Community based Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Program - fundsforNGOs

The proposed project promotes Community Based Mangrove Conservation and Restoration as a sustainable management practice for the conservation and protection of the mangrove ecosystem in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Community-based mangrove restoration offers a holistic approach that involves the local community, government department research institutions, NGOs, and relevant stakeholders to conserve, protect and restore the mangroves. The project aims to improve the status of mangrove forests in the three countries (India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh) through a participatory and community-based approach through a series of awareness and capacity building on aspects of both restoration and conservation activities.

Date of submission: ………………
Type of Grant: Organizational or Individual
Project Title: Community based Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Program for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.
Focus area of the project: Mangroves of South Asia in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.
Goal of the project: The project aims to improve the status of mangrove forests in the three countries through a participatory and community-based approach, which would involve awareness and training on both restoration and conservation.
Project Duration: 3 years
Funding Request: USD $$$$$$$

Brief background of the organisation, including goals and current programme focus (not more than 400 words)

XYZ Earth trust is a 30-year-old environmental organization, which is on a mission to protect and save our planet. Since the early 90’s we have been providing awareness on issues related to environment protection, biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation. We conduct training sessions to help the grassroots organizations in building their capacity for environment protection. We also conduct research on various environment related aspects and use the results of the research in reaching out to the public. Over the years we have been successful in implementing various projects across Asia, America and Europe. We work through a strong network of experts and member organizations across the globe.

Current Programme Focus: Our organization is currently engaged in projects that focus on building the capacities of local communities in conserving local biodiversity. We help the local communities through awareness sessions and giving hands on practical training on conservation and restoration.

Grant Proposal

Mangrove Conservation and Restoration as a sustainable management practice for the conservation and protection of the mangrove ecosystem in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Community based mangrove restoration offers a holistic approach that involves the local community, government department, research institutions, NGOs and relevant stakeholders to conserve, protect and restore the mangroves.

Project Background

A substantial contribution in the growth and development of any state, country or continent undoubtedly deserves recognition and praise; the support, helps raise awareness and hence incites the thought of protecting what has brought about such a significantly positive change in an environment. Being grateful for what we receive in any way or form is the most prudent of gestures to display the respect one has as a beneficiary. Nature for one, is the biggest gift mother earth has bestowed upon us, and all forms of her should be protected and conserved!

One such contributor that currently needs our focus is ‘The Mangroves’.

Mangroves are:

Self-propagating plants and if left undisturbed, can grow quite easily in conducive soil and locations.
Their ecosystem is rich in biodiversity and harbours a number of floral and faunal species (both terrestrial and aquatic).
They also provide a number of ecological services and play a major role in protecting coastal areas from tsunamis, storm surges and soil erosions; due to their complex root systems which dissipate sea wave energy.
They are an important source of livelihood for communities found in and around mangrove forests for collection of honey, tanning, wax and fishing.
And the most important of all, they are carbon sinks. NASA has termed them ‘the best carbon scrubbers’ as they store more than most of the other forest types.

7% of the total mangrove forests are found in South Asia on the coastal edges of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The largest continuous stretch of mangrove forest in the world is found along the border of India and Bangladesh, covering 120 km east to west and 60 km north to south. Research studies show that mangroves are rich in biodiversity; species diversity in the region ranges from 8-10 species in Pakistan, 12-13 in Bangladesh, 18-20 Sri in Lanka, and 30-35 in India (Polidoro et al., 2010). Furthermore, mangrove forests offer several ecological and environmental benefits to these countries. Some of the important ecosystem services and goods that the mangrove forests provide are as follows:

shoreline stabilization
storm protection
water quality maintenance
micro-climate stabilization
groundwater recharge and discharge
flood and flow control
sediment and nutrient retention
habitat protection and biodiversity
productivity and resilience
recreation, tourism and culture
hunting and fishing, forestry products
water transport

Mangroves make 1% of the tropical forests of the world with India having 3% of the total cover in South Asia. Presently, these are the most threatened ecosystems on the account of both anthropogenic factors (reclamation of land, discharge of waste etc) and natural factors like global warming. 50% of the world’s mangroves have disappeared in the past half-century due to a combination of multiple factors.

South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka have the world’s single largest mangrove ecosystem, ‘The Sundarbans’.

Mangroves in the identified countries are under serious threat; a combination of both natural and anthropogenic factors are responsible for the degradation of the mangrove forests. Major causes of the forest cover in the project countries can be attributed to the following factors:

conversion to other land use (e.g., conversion of agriculture, shrimp farms, development, and human settlement)

Though the governments of the three countries have taken several measures to protect the remaining natural mangroves through developing a silvicultural system and using ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) approach, we believe that increasing the people’s participation more extensively would help reach the goals faster.

Mangroves are an important source of livelihood for communities that live around them, the co-dependency of these critical habitats on those people is equally significant, therefore, this requires a community based ecological restoration plan which would be a more holistic approach towards the current situation.

Proposed Idea (Please state the main idea of the proposal, including the goal towards which it will contribute and the methodology)

Involving and engaging local communities in every step of planning and implementation is necessary so as to instill ownership and also make them stewards for conservation and management.
Developing localized plans to use the local resources for sustainable management of the ecosystem.
Workshops and field training days would help to build capacity and analyse the ecological patterns which would encourage natural regeneration.

These measures would enable the communities to regain their livelihoods with better understanding thereby empowering them to be stewards of their environment which would automatically cast a long-term impact for a more sustainable and promising future of the Mangrove forests.

Project Goal: The project aims to improve the status of mangrove forests in the three countries (India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh) through a participatory and community-based approach through a series of awareness and capacity building on aspects of both restoration and conservation activities.

Project Objectives

To develop site specific mangrove community conservation and restoration plans to suit the ecology, economy and culture of the respective project sites.
To build the capacities of the local communities in implementing the community conservation and restoration plans through demonstrations and training.

Project Methodology

Site Investigation: The first and foremost step in the project will be to undertake a detailed survey of the area to understand the existing status of Mangrove Ecosystem in the identified sites. This investigation will help in providing information related to the following aspects:
status of mangrove forests in the project sites
- major threats
- composition
- ecology
- hydrology, topography
socio-economic condition of the local communities around mangrove forests
- community demography
- dependence on mangroves/livelihood practices
- land tenure and history of settlement
- existing system of management and consumption
- socio-economic conditions of the community
existing schemes and programs being implemented in the region
- government schemes and programs
- past restoration activities
- community participation/cultural practices for protection
- administration and management
- key stakeholders

This study will help our teams to get a better understanding of how the mangrove ecosystem has changed over the past few years and also what are the areas that need immediate attention. Also, it will help us in developing suitable strategies to reduce further degradation and help in the restoration of the project sites.

Community Planning: Once the investigation of the site is complete and the team develops a better understanding of the mangrove ecosystem in the sites, we shall initiate community planning exercise. Considering the project is a community-based conservation and restoration project, we will be involving the communities’ right from the inception phase, so that they take ownership of the project and also feel empowered. The following steps will be carried out as part of the community planning:

Identify Problems and Opportunities: We will be discussing with the locals about the various problems they face and potential threats they perceive. This can be done by undertaking a SWOT analysis. Other ways of identifying the problems will be through interviews, FGDs, discussions, consultations, and participatory mapping exercises.
Determining Objectives: It is important that the plan has 3-4 objectives that need to be fulfilled in order to address the problems. These objectives will be fine-tuned and finalized at a later stage.
Resource Inventorization: We shall be then creating an inventory of all the resources available in the sites. This will include listing of available natural, social, financial and human resources that are available and can be used for restoration purposes. The availability of various resources in each of the sites, will help us in determining the most suitable plan for restoration and conservation.
Finalizing the objectives and activities: Based on the available resources, we shall be finalising with objectives for the community restoration plans for each site. Through a series of expert consultations, we shall be suggesting suitable activities to increase the conservation efforts in the project sites.
Allocation of responsibilities: After the objectives are final, we shall allocate responsibilities for all the stakeholders based on their skills. Community members will divide the activities amongst themselves so that there is no external factor affecting their choices. Some examples of activities that may be part of the plan are:
- Mangrove Nursery establishment and management
- Digging soil for improving hydrology
- Mangrove plantation
- Monitoring mangrove plantation
- Creating new channels for water
- Awareness Generation
Implementation of the plan: Our teams will help the communities in implementing the plan successfully. Wherever needed, our experts will provide technical assistance to the communities.

Capacity Building: To make the communities well versed with the restoration and conservation techniques, we shall undertake training workshops. These workshops will be customized to train the communities to successfully implement their plans effectively. The following areas will be covered during the training:

Sustainable livelihood practices
Alternate income generating activities
Mangrove Nursery Establishment
Maintaining the hydrology
Natural restoration techniques
Plantation and protection
Climate Change adaptation
Monitoring and mapping techniques

The training sessions will be a mix of theory sessions and demonstrations.

Implementation: Various activities suggested in the community restoration plans will be carried out by the communities. We shall be providing the necessary support to carry out the suggested interventions. With proper monitoring tools, we will ensure that the project is delivered within the timelines and the community remains involved in all the activities throughout the project duration.
Exit: We shall be making an exit from the project sites after the communities have been successfully trained and the community plans have been implemented successfully. Community leaders from each site will be trained by our experts to continue the project even after our exit. As the project is a community-based intervention, we will ensure that communities continue to actively participate in restoration of the sites. Our experts will conduct monthly visits to the site and provide necessary feedback and handholding support to the communities. We shall also be organising refresher training for communities, to help them to independently implement the restoration plans. Our local field offices will also be conducting exposure visits of the community leaders to different sites that are locally managed and restored.
Dissemination of learnings: An important aspect of the project is the dissemination of the project learnings. We will be showcasing our project learnings through a series of booklets and documentaries. We will be organising a country level dissemination seminar where we will be inviting policy makers, representatives from national and international organizations, researchers and other stakeholders to share the project results and learnings.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

We shall be using a Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation framework for carrying out the monitoring and evaluation of the project. The tools for collecting the information will include- surveys, environmental assessment, plantation record, meeting and training feedback, records etc. The following steps will be used for the purpose:

Establishing objectives for monitoring
Develop the monitoring questions
Establish direct and indirect indicators
Collect information

Also, the project manager for each country, will be conducting monthly monitoring reporting from the field staff. The Project director shall be undertaking a quarterly monitoring and review of the project teams. We shall also be undertaking annual participatory evaluation by using the following tools: Community Case Studies, Semi-structured Interviews, Ranking, Rating and Sorting, Survival Surveys, Nursery Record Books, Community Financial Accounts. An external evaluation will be conducted during the last year.

Project Communication and Documentation

As part of the project, we shall be developing a set of knowledge products to disseminate information related to mangrove restoration. The following communication products will be developed and disseminated:
- Community Based Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Plans
- Training kits for the communities
- Best Practice Manual
- Videos on sustainable management of mangroves

To share the project learnings there will be a web portal with all the necessary resources. Also, regular updates from the field will be posted on our website and social media pages.

List of Documents being submitted