Project leaders:
Seeds trust https://seedstrust.org.in
Localisation :
Manakudy estuary in the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu
Beginning of the project :
Start in 2023 for 3 years
Beneficiaries of the project
the families of the communities of the adjoining villages, in particular women and young people.
Project objectives:
- Create awareness among the participating community on the necessity for preserving the estuary and biodiversity and organize them into user groups
- Reforest 60 hectares of mangroves by planting 300 000 seedlings and remove invasive species
- Stabilize 35 hectares of sand dune and riverbanks by planting 65,000 seedlings of 9 associate.
- Train 150 youths on entrepreneurship namely on apiculture, coconut front weaving and coconut coir products
Ecosystem concerned:
Mangrove ecosystems in South India
Project context:
In the south of India, the Manakudy estuary is a wetland rich in aquatic biodiversity (fish, crabs…), terrestrial biodiversity (birds…) and mangroves. Many factors (bank accretion, water pollution, uncontrolled dumping, conversion of mangroves to agriculture, invasive plants…) degrade this ecosystem and threaten the mangroves, the river, and the biodiversity. In addition, the resources of the neighboring villagers depend directly on fishing and mangroves.
Activities :
– Sensitization of the communities on the conservation of the estuary, biodiversity, and the benefits they bring to them.
– Replanting of mangroves in degraded areas: 300,000 seedlings of 9 different species of mangroves on 60 ha. To reforest these areas, the project plans several successive activities such as the collection of propagules and mangrove seeds, the establishment of a nursery and the maintenance of seedlings, and finally the planting and monitoring of young plants.
– Planting of forest and fruit species to stabilize riverbanks, improve food security and diversify the income of local communities: 65,000 plants on 35 ha with species of food, medicinal or economic interest
– Training for 150 young people from the villages: beekeeping, coconut processing, roofing with palm leaves.
Main species planted:
- 7 mangroves species : Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia alba, Avicennia officinalis, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera paniflora, Bruguiera gymnorhiza
- 9 associates species: Calophyllum inophyllum, Azadiracta indica, Millettia pinnata, Thespesia populnea, Borassus flabellifer, Casuarina equisetifolia, Pandanus tectorius, Holopteeia integrifolia, Terminalia catappa
- 3 fruits species: Mangifera Indica, Cocos Nucifera, Artocarpus heterophyllus
