Maharashtra to study role of mangroves in serving as buffer against cyclones

The study, which has been commissioned by the Maharashtra government’s Mangrove Foundation, will seek to gauge how effective the mangrove patches in Raigad and Ratnagiri districts were in restricting or preventing damage to the coastline by the Nisarga and Tauktae cyclones

Maharashtra has launched the first scientific, empirical evidence-based study to assess the effectiveness of mangroves in serving as a buffer against cyclones. The study, which has been commissioned by the state government’s Mangrove Foundation, will seek to gauge how effective the mangrove patches in Raigad and Ratnagiri districts were in restricting or preventing damage to the coastline by the Nisarga and Tauktae cyclones.

The study will quantify the impact of the Nisarga and Tauktae cyclones on mangrove and non-mangrove areas, the damage caused in Raigad and Ratnagiri. (Hindustan Times)

“This will be a comprehensive study and impact assessment of the Nisarga (2020) and Tauktae (2021) cyclones on mangroves and non-mangrove areas. The study will assess how effective mangroves were in preventing damage to the coastline,” said Deepak Apte, executive director of the Srushti Conservation Foundation, which is conducting this study. Apte, who is the former director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), added that they would identify the key vulnerable sites in the two districts by using and analysing the satellite data, drone footages as well as field surveys of all such sites to reveal the changes before and after the cyclones.

The study will quantify the impact of the two cyclones on mangrove and non-mangrove areas, the damage caused in these two areas and also identify patches that are vulnerable to cyclones and such adverse weather events. The site visits are currently being undertaken to verify if the mangroves, whose presence had buffered the impact of the two cyclones, have survived or have suffered mortality due to the severe nature of the storms.

Apte said that the study, which cost ₹14 lakh and is expected to be completed next year, will help the state government evolve a comprehensive shoreline restoration plan. While mangroves grow in creeks and muddy areas, non-mangrove habitats may require a combination of soft and hard engineering interventions to prevent the impact of cyclones and adverse weather events.

The complex root systems of mangroves dissipate the energy of sea waves, thus protecting coastal areas from tsunamis, storm surges and soil erosion. They also enhance sediment deposition and prevent coastal erosion. Mangroves serve as a breeding ground for fish and aquatic ecosystems and are carbon sinks.

While such impact assessment studies on mangroves have been conducted on the east coast of India, which is vulnerable to cyclones and coastal erosion, and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Apte said this was the first such integrative study in Maharashtra. “This study will help the state government evolve a systematic shoreline protection policy,” he explained while adding that as part of this assessment, their team will also interact with members of the coastal community. This will help them know about the native species of trees and vegetation that have served as buffers on these parts of the coast.

Maharashtra has a 720-km coastline. According to the India State of Forest Report-2019 released by the Forest Survey of India, Maharashtra’s mangrove cover has been estimated at 320.27 sq km, of which Mumbai city and the suburbs have 2 sq km and 64.30 sq km respectively. Maharashtra accounts for 6.44% of India’s 4,975.22 sq km mangrove cover.

Mangroves form 1% of tropical forests in the world or 15 million hectares and are distributed over 123 countries.

In 2012, the state forest department established a mangrove cell to ensure the protection and conservation of mangroves on the coastline. The Mangrove Foundation has been established as an autonomous body to implement mangrove and marine biology conservation initiatives.