Why we must act now to save mangroves

Earlier this year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released its first global analysis of mangroves. The findings were alarming: half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse. The primary culprit? Human activity.

While the report highlighted mangrove degradation in southern India, similar destruction is unfolding elsewhere. In the same month, media reported mangrove loss in Maharashtra, heavy metal pollution in the Sundarbans, and mangroves being cleared in Gujarat to build a cricket ground.

A vital ecosystem

The Indian peninsula, with one of the world's longest coastlines and a tropical climate that supports mangroves, has 43 of the 80 true mangrove species, second only to Indonesia, according to a report by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. These ecosystems thrive in brackish water, where most plants cannot survive.

Researchers repeatedly emphasise the crucial role mangroves play in combating climate change. They reduce the impact of storm surges during cyclones, decreasing both wave height and speed. Their tangled roots help prevent flooding and absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Additionally, mangroves provide habitats for crabs and other crustaceans, boosting local fish populations and supporting marine ecosystems. These salt-tolerant plants, known as halophytes, can flourish in environments where most vegetation cannot survive.

Urbanisation vs restoration

As India's fragile coastal areas balance urbanisation and restoration, nonprofit organisations have stepped up to compensate for the lack of government support. They're planting hundreds of thousands of mangrove trees to restore these natural barriers.

“Real estate is a major concern because a city like Mumbai is expanding. Since there is no land, the only way to expand is into the ocean,” said Radhika Jahveri, an environmental activist. “The Navi Mumbai airport project is entirely built on CRZ1 [coastal regulation zone which includes mangroves],” she added.

According to the notification, no new construction is permitted in these zones, but that’s clearly not the case here. In 2009, the CRZ rules were amended to allow airport construction after repeated pleas from local politicians.

The latest 2019 notification requires that a minimum of three times the mangrove area affected, destroyed, or cut during construction be compensated by planting new mangroves. One of the most important voices in the city’s environmental conscience, Stalin D, the director of Vanashakti, said the biggest joke is that there is currently no space for compensatory afforestation of mangroves. “Wherever mangroves could have grown, they are already growing,” he said.

Human impact

“Flooding has worsened in the villages, especially in Raigad and Uran. The villagers who settled here 100-200 years ago knew the area was safe. But today, the entire surrounding land has been reclaimed. The villages have sunk by three metres.”

“Naturally, instead of spreading out in the flood-holding zones, the water is now entering the villages,” he added.

Nandakumar Pawar, a member of the Vanashakti NGO and part of a fishing community, has witnessed the impact of mangrove destruction firsthand.

“Where we live on the coast, a mangrove forest used to be right in our backyard. Our tradition was to cast our nets and catch plenty of fresh fish; we never relied on frozen or dead fish from the market,” he recalled. However, things have changed dramatically.

Until the early 90s, fishing conditions were still favourable. Gradually, urban development began to take over the region. Today, fisherfolk struggle to find any fish in Thane Creek, the largest creek in Asia, which connects three regions. It is now contaminated beyond imagination, as noted by Pawar, who has been documenting the ecological damage for decades.

Toxic waste, sewage, and other chemicals have polluted the water bodies, severely affecting fish breeding grounds. As a result, only a handful of species remain. “Oysters and crabs have been completely wiped out,” he said.

Kerala’s coastline

Meanwhile, Kerala has lost 95 percent of its mangroves in the last three to four decades. From 700 square km in 1975, the state’s mangrove cover has dwindled to just 24 square km. Over half of the remaining mangroves are privately owned, making them difficult to protect.

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In 2021, government authorities planned to acquire around 51 hectares of private land with mangroves in Thrissur, Kollam, Malappuram and Kannur districts. However, in 2023, the project was halted for unknown reasons.

While authorities remain indecisive, fishermen like TP Murukesan are taking action. Over the past decade, Murukesan has planted more than one lakh mangrove saplings in Malappuram, despite the financial burden. He believes that if reforestation continues, the landscape will improve within the next decade.

Read more: A fisherman's inspiring fight to save Kerala's coast

The Sundarbans

To the east lies the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove ecosystem on the planet, which has lost nearly 25 percent of its area in the past three decades due to relentless erosion.

Ayush Sarda, a 25-year-old environmental advocate with the Sundarban Foundation, has spent four years working to restore this vital ecosystem. He recalls planting mangrove saplings just seven to nine inches tall; many have now grown into sturdy four-foot trees. “We’ve planted about one lakh mangrove trees in the Birajnagar blocks of Gosaba Island,” he said.

The Sundarbans, surrounded by saline water, lack drinkable freshwater, forcing locals to dig deep borewells or rely on scarce freshwater lakes. Here, mangroves serve as a barrier, keeping saltwater at bay.

Sarda said mangroves once extended as far as Kalighat, now overrun by urban expansion. As a result, cyclones have intensified, rainfall patterns have become erratic, and climate change is affecting urban areas like Kolkata, where winters are warming and summers are scorching.

“We need to ensure high survival rates,” said Sarda. The foundation has achieved a 90% survival rate among the mangroves it planted, while many other initiatives struggle with survival rates of only 60% or 70%.

In 2020, to compensate for the damage caused by cyclone Amphan, the West Bengal government planned to plant five crore mangrove propagules (seeds). Experts called the plan ‘improbable,’ citing lack of space as a major factor, among other concerns. Two years later, most of the mangroves planted between 2020 and 2022 have washed away.

Untapped potential

At the largest Pichavaram mangroves in Tamil Nadu, tourism aims to help people connect with and appreciate nature. However, authorities have yet to address the lack of infrastructure and mismanagement.

The verdant system, spread over 1,000 hectares, suffered destruction during the 2004 tsunami, after which little or no effort has been made by authorities to develop the infrastructure. The government's lack of attention and awareness is leading to further deterioration of the ecosystem.

Earlier in 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) organisation's first global mangrove assessment stated that mangroves covering the Tamil Nadu coast are critically endangered. 

Local environmentalists argue that the government should focus on promoting community-led tourism to fully tap the region's potential. They also urge the government to establish a learning centre at Pichavaram dedicated to all things related to mangroves, particularly for researchers.

Time is running out

India’s mangroves are in peril, and the consequences of inaction are clear. These vital ecosystems protect our coastlines, support biodiversity, and help combat climate change. Without immediate and sustained efforts, from both government and communities, the future of India’s mangroves–and the people who depend on them–remains uncertain.

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