- Date of submission: ………………
- Type of Grant: Organizational or Individual
- Project Title: Community based Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Program for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.
- Focus area of the project: Mangroves of South Asia in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.
- Goal of the project: The project aims to improve the status of mangrove forests in the three countries through a participatory and community-based approach, which would involve awareness and training on both restoration and conservation.
- Project Duration: 3 years
- Funding Request: USD $$$$$$$
Brief background of the organisation, including goals and current programme focus (not more than 400 words)
XYZ Earth trust is a 30-year-old environmental organization, which is on a mission to protect and save our planet. Since the early 90’s we have been providing awareness on issues related to environment protection, biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation. We conduct training sessions to help the grassroots organizations in building their capacity for environment protection. We also conduct research on various environment related aspects and use the results of the research in reaching out to the public. Over the years we have been successful in implementing various projects across Asia, America and Europe. We work through a strong network of experts and member organizations across the globe.
Current Programme Focus: Our organization is currently engaged in projects that focus on building the capacities of local communities in conserving local biodiversity. We help the local communities through awareness sessions and giving hands on practical training on conservation and restoration.
Grant Proposal
Mangrove Conservation and Restoration as a sustainable management practice for the conservation and protection of the mangrove ecosystem in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Community based mangrove restoration offers a holistic approach that involves the local community, government department, research institutions, NGOs and relevant stakeholders to conserve, protect and restore the mangroves.
Project Background
A substantial contribution in the growth and development of any state, country or continent undoubtedly deserves recognition and praise; the support, helps raise awareness and hence incites the thought of protecting what has brought about such a significantly positive change in an environment. Being grateful for what we receive in any way or form is the most prudent of gestures to display the respect one has as a beneficiary. Nature for one, is the biggest gift mother earth has bestowed upon us, and all forms of her should be protected and conserved!
One such contributor that currently needs our focus is ‘The Mangroves’.
Mangroves are:
- Self-propagating plants and if left undisturbed, can grow quite easily in conducive soil and locations.
- Their ecosystem is rich in biodiversity and harbours a number of floral and faunal species (both terrestrial and aquatic).
- They also provide a number of ecological services and play a major role in protecting coastal areas from tsunamis, storm surges and soil erosions; due to their complex root systems which dissipate sea wave energy.
- They are an important source of livelihood for communities found in and around mangrove forests for collection of honey, tanning, wax and fishing.
- And the most important of all, they are carbon sinks. NASA has termed them ‘the best carbon scrubbers’ as they store more than most of the other forest types.
7% of the total mangrove forests are found in South Asia on the coastal edges of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The largest continuous stretch of mangrove forest in the world is found along the border of India and Bangladesh, covering 120 km east to west and 60 km north to south. Research studies show that mangroves are rich in biodiversity; species diversity in the region ranges from 8-10 species in Pakistan, 12-13 in Bangladesh, 18-20 Sri in Lanka, and 30-35 in India (Polidoro et al., 2010). Furthermore, mangrove forests offer several ecological and environmental benefits to these countries. Some of the important ecosystem services and goods that the mangrove forests provide are as follows:
- shoreline stabilization
- storm protection
- water quality maintenance
- micro-climate stabilization
- groundwater recharge and discharge
- flood and flow control
- sediment and nutrient retention
- habitat protection and biodiversity
- productivity and resilience
- recreation, tourism and culture
- hunting and fishing, forestry products
- water transport
Mangroves make 1% of the tropical forests of the world with India having 3% of the total cover in South Asia. Presently, these are the most threatened ecosystems on the account of both anthropogenic factors (reclamation of land, discharge of waste etc) and natural factors like global warming. 50% of the world’s mangroves have disappeared in the past half-century due to a combination of multiple factors.
South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka have the world’s single largest mangrove ecosystem, ‘The Sundarbans’.
Figure 1. Status of Mangroves in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
Mangroves in the identified countries are under serious threat; a combination of both natural and anthropogenic factors are responsible for the degradation of the mangrove forests. Major causes of the forest cover in the project countries can be attributed to the following factors:
- conversion to other land use (e.g., conversion of agriculture, shrimp farms, development, and human settlement)
Though the governments of the three countries have taken several measures to protect the remaining natural mangroves through developing a silvicultural system and using ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) approach, we believe that increasing the people’s participation more extensively would help reach the goals faster.
Mangroves are an important source of livelihood for communities that live around them, the co-dependency of these critical habitats on those people is equally significant, therefore, this requires a community based ecological restoration plan which would be a more holistic approach towards the current situation.
Proposed Idea (Please state the main idea of the proposal, including the goal towards which it will contribute and the methodology)
The proposed project promotes Community Based Mangrove Conservation and Restoration as a sustainable management practice for the conservation and protection of the mangrove ecosystem in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Community based mangrove restoration offers a holistic approach that involves the local community, government department, research institutions, NGOs and relevant stakeholders to conserve, protect and restore the mangroves.
- Involving and engaging local communities in every step of planning and implementation is necessary so as to instill ownership and also make them stewards for conservation and management.
- Developing localized plans to use the local resources for sustainable management of the ecosystem.
- Workshops and field training days would help to build capacity and analyse the ecological patterns which would encourage natural regeneration.
These measures would enable the communities to regain their livelihoods with better understanding thereby empowering them to be stewards of their environment which would automatically cast a long-term impact for a more sustainable and promising future of the Mangrove forests.
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