Genesis and present status of restoration practice in saline blanks - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation Chennai Dr.V.Selvam

Genesis and present status of restoration practice in saline blanks in mangrove wetlands

Regional Colloquium on Mangrove Restoration Chennai 30-31 Aug. 2012

Saline blanks Saline blanks Saline blanks

Saline blanks common in arid and semi-arid mangrove Muthupet mangroves – Tamil Nadu

Wetland boundary Mangrove vegetation

Saline blanks in Krishna mangroves – Andhra Pradesh SB – Saline Blanks

SB SB SB SB Saline Blank SB SB SB

Mangroves

River

Past attempts to restore saline blanks…

Declared as Reserve Forest 100 to 140 years back Managed by British Forest Department – till independence Forest Department of Indian States – after 1947 Working plans – 10 years interval available since declared as RF Working plans after 1930s – recorded presence of saline blanks Recorded attempts to restore saline blanks –limited results

This situation existed till 1992

    

MSSRF started working in Pichavaram mangroves in 1992  Declared as Reserve Forest in 1911  Small mangroves – 1470 ha  1992 remote sensing data – 55% forested area degraded SB SB SB SB SB SB

1986



First step of restoration: Analysis of causes of

degradation

Views of Govt. agencies + other institutions Exploitation by local community Grazing and illegal felling

Local community

No felling of green trees Cattle grazing is only in peripheral areas Degradation is severe in the middle portion of mangroves

 Villagers statements verified and found true during field visits  Observed stagnation of tidal water in the degraded areas and free flushing in healthy mangrove areas  Hypothesized changes in microtopography resulted in stagnation of tidal water

Community participated Ecological Investigation Microtopography Tidal flushing Soil and ground water Property Mangrove health

Topography in healthy areas

 Smooth topography; free flushing by tidal water  Soil salinity is moderate - 12 to 51 ppt  Pore water salinity is moderate - 22 to 64 ppt  High diversity of species

 Topography is trough shaped; stagnation of tidal water  Soil salinity is high- 68 to 115 ppt  Pore water salinity is high - 70 to 120 ppt  Dead mangrove trees, stunted growth

Topography in degraded areas



Development of trough shaped topography leading to development of hyper saline condition- main reason for degradation



Observation supported by Remote sensing data

 Past unscientific management practices  Mangrove forests clear felled under coupe system for revenue generation to govt.  20 years rotation  Started in 1930s and continued till 1970s  Every year about 12 to 15 ha of mangrove forest clear felled  Exposure of wetland triggered a chain reaction What caused topography become trough shaped ?

Clear felling under coupe system Exposure of mangrove wetland Evaporation of soil water Subsidence of sediment Development of trough Shaped topography Stagnation of Tidal water Evaporation of Tidal water Development of hyper salinity No regeneration

What caused topography become trough shaped ?

Development of restoration technique

 Hypothesized that trough shaped degraded can be easily restored if facilities are provided for free flow of tidal water in and out during the high tide and low tide  Tested this hypothesis in about 8.00 ha of degraded area with the participation of the community

3 m 1 m 80 cm 1.8 m



Canal system for free tidal flushing

Before restoration After restoration

 A number of questions

• Who will maintain the canals?
• How social pressures, there is anything, can be

prevented?

• How to upscale restoration activities?

 Development of

• Joint Mangrove Management Programme

Joint Mangrove Managem ent

 Extended to 7 major mangroves of the east coast of India in Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh Orissa Sunderban  Tripartite agreement between local communities, state Forest Department and M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation

Process followed in JMM

Situation analysis Identifying participating hamlets Participatory Rural Appraisal Establishment of Village Mangrove Council Identification of Mangrove Management Unit Preparation of a Joint perspective plan Preparation of joint annual action plan Joint Implementation and monitoring

 Output

33 village level institutions with ~5240 families as members

• Restored 1475 ha –6.8 millions of mangrove \

saplings

• Conserving about 12000 ha of verdant mangroves

developed a science-based, community-centred and process-oriented approach

 Outcome

Ministry of Environment evaluated this approach and declared as the best available and included in the National Mangrove Action plan – led for more flow of resources to state Forest Departments

1986 2002 Pichavaram mangroves

Pichavaram mangroves Google Maps

2011

1986 2001

Godavari Mangroves – Andhra Pradesh A success story of Joint Mangrove Management

Community-NGO-Government partnership should be promoted for better conservation and management of coastal ecosystems Location specific science-based, community-centred and process-oriented approach needs to be developed and promoted for sustainable management

• f coastal resources and ecosystems

Concerns of user community should be incorporated in the coastal and marine governance framework by providing them opportunity to participate in the decision making and policy making processes to create a win-win situation

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