This Commnunity Project Helps Mangrove Regenerate Naturally

An ecological and community-based approach has been adopted in Thailand to encourage the natural regeneration of the mangrove, a carbon-storage powerhouse that preserves biodiversity, ecosystems, and livelihoods.

“When you fix the hydrology [the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability], you don’t even have to plant since there’s so many mangrove seeds and propagules floating around, they’ll grow naturally when the substrate is suitable,” says Dan Friess, a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University.

For natural regeneration to succeed, relandscaping the shoreline is crucial so seeds and seedlings don’t drown. In the long run, it leads to more diverse and resilient forests with a better survival rate. The sea level is estimated to rise by 5 meters per year, and 80% of the population’s livelihood depends on inshore fishing, salt panning, and aquaculture. Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources greenlit a mangrove conservation project in 2008 that led to the construction of a 5-kilometre bamboo fencing along the coastline, easing the impact of waves and trap mud and creating a more suitable environment for the mangroves to regenerate naturally. Not only has coastal land been protected, but wildlife is recovering. Otters, kingfishers, crab-eating macaques, Irrawaddy dolphins, and many shellfish and invertebrates now thrive in the area. Today, Thailand has 248,000 hectares of mangrove cover, roughly a 50% increase since 1996, with 46,400 hectares being managed for conservation as national parks or wildlife sanctuaries.