Project Manager:
Seeds trust https://seedstrust.org.in
Location:
Manakudy Estuary in the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu
Start of the Project:
2023, with a duration of 3 years
Beneficiaries:
Families from the surrounding villages, particularly focusing on women and the youth.
Objectives:
- Raise awareness among local communities about the importance of preserving the estuary and biodiversity, and organise them into operational groups;
- Restore 60 hectares of mangrove forests by planting 300,000 seedlings and eradicating invasive species;
- Reinforce 35 hectares of sand dunes and riverbanks by planting 65,000 seedlings of various associated species;
- Train 150 youths in entrepreneurial skills, specifically in apiculture, coconut frond weaving, and coconut coir production.
Concerned Ecosystem:
Mangrove ecosystems in South India
Project Overview:
Located in southern India, the Manakudy estuary is a biodiverse wetland teeming with aquatic and terrestrial life such as fish, crabs, birds, and mangroves. It faces numerous threats including bank accretion, water pollution, indiscriminate dumping, conversion of mangrove land to agriculture, and invasive plant species, all of which degrade the ecosystem and endanger its mangroves, river, and biodiversity. The livelihoods of neighbouring villagers, largely dependent on fishing and mangroves, are also at risk.
Main species planted:
- 7 Mangrove Species: Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia alba, Avicennia officinalis, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera parviflora, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza
- 9 Associate Species: Calophyllum inophyllum, Azadirachta indica, Millettia pinnata, Thespesia populnea, Borassus flabellifer, Casuarina equisetifolia, Pandanus tectorius, Holoptelea integrifolia, Terminalia catappa
- 3 Fruit Species: Mangifera indica, Cocos nucifera, Artocarpus heterophyllus
