Introduction
Mangrove forests are a group of coastal trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone that are part of larger coastal ecosystems such as mudflats, seagrass meadows.
Mangroves are a valuable ecological and economic resource and the importance of mangroves is immeasurable. Being an important nursery and breeding site for wild species, providing many kinds of ecosystem services such as renewable sources of woods, accumulation sites for sediments, protecting coastal communities against coastal erosion, are several key benefits. Furthermore, they play a critical role in climate changes due to global warming as they act as long-term carbon sinks and have a higher capacity of carbon fixation from the atmosphere.
As an island nation, Sri Lanka owns a number of lagoons and estuaries consisting of well-developed mangrove ecosystems. Under the Commonwealth Blue Carbon Charter, Sri Lanka has been identified as the focal point for mangrove ecosystem conservation and restoration. According to the study by Edirisinghe et al., in 2010 the extent of mangroves in Sri Lanka has been estimated as 15,670 ha and 21 mangrove species and 18 mangrove associates have been identified in Sri Lanka (Jayathissa et al., 2012) and surprisingly, this represents one-third of the world mangrove species diversity.
Thus, mangrove ecosystems are mainly threatened with anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, unregulated destruction, and extraction by humans for prawn culture, landfilling and building constructions, logging, coastal pollution, etc.
Conservation of Mangroves is a primary responsibility in order to protect the coastal environment and related ecosystems. In this regard, Sri Lanka has taken many initiatives, a leading example is the restoration of mangroves that were destroyed in 2004 tsunami hazard, in lagoons in the east, west, and south of the island. With concern to the ecological value of the mangrove ecosystem, MEPA has taken several steps to rehabilitate the mangrove ecosystem presently available in the country and plans are underway to expand the mangrove growing area of the country. This includes Mangrove restorations, maintaining nurseries, and clean-up programs.
Completed mangrove restoration programmes of MEPA
Mangrove restoration in Panama lagoon
In the year 2012, the Rehabilitation of Mangrove Forest was implemented at the Panama Lagoon (Closer to the Naval Base at Arugam Bay).
Fifteen thousand (15,000) plants were introduced on 15thNovember to commemorate the “Deyata Sewana”planting program. This program was conducted with the association of the Sri Lanka Navy and the Green Movement (NGO).
Mangrove Restoration at Puttlam Lagoon
During the past seven-year period, 4200 plants of Rhizophora mucronata were planted in and around Mundal lagoon and Puttlam lagoon; [Distributed in Uchchamune, Narikudawa, Wattakandal, Ammathottam, and Samagipura areas].
Mangrove Restoration at Mannar
300 plants of Avicenna marina and 50 plants of Rhizophora mucronata, were planted in Mannar, Naruvillikulam on 09.10.2018.
Mangrove restoration at Jaffna
One Thousand Six Hundred (1,600) Mangrove plants (Rhizophora apiculata, Avicenna marina, and Lemnitzer racemose species) were planted in Kappathu and Navanthurai areas in Jaffna during 2018 and 2019.
Mangrove Nursery at Ichchankaduwa, Kalpitiya
The first Mangrove nursery in this country was established in 2015, located closer to the Ichchankaduwa, Kalpitiya Naval Base. One Thousand five hundred (1500) Rhizophora sp. plants are maintained in this nursery and whenever requested saplings are received from outsiders as well for MEPA programs, and these plants too are used to start new plantations.
On- going Activities
Mangrove Nursery at Kalutara
Currently, MEPA has taken initiative to establish a Mangrove nursery at Kalutara South (Near Railway Station). Plans are underway to maintain 5000 seedlings in this nursery.
We, MEPA as a major contributor in the protection and replantation of mangrove forests, would like to invite all Sri Lankans to brace your responsibility to protect and replant mangroves for a sustainable future.
