Mangrove restoration/regeneration technologies
ENTRY DATE: 26.04.2012 | LAST UPDATE: 26.04.2012
CATEGORIES:
- Coastal Regions
- Wetlands and mangroves
TECHNOLOGIES MATURITY:
Ready for introduction, to be applied immediately
Technology Owners:
・Joint research has been conducted with private sector businesses.
Needs Address
The needs to reduce the deterioration and functional recovery of mangroves in tropical coast areas that they can be raise and may be affected by sea level rise, flood tide and tsunami, and in areas where mangrove forest deterioration can already be observed due to human development activities, etc.
Adaptation effects
・ Reduction of influences against natural ecosystems due to sea level rise associated with global warming.
・ Effective protection against disasters such as flood damage (mangroves are believed to provide a defense against tsunami.)
Overview and Features
・Starting in the 1970s, many mangrove forests in the coastal zone of developing countries in Asia were destroyed for charcoal or for developments such as salt production and shrimp cultivation pond. In many cases, after these devastated sites have been abandoned and left, the wetland ecosystem was also damaged, causing a deterioration of the coastal environment.
・By restoring mangrove forests it is aimed to improve the coastal environment. More specifically, by improving aquatic environment of the area degraded by development, the original resilience of mangrove ecosystem will be restored.. Also, by choosing the best mangrove seeds for the site and by implementing necessary soil improvement, good restoration of the mangrove ecosystem can be achieved.
・Aquaculture is conducted in the former shrimp ponds, so that economic benefits are available for local communities as the trees grow.
Cost
100,000 yen per hectare (amount varies depending on the state of disruption of the land, and whether or not heavy equipment is used, etc.)
Considerations
・Seed trees capable of providing seeds must still be surviving near the planned planting site to restore mangroves by the improving the water environment.
・It is necessary to have the understanding/consent of the local autonomy and the land owners of the former shrimp cultivation ponds.
・Incentives are necessary for the local community, for mangrove restoration.
Co-benefit, suitability for developing countries
・ Conservation of biodiversity (the area contains diverse habitat for flora and fauna in coastal zones)
・ Carbon sequestration
・ Provision of more employment opportunities (fisheries, forestry, etc.)
・ Mitigation of damage from floods (mangroves are believed to provide a defense against intense wave activity)
Information Resources
・The General Environmental Technos Co., Ltd. (some materials in English)
http://www.kanso.co.jp/kankyo_j/kaigai/kaigai_2.html
・"Sustainable Management of Mangrove Ecosystems and Assessments of CO2 Sequestration" (Japanese Journal of International Forest and Forestry, No. 83 2012) (in Japanese).