Conservation and restoration of mangroves in Thane city, Maharashtra
Student name: Ms Vaishnavi Barthwal
Guide: Dr Suresh Jain
Year of completion: 2018
Host Organisation: Center for Environment Education & Development Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Dhanya M. Nambiar
Abstract: With rapid development in coastal megacities, there is a growing pressure on the ecosystems. Mangrove ecosystems are declining globally. The study used Google Earth satellite imagery to identify potential areas for reforestation and conservation of mangroves under the Thane Municipal Corporation. A site survey was conducted during the field visits to observe and identify the site- specific drivers of deforestation and degradation of mangroves. Local residents in the vicinity were surveyed to know about the community awareness about the importance and threats related to mangroves, their dependence on mangroves and their willing for mangrove conservation. A total of 71 respondents were surveyed and 63% were willing to conserve mangroves. Majority (83%) were aware about the importance of mangroves and 58% associated a high importance value to mangrove. People were aware of ecological benefits of mangroves but not the economic benefits. Waste mismanagement was the major cause for mangrove degradation at all sites and infrastructure development (43%) was the major contributor to deforestation. Based on different on -site conditions, the study proposed site specific strategies for mangrove conservation and reforestation.
Key words: Mangrove conservation, reforestation, site- specific strategies, community involvement
