International Day For Conservation Of Mangrove Ecosystems: Mumbai To Identify Nullahs Carrying Trash Into Mangrove Forests

Mumbai: With the largest mangrove forests for any major city in the world, Mumbai marked 'International Day for Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems' on July 26 with awards to honor mangrove conservation groups and a discussion to find a solution to one the biggest threats to the forests - trash.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)  designated July 26 as 'International Day for Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems' in 2015. The 'State of the World’s Mangroves 2024'  released yesterday by the  Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA), a coalition of government and non-government organisations, along with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provides an assessment of the latest scientific advancements and policy efforts to protect these valuable ecosystems. IUCN says that mangrove ecosystems are an important indicator of biodiversity health, and critical for climate mitigation and adaptation. However, a global assessment published in May 2024 by IUCN’s Red List of Ecosystems shows that half of all mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse by 2050 due to climate change. 

The latest GMA report highlights how land-based conversion activities are also having an impact on mangrove ecosystems. A recent study from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation found that conversion to aquaculture, oil palm plantations, and rice cultivation accounted for up to 43% of mangrove losses between 2000 and 2020. 

However, mangrove conservation has been a success story in India, according to government studies. The Forest Survey of India reported that the area under mangrove forests in India grew from 4046 sq km in 1987 to 4992 sq km in 2019. The Maharashtra forest department's Mangrove Cell estimates that Mumbai has 50 sq km of these forests - about 8% of its area. According to MMRDA, the mangrove areas in Mumbai have increased significantly since 1991, especially after the forests were given protection under Category I of the CRZ (Coastal Zone Regulation 1991). They are also protected under the Maharashtra Private Forest Act 1975, the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, and the Maharashtra Felling of Trees (Regulation) Act 1964. 

The Conservation Action Trust estimated that 70% of Mumbai mangroves have been destroyed by reclamation for construction. However, with the new laws, the forests are better protected. Stalin Dayanand of the environment group Vanshakti said that Mumbai's mangroves are 'thriving'. "The forest department is doing an excellent job in protecting the forests," said Dayanand.

The problem, Dayanand said, is the trash. "So many NGOs are involved in cleaning. This is not the solution. Stopping the trash at the source is important. Nets should be installed by the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) to trap the trash before it ends up in the mangroves. The forest department can also do it. The BMC is, however, sleeping," said Dayanand. "The government is not interested in solving the problem because the NGOs are cleaning the mess."

At Friday's meeting at the Coastal and Marine Diversity Centre in Airoli, Navi Mumbai, located near the Thane Flamingo Sanctuary, one of the protected mangrove ecosystems in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, participants raised questions about the relentless flow of trash into the forests. "How long do we keep on collecting trash from mangroves? Can we find a permanent solution to the problem of rubbish choking the city's mangrove forests?," asked Dharmesh Barai of Environment Life Foundation, which has completed 206 consecutive Sundays clearing trash from mangrove forests along the Thane Creek.

The programme, which began on August 15, 2020, has collected 600 tonnes of trash from the mangroves. Another serious problem in the Thane Creek mangroves is the chemicals in the sewage from industries located in the creek's catchment areas.

It was decided at the meeting that the forest department, alongwith the NGOs will conduct a study to identify the drains carrying trash into the mangroves and the sea.