The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem celebrated on 26^th July, is a platform that highlights the importance of mangroves and promotes regional and global initiatives for their sustainable management and conservation.

To commemorate this day, the Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department in collaboration with the SBI Foundation and the Wildlife Trust of India, came together for an event at Kollam in the state of Kerala, aimed at showcasing the opportunities and initiatives taken to conserve its mangrove areas, the role of local communities in their restoration as well as the first public-private partnership for the restoration of mangroves in the state.

(L-R) Prof. B. C. Choudhury, Advisor, Marine Realm, WTI, Shri Dr. R. Kamalahar IFS, CCF, Southern Circle, Shri Ganga Singh IFS, PCCF (HoFF), Shri Aman Bhaiya, Vice President of the SBI Foundation and Shri D. Jayaprasad IFS, PCCF (WL) & CWLW

The event was virtually inaugurated by the Hon’ble Minister for Forest and Wildlife, Kerala, Shri A. K. Saseendran. Senior forest department officials, including Shri D. Jayaprasad IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (WL) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Shri Ganga Singh IFS, PCCF (HoFF), Kerala Forests & Wildlife Department, Shri Dr. R. Kamalahar IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests, Southern Circle, Kerala, Shri Aman Bhaiya, Vice President of the SBI Foundation, and Prof. B. C.Choudhury, Advisor, Marine Realm, WTI graced the occasion.

The event also featured a thematic consultation session on ‘An Enabling Policy Framework for Sustainable Mangrove Conservation in Kerala’, aimed at fostering dialogue and collaboration towards establishing robust policies for the sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems across Kerala.

A compendium titled ‘ Three Decades of Forestry Research in Kerala’ was released at the event

A highlight of the event will be the release of a compendium titled ‘ Three Decades of Forestry Research in Kerala’ by Dr. P. Pugazhendi IFS, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Finance, Budget & Audit). This compendium underscores Kerala’s commitment to advancing forestry research and its implications for conservation efforts.

The event not only highlighted Kerala’s commitment to mangrove conservation but also showcased ongoing restoration efforts by WTI under the Kannur Kandal Project which has been supported by the SBI Foundation since December 2022. WTI launched the project in 2006 and has been actively engaged in the restoration of mangrove ecosystems through a multifaceted approach involving restoration, sensitisation and research in collaboration with the local communities and the government. Over 35 acres of mangrove forest along the Perumba River have already been secured for long-term conservation while an additional 17 acres have been planted with around 10 mangrove species native to the state.

Meanwhile, our team in the Sundarbans, West Bengal partnered with the 24 Parganas (South), Forest Division to host an event which saw participation from Lokamata Rani Rashmoni Mission (LRRM), members of our Primary Response Team (PRT) known as ‘Bagh Bondhus’, Tiger Scouts, teachers and students from Madhya Purba Gurguria Adarsha Vidhyapeeth (H.S) and Ambikanagar Haripriya School (H.S).

Nilanjan Misra spoke about bees and their importance in the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem| Photo by Prosenjit Sheel

The event included a session by Nilanjan Misra, a PhD student from Calcutta University, who spoke about bees and their role in the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, sparking an engaging Q&A session with the Tiger Scouts and teachers. Animesh Singha, an independent researcher, presented on the role of mangroves in the Sundarbans, detailing various root types and their ecological functions, and shared photographs from his 50 years of field research. This was followed by a play titled ‘Protecting Mangroves,’ performed by the Tiger Scouts and musical performances including a song on ‘Our Sundarbans’ by the Bagh Bondhu and PRT members, as well as songs about birds and animals by the Tiger Scouts. The event concluded with the distribution of prizes to winners of drawing and essay competitions.

The event saw the eager participation of students from Madhya Purba Gurguria Adarsha Vidhyapeeth (H.S) and Ambikanagar Haripriya School (H.S) | Photo by Prosenjit Sheel

WTI’s project in Sundarbans is focused on fostering human-tiger coexistence in the Kultali block of South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, an area that was highly impacted by human injuries and deaths from tigers till recently. The project, implemented in partnership with LRRM also includes alternate livelihoods, nature sensitisation and stakeholder coordination components.