepared.
Some of the directives are:
Measurement of plant stress due to salinisation.
Identification of mangrove species that can thrive under high saline conditions and implementation of rehabilitation measures.
Study of pollutant load on mangrove health and estimation of assimilation capacity of existing mangrove ecosystems along the coast.
Quantifying the vulnerabilty of the mangroves to natural hazards, for exmaple, cyclones.
All the answers added above effectively highlight different issues associated with mangrove conservation. However, I feel the efforts have to be implemented based on an understanding of local issues. Different regions of the world have different causes for mangrove deterioration. Somewhere shrimp farming/coastal aquaculture activities was found to degrade mangrove forests whereas at other places, agriculture expansion was reported to lead to depletion of mangrove cover. I agree increasing social awareness also brings positives for mangrove protection. REDD+ strategies are also forcing governments to plant more mangroves as they will help in reaping economic benefits by accumulating more carbon credits.
These are all good answers. However, I am missing the role of sediment availability. Many people think that mangrove stabilize the coastline. This is right, if sediment is available which can be trapped by the root system. If there is a lack of sediment, very oftne due to anthropogenic impacts, a mangrove belt can not be saved. Mangroves follw sedimentation (see C.D. Woodroffe, 2002).
To conserve mangroves should involve of the locals. Ecuador, have created a program that gives mangrove concessions to the communes or associations who live and/or work in the mangroves (fishermen, crab catchers). This gives them exclusive use of the area, but committing them to preserve it. To access these benefits must first meet several requirements, including a support of a non-governmental foundation to help organizations meet a management plan for the area. It also teaches the ecological and economic importance of the ecosystem, and how it would affect them if it disappears. We also have quite high fines for cutting down mangroves.
Thus we maintain extensions almost intact of mangrove forest since this plan has been implemented.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318788602_Mangroves_of_West_Coast_-_Green_Wall_of_Shoreline
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267865753_Inventorying_Mapping_and_Monitoring_of_Mangroves_towards_Sustainable_Management_of_West_Coast_India
Article Mangroves of West Coast – Green Wall of Shoreline
Article Inventorying, Mapping and Monitoring of Mangroves towards Su...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Geoscience
- Atmospheric Sciences
- Climate Science
- Climate Change