Bhubaneswar: Mangroves shield coastal communities from hazards like storms, but their protective benefits can be only availed if they are planted at sites where they can be effective. Based on its mangrove conservation efforts in Odisha, Reliance Foundation has developed a holistic approach to accurately identify such locations.
As part of larger disaster risk reduction efforts in Odisha, Reliance Foundation has been working with coastal communities in Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, and Ganjam districts to strengthen mangrove cover. Mangroves act as coastline barriers, protecting against storms and storm surge induced flooding, while helping to reduce coastal erosion. In addition, they play a vital role in conserving coastal biodiversity.
Reliance Foundation’s teams identified a set of five key ecological and geophysical factors from existing literature, like land use, slope, elevation, soil type, drainage, to use as criteria for site selection. These parameters were converted into spatial data layers (satellite imagery) and each layer was assigned weight and scored using GIS tools. Subsequently, on-ground validation efforts were done to further assess factors like community’s willingness and a suitability score for every site was determined by adding all scores.This approach was used by Reliance Foundation to assess multiple sites across Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jagatsinghpur.
In Balasore, for instance, of the 11 sites assessed, the team found two highly suitable sites and a few moderately suitable sites. The sites deemed highly suitable will be taken up for expansion of plantation activities in subsequent phases of the programme. Using this approach, suitable sites for mangrove conservation can be identified along long stretches of the coastline.
Reliance Foundation’s participatory efforts with coastal communities in Odisha have resulted in the plantation of over 70,000 mangroves plants across Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, and Ganjam districts.
Observing International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem on July 26, Reliance Foundation organised mangrove plantation activities in Jagatsinghpur with community organisations like the Dolagobinda Youth Club and with others in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Mangroves sites fencing and community awareness activities on conservation of mangroves ecosystem for disaster risk reduction were taken up in Balasore. Similar community awareness programmes were also organised in coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
