From Natural Barrier To Habitat For Marine Life, Mangroves Play Several Roles, But We Are Failing To Protect Them
Every year, July 26 is observed as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.
According to the United Nations, the day is marked to raise awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as "a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem" and to promote solutions for their sustainable management, conservation, and uses.
India's mangrove forests
India is home to 10 mangrove forests spread across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.
Among these, the Sundarbans in West Bengal are the largest and account for almost half of the total mangrove cover in India.
The mangroves have several important roles in the coastal areas where they grow?in the overall ecology.
How mangroves protected coasts during cyclone?
The mangroves act as a natural barrier and are the first line of defence from storm surges, tsunamis, tides, sea level rise, and erosion.?
In May 2020, when Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan, one of the strongest of its kind to hit the Odisha and Bengal coast in years, made landfall, mangroves proved to be the difference-maker.
The trail of destruction was much less in Bhitarkanika National Park, as the mangroves successfully defended the coast and reduced the impact of the cyclone.
A treasure-trove of biodiversity?
Mangroves also support rich biodiversity and provide valuable nursery and rearing habitats for fish, crabs, shellfish, sea turtles, and bird nesting grounds.
The Mangroves are also intertwined with the economy of the areas where they grow, as the fishermen depend on them for their livelihoods.
Nature-based solution for disaster and climate resilience
The role of Mangroves as a natural defence is increasingly becoming important as a nature-based solution for disaster and climate resilience.
"in coastal areas which are prone to erosion, you can either build a concrete wall, or you can plant?mangroves, which will help in energy dissipation, and reduce the force of the waves, costs much lesser, and is better for the ecosystem," Amit Prothi, Director General of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), had recently told?Indiatimes.?
How India lost its mangrove forests
Despite the enormous benefits they have to offer, mangroves across the world are facing an ever-increasing existential threat.
The biggest risks mangroves face are coastal development, shrimp aquaculture, charcoal farming, and natural disasters.
According to the India State of Forest Report 2021, the very dense mangrove cover in the Sunderbans has shrunk by two square kilometres ¨C from 996 sq km to 994 sq km - between 2019 and 2021.?
The delta had a mangrove cover of 999 sq km in 2017, which had declined by three square kilometres in 2019. And it was 1038 sq km in 2011.?
600 sq km of mangroves lost in 10 years
In Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai, the loss of Mangroves has been concerning.
According to The Global Mangrove Alliance's (GMA) The State of the World's Mangroves 2022 report, between 2010 and 2020, Mumbai lost 600 sq km of mangroves, and more than 62% of that loss was attributable to direct human influences.
Destruction of Mangroves violates fundamental rights?
In 2018, the Bombay High Court said that the destruction of Mangroves offended the fundamental rights of the citizens, and hence it was a mandatory duty of the state and its agencies to protect and preserve the mangroves.
In 2005 in its interim orders in the matter, the HC had ordered a ban on hacking or construction on mangrove land and dumping of debris and garbage on such mangrove plots.
However, in December 2022, the HC permitted the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) to cut around 20,000 mangroves spread across Mumbai, Palghar and Thane for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
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