More at http://www.sanctuaryasia.com More at http://www.sanctuaryasia.com || In The FieldIn The Field
THE IMPORTANCE
OF MANGROVES
As I travel through the Krishna mangroves,
everyone from local politicians to
fi shermen speak of Appa Rao with high
regard for his impactful work. In this river
delta, he is no less a celebrity than any
Telugu actor. In 2016, Appa Rao received
the Disney Conservation Hero award in
recognition of the global relevance of his
mangrove mission.
Months after my fi eld visit, I call to
congratulate him for this award. He quickly
dismisses my compliments and begins
telling me about his sighting of
two smooth-coated otters near the
reforested mangroves.
As with any successful local
conservation eff ort, this mangrove
rejuvenation project has succeeded inmobilising the support of the community,
including previously-evicted shrimp
farmers. This process of remedying the loss
of mangroves will prove vital to providing
the local community with truly sustainable
livelihoods. The sea-forest will also protect
their families from future storm surges,
even as it shores up their food security.
Little-known to most people, mangrove
forests can sequester up to fi ve times
as much carbon as tropical rainforests.
Conversely, when they are destroyed, the
carbon stored within them is released,
pumping greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere. Given the impending dangers
of climate change, this can be likened to
punching holes in the hull of a leaking ship.
Today, as India deals with the crippling
eff ects of climate change, passionately
protecting and restoring mangroveswill be a vital part of our ecosystem-
based climate change mitigation and
adaptation strategy. Restoring these
habitats through community led
initiatives such as Appa Rao’s will help
build resilience against coastal calamities
by reestablishing the natural barriers
that always stood between coastal
people and potential storms, cyclones
and coastal erosion.
A John Sawhill quote encapsulates
the spirit behind one of the world’s
largest mangrove restoration projects:
“In the end our society will be defi ned
not only by what we create but by
what we refuse to destroy”. For the
communities living in the Krishna
river delta, they will fi nd an undying
ambassador in Appa Rao– whose life’s
purpose is to protect this lifeline. Today, as India deals with the crippling eff ects of climate change, passionately protecting and restoring mangroves will
be a vital part of our ecosystem-based climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy.ADVT