• India is displaying its commitment to the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems and has firm commitments to the conservation and management of mangroves.
• Even when the rate of mangrove decline is 1% per year globally, India has recorded a net increase of 946 sq km between 2017 and 2021.
• In this context, MISHTI is a significant step in providing nature-based solutions for mitigating the effects of cyclones and storm surges and fight against the climate crisis.

International Day of Forests (IDF):

• It was started in the year 2012 by The United Nations General Assembly.
• It celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
• Theme for 2023 IFD: “Forests and Health”.

Mangroves:

• A mangrove is a shrub or a small tree that grows along the coastlines and has roots in salty sediments, often underwater.
• They also grow in swamps.
• They are highly productive but extremely sensitive and fragile.

Global data on mangroves:

• Mangrove forests represent 0.4% of the global forest area.
• Mangroves are in 123 countries, covering an area of about 150,000 sq km. Approximately one-third is in Southeast Asia.

Importance of Mangrove Ecosystems:

• Carbon sink: Mangroves are great carbon sinks. All global mangroves can sequester up to 21 million tonnes of carbon per year, about 10 times greater than equivalent upland tropical forests.
• Mangrove ecosystems contribute 10 to 15% to coastal sediment carbon storage and export around 10% of particulate terrestrial carbon to the ocean.
• Mangrove Ecosystems also serve as a nursery for several organisms.
• They act as a bulwark against coastal erosion, sequestering carbon and providing livelihoods to millions of people, besides harboring an array of faunal elements in their habitat.
• They also protect groundwater aquifers from seawater intrusion, ensuring water security for the coastal population.
• They provide numerous goods and services to the marine environment and communities.
• A global fish catches of up to 80% depends on mangroves, ensuring food security for coastal people.

Mangroves exploitation

• The scale of human impact on mangroves has increased over the past three decades, and many countries have lost 60% to 80% of the mangrove cover that existed in the 1960s.
• Mangroves have been susceptible to exploitation because of valuable forest produce, fishery resources, and their existence in coastal areas, which are converted to other land uses.

Mangroves ecosystem in India

• India has restored different types of mangrove ecosystems on the east and west coasts and learned some valuable lessons.
• The wide range of coastal habitats, along with the riverine and estuarine ecosystem, provides an ideal system for mangroves in India in terms of density and cover.
• Indian mangroves have high species diversity, with around 50 true mangrove species and more than 60 mangrove-associated plant species.
• It is spread across nearly 50,000 sq km in India. It can remove nine tonnes of CO₂ daily, equivalent to about $270 million in the international market.

Faunal diversity of the mangrove ecosystem

• The faunal diversity of the mangrove ecosystem contributes to about 5% of Indian fauna.
• West Bengal leads the list of faunal components with around 2,500 species, followed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands with about 1,200 species and Tamil Nadu with a little over 1,000.
• Example: The Sundarban Tiger Reserve harbors more than 100 tigers and associated carnivores and herbivores. Recognizing the importance of such tiger habitat in the mangrove forest, the Sundarban National Park has been declared a world heritage site.

• India has about 3% of the total Mangrove cover in South Asia.
• Mangrove cover in the country has increased by 54 sq km (1.10%) as compared to the previous assessment.

• West Bengal (WB) has 42.45% of India’s mangrove cover, South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal alone accounts for 41.85% mangrove cover of the country.
• WB is followed by Gujarat at 23.66% and Andaman & Nicobar Islands at 12.39%.
• Gujarat shows a maximum increase of 37 sq km in mangrove cover.

MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes)

• MISHTI is an initiative for intensive afforestation of coastal mangrove forests.
• It will function under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
• Under this initiative, mangrove plantations will be taken up along the country’s coastline apart from salt pans, wherever feasible.
• Implemented through convergence between the MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) Fund, and other sources.
• This initiative requires extensive work with local communities.

Mangroves are the economic foundations of many tropical coastal regions. To sustain a blue economy, it is important to preserve the sustainability of coastal habitats. The world has much to gain from India’s experience in mangrove conservation which has shown expertise in the area for nearly five decades.