Coastal communities in Gujarat build mangrove barriers with benefits for environment and livelihoods

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

A community-based, multi-species approach to mangrove conservation is gaining ground in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.

Details:

The initiative is developing a coastal bioshield, which is a plantation of mangrove and non-mangrove species, with mangroves on the seaside, salt-resistant trees in the middle and fodder plants on the village side.
Touted as a nature-based solution to climate change, bioshields have multiple benefits including carbon sequestration, improvement of aquaculture and agriculture in coastal villages and fodder availability.

Coastal Bio Shield project:

Mangroves are the protector of the coast. They have many benefits – they prevent erosion, minimise impact from storm surges and cyclones, ecosystem regeneration, carbon sequestration, and nutrition for the marine ecosystem.
The pilot project was initiated in the Jambusar coastline between 2016-2019.
- The idea was to have a 50-metres wall of mangroves on the seaside backed by 50 metres of salt-resistant Salvadora plant (locally known as piludi), 50 metres of fodder crop (unth morad in Gujarati) and then aromatic herbs and fruit trees towards the village side, together forming a 180-metres-wide natural wall between the sea and arable land.
- Piludi is an oilseed from which oil for medicinal purposes is extracted. In the local market itself, the rate for these seeds is Rs 50 per kg.
Advantages include:
- Control the erosion
- Increased fish catch and fodder production
- Improved agriculture by blocking saline winds
- Protection from cyclones on west coast
- A thick belt can reduce wave velocity of storms by 40-45%.
Bioshields should be implemented in areas where large-scale mangrove degradation has happened.