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“The institute to be set up at the Sunderbans will not only carry out research, training and educational activities, but also help the coastal states of our country to conserve and manage mangrove ecosystems,” a senior forest official said on the sidelines of a two-day national workshop on “Conservation and Management of Mangrove Ecosystems in India”, which concluded in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
‘Action plan’ with IUCN for saving mangroves
THE Ministry of Environment and Forests, with the help of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) will formulate a comprehensive National Strategy and action plan for the conservation and management of the mangrove ecosystems in the coastal states of India.
A proposal to formulate the Action Plan was mooted at the two-day national workshop on “Conservation and Management of Mangrove Ecosystems in India: Stakeholders Consultation for Assessment of Training and Capacity Building Needs”, which concluded in Gandhinagar on Wednesday evening.
A team of experts will now be formed to formulate the Action Plan under the guidance of the Union Ministry and the IUCN.
A senior Gujarat Forest official told The Indian Express that the proposed National Strategy and Action Plan would focus on the four major coastal states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat and West Bengal. These four states have already been selected by the IUCN, also known as the World Conservation Union, under its “Mangroves for the Future (MFF)” programme.
The official said that the proposed ‘action plan’ would be based on the recommendations made by nationally as well as internationally renowned experts and researchers at the just-concluded two-day workshop. Major among the recommendations include the promotion of sustainable management and conservation of coastal and marine resources for the benefit of society and biodiversity, and the regular evaluation of direct/indirect economic benefits of mangrove ecosystem, he said.
It was also recommended at the workshop to recognise the mangrove area as a good potential tool for marine resources conservation supported by good management plans. Delegates at the summit called for developing the health indicators of mangroves. One of the recommendations was that all the coastal states should conduct an annual mangrove forest survey, which is undertaken biennially by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Information sharing on mangrove ecosystem among stakeholders was also suggested at the seminar.
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