India To Borrow Indonesian Mangrove Conservation Practices

Bhupender Yadav launches Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) in Tamil Nadu

KOVALAM (Tamil Nadu), July 14 (The CONNECT) – Enhancing the ecological health of mangroves is imperative to ensure the sustainability of coast and coastal communities, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav today said.

Coast lines are vulnerable to recurrent natural disasters like cyclones and storms, Yadav said and pointed out that Mangrove forests have served as bio-shield and also helped to save lives and livelihoods of people particularly of fishers and local community. Tamil Nadu is endowed with the second longest coastline of 1076 km in the country, he observed.  

He was speaking after leading a plantation drive as part of the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI), a Union Government initiative. Over 100 people, including students, participated in the drive.

Yadav said people should participate in the plantation drive particularly for Mangrove to empower the local community of Coastal areas.

He released the book titled "Biodiversity and Importance of Mangrove Ecosystem which was prepared by M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai.

MISHTI programme was recently launched by the Centre with an objective of taking up mangrove reforestation and afforestation along the coastal districts of India by adopting best practices that already exist in India as well as from other countries including Indonesia. This programme is also envisaged to develop mangrove associated ecotourism initiatives and livelihood generation in coastal states. MISHTI will contribute to the efforts of ‘Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)’ – an intergovernmental alliance for promotion of Mangrove, of which India became its active member during the (COP27)

Currently, there is approximately 5000 sq kms of area under mangroves and an additional area of 540 sq km is proposed to be covered through the MISHTI.

The scheme is planned to be implemented for a period of five years from 2023-2024 to 2027-2028. MISHTI is to be implemented by converging CAMPA Fund, MGNREGS, and other sources. In Tamil Nadu total areas demarcated for mangrove reforestation/afforestation under this programme is about 39 sq. km.

Chandra Prakash Goyal, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu, Environment, Climate Change & Forests, Subrat Mohapatra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, Srinivas R. Reddy, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden and officials from MoEF&CC, school students, local communities and stakeholders were present on the occasion.