Rooting for mangroves: Many reasons to expand these carbon sinks in India

The mangrove ecosystem offers economic benefits besides safeguarding the country's vast coastline

At the global climate conference held in Egypt recently, India became a member of the Mangrove Alliance for Climate, joining countries like Australia, Japan, Spain and Sri Lanka in preserving these coastal forests. Spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in partnership with Indonesia, the initiative, which was launched at the conference, could be a game-changer in the efforts to put the brakes on global warming. And India could play a key role in this.

Studies have shown mangrove forests can absorb nearly five times more carbon emissions than forests on land. The UAE is already tapping this potential for its polluting oil and gas industry.

Its Jubail mangrove sanctuary, for instance, is now a great guzzler of the carbon dioxide emitted by the nation’s thriving oil and gas industry. Spread across 32 square kilometre, the forest was planted more than 40 years ago and is a sprawling green haven with over a hundred species of flora and fauna.

Unlike forests on land, mangroves are hardy trees and shrubs found in the intertidal zones of tropical and subtropical regions. If coral reefs are the heart of the marine ecosystem, then mangroves are the lungs. They also serve as coast guards.

The long roots of these trees bind the soil and prevent the erosion of coastal regions, besides reducing the intensity of cyclones and preserving marine habitat: fish, crabs, lobsters, shrimps and a myriad of other organisms. The mangrove ecosystem is laden with nutrient-rich water, making it a perfect breeding place for fish, shrimps, crabs and others. It thus helps in maintaining a healthy population on which the livelihood of fishermen depends.

But where does India stand in the preservation and expansion of its mangroves?

India’s mangrove cover grew by 54 sq km between 2017 and 2019, according to the India State of Forest Report. There has since been only an incremental change of 17 sq km with the mangrove cover at 4,992 sq km in 2021. There is clearly room for more.

Anthropogenic threats are the root cause of the degradation of mangroves. “There is just too much pressure on the mangrove ecosystem, but the government is doing its best," says Bivash Pandav, director of the Bombay Natural History Society.

There was mass destruction of mangrove forests at the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone because of the land-filling activity undertaken in 2019, leading to much outcry by environmentalists. "Had there not been any intervention, the forest would have vanished," says Pandav.

Restoration work is currently in progress and one can see life springing back.

Raising awareness about the role mangroves play in maintaining ecological balance is crucial for preserving their habitat.

The Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation and Foundation of Maharashtra, which looks after the protection and conservation of the mangrove ecosystem along the coastline of the state, is actively reaching out to people with innovative ideas to raise awareness.

It seeks to involve the coastal community by helping them improve their life through various money-earning activities like farming mud crabs, oysters, ornamental fish, eco-tourism, and so on. The response to the initiative has been encouraging.  

Odisha-based environmental crusader Soumya Ranjan Biswal, who was recently appointed by the United Nations as the UN India YuWaah Advocate, has been raising awareness about mangroves and their restoration by involving the local people. Biswal, who has been working to protect the endangered olive ridley sea turtles, has seen first-hand the damage sea erosion can do to the nesting habitat of turtles.

Odisha is one of the largest mass nesting sites of olive ridleys in the world. Many other such sites have vanished into the sea due to beach erosion. High tides and strong waves during cyclones displace the sand, resulting in the loss of beaches and houses built along the shoreline. Mangroves help bind the soil in which they grow, thus preventing beach erosion.

The problem is particularly acute in Odisha, which faces the brunt of climate change There are frequent cyclones, most of which have been categorised as severe.

The Pichavaram mangrove forest in Tamil Nadu played a vital role in protecting its adjacent villages and several thousand lives during the devastating 2004 tsunami.

“All these have taught us to fight such natural disasters with the help of nature like mangrove plantations,” says Bijay Kumar Das, an Odisha-based naturalist and guide.

According to the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, nearly 45 per cent of India's coast experiences erosion, of which 7 per cent is highly critical.

"Spreading awareness is the key. The strong and durable mangrove wood was once extensively used by the poor to build houses and was also used as fuel for cooking since it burns for long hours,” says Biswal. “Villagers living in the adjoining areas of mangrove habitat coastal lines are absolutely unaware of the benefits of the mangroves in their backyard. It is tragic!"

He, however, is doing his bit by conducting awareness programmes for students, forest department officials, and local civic authorities.

Another big menace in coastal regions are the illegal shrimp farms, which are built encroaching on the mangrove habitat. The chemicals used to treat certain shrimp diseases leak into the surrounding water, and have an adverse effect on the mangrove vegetation. Efforts have been on to remove such farms, but the results haven’t been entirely satisfactory.

With climate change becoming a here-and-now problem, much is at stake. But as Biswal puts it, “Once people get to know about the importance of mangroves, things will change.”

A case for mangroves

• Can absorb five times more carbon emissions than tropical forests that exist on land
• Help bind the soil in which they grow, preventing beach erosion
• Are a cheap alternative to constructing breakwaters or sea walls. Have the potential to withstand violent cyclones and storms
• Provide a rich supply of fish, shellfish and crabs; support a vast biodiversity

Call from the coast

• India’s coastline: 7,517 km
• Coastal districts: 78
• Fishing villages: 3,432
• Fish landing centres: 1,537
• Coastal population: 171 million
• Source: The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM)