Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI)

What is MISHTI?

MISHTI, announced in the Union Budget 2023-24, stands for the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes, which aims for the plantation of mangroves along the coastline and on saltpan lands, covering an additional area of 540 square kilometers, spread across 11 States and 2 Union Territories. It will be implemented through the convergence of MGNREGS, CAMPA, and other sources for the next five years commencing from FY2023-24.

The other objectives of the scheme are sharing best practices and knowledge on conservation and plantation techniques of mangroves, mobilizing resources, and best management practices for increasing the area under mangroves in India.

What are mangroves?

Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) found in tropical and subtropical regions. They protect the coastal areas from inundation, tropical storms, and tsunamis. They are the carbon-rich forests accounting for 3% carbon sequestration of tropical forests. They are broadly classified into two species: – True mangroves and mangroves associates.

Mangrove forests are formed in the inter-tidal zone, where fine sediments allow the mangrove trees to set down their roots. They follow the Viviparity mode of reproduction, where seeds germinate in trees themselves before falling from them. Also, pneumatophores (areal roots) enable the mangroves to survive anaerobic conditions.

In India, 42 true mangrove species are highly adaptable in high-saline environments. There are 68 species of mangrove associates.

Significance of Mangroves

As per the ‘State of the World Mangroves 2022’, the ability of mangrove ecosystems to store carbon is four to five times more carbon than terrestrial ecosystems. Hence, they are a natural solution against climate change by acting as a natural sink for carbon. They work as bulwarks against tidal erosion, storm surges, and cyclones in coastal areas. Mangroves constitute 0.4% of the total forest area in the world, but they support rich biodiversity by providing habitat to a wide array of flora and fauna. For developing nations like India, it will facilitate creating additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of Carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030. Furthermore, the loss of 1% of remaining mangroves can lead to the loss of 0.23 gigatons of CO2 equivalent, equal to 520 million barrels of oil.

Global mangrove cover

The world’s total mangrove area is 1,47,000 square kilometres as per the ‘State of World Mangroves, 2022’. Asia has the largest cover of mangrove forests in the world. South Asia comprises 6.8% of the total mangrove cover in the world. Indonesia has the largest mangrove cover in the world.

Mangroves in India

The area under mangrove forest increased from 4,046 square kilometers in 1987 to 4,992 square kilometers in 2021, as per the Indian State of Forest Report 2021. It comprises 45.8% of the total mangrove cover in the world. West Bengal, with 2,114 sq. km. of mangrove forests, has the highest area under mangrove forests.

The important mangroves forest in India is Sundarbans (West Bengal), Bhitarkarnika (Odisha), Godavari-Krishna (Andhra Pradesh), Gulf of Kutch (Gujarat), Pichavaram (Tamil Nadu), Baratang Island (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Chorao Islands (Goa), Thane Creek and Ratnagiri (Maharashtra.)

Threats to mangrove forests

Though India has 4,992 square kilometers of mangrove areas distributed across nine states and 3 U. Ts, it is threatened by rising demand for land for agriculture and industrial activities, coastal fishing, and cutting of forests for wood, timber, fuel-wood, and non-wood forest products. Increasing demand for fisheries has led to the clearance of forests in Sunderbans, which has led to irreversible ecosystem damage in the largest mangrove area of India. Several instances of mangrove forest clearances have also occurred in the regions under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ.) Also, the discharge of untreated domestic and industrial effluents into the rivers obstructs the natural inter-tidal flow along the coast, which is essential for the survival of mangroves as it helps in mixing river water with saline water.

Mangrove Alliance for Climate

It was launched at COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, to promote mangroves as a nature-based solution to climate change. The United Arab Emirates established it in collaboration with Indonesia. India has joined the MAC to improve the afforestation of mangroves and halt their destruction to reduce the GHG concentration in the atmosphere, which is sine qua non for becoming a carbon neutral country by 2070.

The other members of the Alliance are Australia, Japan, Spain, and Sri Lanka.

The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem is observed every year on July 26 to raise global awareness about the importance of mangrove ecosystems and their role in preserving coastal areas, climate change mitigation, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.