We are really looking forward to move India forward on a pathway where mangroves are thriving ecosystems, which also contribute jobs, livelihoods, and ecological benefits for all, says Dr Anjali Acharya, Managing Director of Nature Conservancy India Solutions, in an interview with Naina Gautam of Sustainability Karma. Edited excerpts.
- What are the Nature Conservancy key focus areas in India and how do these align with India’s environmental priorities?
We are one of the world’s largest conservation organisations. In India, our work is very much focused on thematic pillars around freshwater conservation, priority landscapes, renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and natural climate solutions. And these areas all align with India’s environmental priorities.
Then there are natural-based climate solutions. This is where our efforts are in mangrove restoration, particularly in the Sundarbans, in blue carbon systems like mangroves and salt marshes, which are powerful carbon sinks.
- Would you like to give us a brief overview of your work on mangroves, including your engagement with Global Mangrove Alliance?
Mangroves are often called the forests of the sea. Now, in India, this is what we are doing. We are working with local communities and governments to implement restoration projects, enhance coastal resilience, and raise awareness about the importance of mangroves and biodiversity.
We are working on a 160 hectares plot in the Sundarbans, where we are working with communities, especially women’s self-help groups, to ensure that we not only bring about restoration, but also generate green jobs and build coastal resilience.
Now, the Global Mangrove Alliance is a coalition of organisations, including the Nature Conservancy and others like WWF, Wetlands International and IUCN. And together, we are working globally to increase global mangrove cover by 20% by 2030.
We have just joined the newly formed Global Mangrove Alliance India chapter, where we will be working with other partners to draft a future framework and strategy for mangrove restoration in India.
- You talked about communities. So how can local communities, particularly youth, be more effectively engaged in mangrove restoration and protection efforts?
I think it is really important to engage local communities and the youth, who are our future. We need to get them engaged in both mangrove restoration and protection efforts through education, capacity building, and employment opportunities. Environmental education programmes in schools and communities can raise their level of awareness. You can train the youth, and additionally, start to create a pipeline of green jobs.
- What message would you like to give to our listeners for the upcoming World Mangroves Day on 26 July?
I think mangrove restoration and protection is absolutely critical, but it needs to be seen in the larger scheme of what we are trying to do in the conservation and climate space.
And I would like to just quote from Sylvia Earle, who is a world famous marine biologist. She has said that the loss of mangroves is not just the loss of trees, but the unravelling of entire ecosystems. And that really becomes important. It is not just the mangroves themselves, but it is also the ecosystems that they harbour and the livelihoods and the people that depend on those ecosystems.
We are planning to have a webinar on mangrove restoration on World Mangroves Day. And we are really looking forward to a future where we work even more collaboratively with the governments, at the national and state and local levels, and amplify and bring in global examples of mangrove restoration, and move India forward on a pathway where mangroves are thriving ecosystems, which also contribute jobs, livelihoods, and ecological benefits for all.
