Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR)
Full Solution
Community-based ecological mangrove restoration in action. Copyright Dominic Wodehouse.
This solution addresses the problem of abandoned shrimp ponds and degraded mangroves in coastal Asia by restoring healthy, bio-diverse mangroves at low cost and with community stewardship to sustain fishers’ and resource users’ livelihoods, and to benefit the environment.
Last update: 08 Feb 2023
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Context
Challenges addressed
unproductive former mangroves, natural disaster risks, and degraded community fisheries The boom and bust history of shrimp aquaculture industry left behind an estimated 400,000 ha worldwide of abandoned shrimp ponds which were once mangroves. The solution aims to restore these barren, unproductive zones into healthy mangrove ecosystems which act as bio-shields to protect communities’ from natural disasters, sustain their fisheries livelihoods and benefit the environment.
Location
Trang Province, Andaman Coast, Thailand
Southeast Asia
South Asia
East Asia
Process
Summary of the process
The building blocks represent a step-by-step approach to successfully achieve the solution. Community-based planning of mangrove restoration (Building block 1) is the necessary precondition to fully commit the community and the basis to start collection of historical and ecological background information (Building block 2). These results feed into site suitability assessment (Building block 3) providing specific and complementary information and leading to the final restoration site selection and natural restoration implementation (Building block 4). Monitoring is conducted to assess whether objectives are being achieved and to identify problems which need to be addressed (Building block 5). Community commitment, and support from the respective government agencies and an NGO are essential to achieve any of the building blocks; thus, we call our solution community-based ecological mangrove restoration.
Building Blocks
Community awareness, participation and stewardship
Local communities are engaged in the early planning stages to build awareness and to ensure full participation. This includes discussing restoration objectives, protection plans, and co-management principles. Community members receive trainings, participate in hands-on development of small-scale community nurseries, and assist in the monitoring process by observing tidal exchange, measuring seedling recruitment, and conducting time lapse photo monitoring. Project managers connect the community with the responsible government agency to gain their support and sign an agreement if required.
Enabling factors
• Interest and willingness of the community;
• Clear future social benefits (goods and services) for the community;
• Suitable land-tenure or land-tenure that will not be a jeopardising factor;
• Appropriate funding, if possible long-term financing (> 3 years).
Lesson learned
Without strong community participation from the project’s inception, stewardship may not be achieved, putting the project at risk. Also, good collaboration between the community, the responsible government agencies and the NGO is a basis for the success of the project from inception onwards. Linking restoration objectives with local livelihoods is also important for engaging community members.
One success factor critical to the planning phase is a secured land-tenure, which sometimes consumes more project time and resources than finding and securing restoration sites. Persons holding tenure of abandoned shrimp ponds usually do not want the area restored back to mangroves, as the government may take back the land title once the mangrove ecosystem is restored.
Historical and ecological background information collection
To identify suitable restoration sites, data is collected on land tenure, historical changes, local utilization, mangrove distribution, and tidal requirements. Information sources include recent or even historically relevant aerial photos, maps, reports, and tide charts. Other important assessment factors include the ecology of naturally occurring mangrove species and healthy forests (e.g. reproduction patterns, distribution, successful seedling establishment) and physical site characteristics, such as hydrological (e.g. critical periods of inundation and dryness), slope and topography parameters.
Enabling factors
• Scientific and technical know-how and support from...
Lesson learned
To be entered by solution provider.
Site suitability assessment
Knowledge of past human uses and impacts on potential restoration sites can support decisions on whether an area is presently suitable for mangrove growth. This includes assessing the modifications of the mangrove environment that have occurred, and identifying and removing potential stresses such as blocked tidal inundation that may prevent natural secondary succession before attempting restoration.
Enabling factors
• The restoration site should have been a mangrove ecosystem previously.
• Access to information which provides a full historical view on previous land-use and impacts, as well as ecological and hydrological information.
Lesson learned
It is important to understand the past human use of the area. Oftentimes, mangroves are planted in areas such as mud flats, salt marshes, or lagoons assuming that the area would be better off or more productive as a mangrove forest.
In some locations, government agencies charged with the mangrove management do not want to give up sites for community-based restoration, as such agencies obtain their budget based on the area they themselves plan to restore, which is mainly for raising seedlings in nurseries. Thus, conflicts may arise as the method used in this solution promotes the concept of allowing forests to regenerate naturally, as opposed to traditional mangrove planting methods, i.e. planting Rhizophora species for charcoal production. Another major challenge is the conversion of abandoned shrimp ponds into oil palm plantations with funding from the respective government agency. Many areas for mangrove rehabilitation to protect coastal communities are thus lost.
Customized mangrove restoration
Once appropriate restoration areas are selected based on scientific analysis and site assessment results, a restoration program is designed using assisted natural plant recruitment. Topographic surveys using an auto-level determine relative substrate elevation, and water level is measured with simple tools such as rubber tubing and meter sticks. Site hydrology and original tidal streams are important natural volunteer mangrove recruitment for natural plant establishment. Strategic breaches are created in dike walls, and observations are made to identify if natural seedling recruitment is occurring once the stress has been removed. The effectiveness of hydrological rehabilitation is re-evaluated if no seedlings have established in the area, and planting of seedlings only takes place if natural regeneration is not successful.
Enabling factors
• Good relations with the relevant government agency facilitate the approval process for implementing the project, such as using heavy equipment in the mangrove zone to repair the hydrology if needed (which may be illegal, such as in Thailand).
• Suitable funding needs to be put in place to ensure the project can be completed within the planned timeframe.
Lesson learned
The community-based ecological mangrove restoration process is only a guide and needs to be adjusted to each specific site. Mangrove seed source should be available from nearby mangroves which enter the pond or system at high tide and soil conditions are muddy, clay-silt. The presence of nurse grasses is often important to start the regeneration process as they are able to capture the propagules and seeds.
The concept of allowing forest to regenerate naturally is a very foreign concept to some government agencies. As opposed to traditional monoculture mangrove planting that creates long-term employment in nurseries and at planting sites, this method creates very little local employment, especially if heavy equipment is used. Therefore, finding ways of employing local people in the protection and maintenance of the restoring site is a challenge. Available labor to carry out the project should be considered, with defined quantitative goals.
Long-term monitoring
Regular and long-term monitoring for at least 3-5 years tracks changes over time, which allows early modifications to correct problems and helps determine if the project’s objectives are achieved. Monitoring is scheduled at prescribed monthly intervals.
Enabling factors
To be provided by solution provider.
Lesson learned
The monitoring method used needs to fit the project requirements and the skills, time, and budget of the monitoring team.
The restoration process depends on the natural cycle of seed production and recruitment while donors and sometimes communities want to see quick results. As a result, although overall costs may be lower, the method requires a longer funding and monitoring time-frame as usually granted.
Impacts
The solution has a high and long-term success rate in recovering natural mangrove biodiversity as every species grows in its proper natural habitat. The program works at restoring natural hydrology or water flows, and thus greatly increases the overall success rate for regenerating large areas of degraded mangrove forests. In the Tale Nok project, after 3 years, 9 mangrove species and associates were growing in the pond; the mangrove forest make-up will be much closer to the original forest than if the site was planted. Strong community participation during the project ensures stewardship of the restored site and thus site protection from encroachment or degradation. Depending on the restoration period, the project may create fishing opportunities, including use of old shrimp ponds, shellfish and crab mud collection, as well as Nya palm frond, poles and wood cutting.
Beneficiaries
coastal communities, fishers, farmers, and resource users
