MAP News Issue 466 - April 13, 2019

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The MAP News 466th Edition                                                     April 13, 2019
FEATURE Mangroves deliver research surprise GLOBAL - Rates of growth and loss in mangrove forests are higher than previous estimates, according to satellite measurements of the Rufiji, Zambezi, Ganges and Mekong deltas. And natural expansion and growth of new mangrove forests could partially compensate for declines caused by human activity. “What we see for these types of mangrove delta regions is that there is rapid expansion and growth — in about 20 years, forest canopies can reach a mature height of over 20 m,” says David Lagomasino from the University of Maryland and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, both in the US. “In some places that fast growth can help to offset the losses, both in terms of extent of the forests and carbon density.” Mangrove forests make up a relatively minor part of the Earth’s total forested area, but their importance exceeds the scale of their footprint. They sequester proportionally more carbon than almost any other ecosystem — their maximum storage potential above and below ground is more than 1000 tonnes per hectare – and they provide food, shelter, fuel and coastal protection. Mangrove extent is decreasing due to urbanization and expanding agriculture and aquaculture but natural coastal processes like erosion and deposition also play a role. READ MORE AFRICA Major new inquiry into oil spills in Nigeria's Niger Delta launched NIGERIA - The Niger Delta is a diverse region with rich mangroves and fish-rich waterways. Many residents try to make their livelihoods from fishing and farming. A major new inquiry into oil companies operating in the Niger Delta has been launched by the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. The probe will investigate "environmental and human damage" in Nigeria's vast oil fields. "This Commission will investigate the human and environmental impact of multinational oil company activity and is crucial to the prosperous future of the people of Bayelsa and their environment, Nigeria and hopefully to other oil-producing nations," he said. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer. The country's crude oil production -- estimated at over 300 million liters per day -- makes up 70 percent of the Nigerian government's revenue. This new commission, convened by Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson, says that it wants to make oil companies in the region more accountable. "The world has looked on for too long without taking the necessary collective action to put a stop to the damage being done by oil companies in Bayelsa. We must put the environment and the health and wellbeing of our communities first," Dickson said in a statement. READ MORE Insecurity hindering Ogoni Clean-up  NIGERIA - A senator, Magnus Abe (APC, Rivers), has blamed the slow pace of the proposed clean-up exercise in the oil-rich Ogoni land in Rivers State on insecurity. He said no meaningful clean-up exercise could take place in Ogoni land at the moment due to serious security challenges in the area. Ogoni area in Rivers State has over the years been destroyed by oil spills leading to the destruction of surrounding waters and farm lands. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommended the total clean up of the environment saying the extent of water and environmental pollution in the Rivers communities was alarming. The senator also said any clean up that goes on without first addressing the issue of the continued pollution of the environment “is a waste of everybody’s money because as the clean up is going on, the criminals will be spoiling the exercise.” READ MORE ASIA Can Mangroves Mitigate Catastrophic Consequences Of Cyclone-Induced Storm Surges? BANGLADESH - Susmita Dasgupta a Lead Environmental Economist in the Environment and Energy Team of the Development Research Group recently conducted research in collaboration with the Institute of Water Modeling in Bangladesh on the consequences of cyclone-Induced storm surges. Massive flooding from storm surges is a major threat to lives and property in low-lying coastal areas during cyclones. The impacts are particularly disastrous when storm surges strike densely populated coastal areas without storm-resilient infrastructure, as the recent storm Idai (March 2019) brutally demonstrated. This category 3 cyclone caused widespread damages and loss of life in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Madagascar, killing 432 people and severely affecting more than 2.5 million of the population. The study focused on seven coastal locations. The study showed varying levels of protection from mangroves for different tree species and forest widths and densities across the seven locations. Sonneratia apetala was the species that provided the greatest protection. Mangroves generally reduced surge height by 4cm to 16.5cm with mangrove belts of 50m to 2km width, and reduced water flow velocity by 29 to 92 percent with forest widths of 50m or 100m. The findings also highlighted that the range of protection is location-specific. Quantifying the protective capacity of mangroves from storm surges in coastal Bangladesh, their study emphasizes the important role mangroves can play in a multi-dimensional approach for protection against cyclonic surges. . READ MORE Farmers irked over 1.5 Lakh of mangroves spread across 19 hectares to be cleared INDIA - Farmers of Palghar and Dahanu districts of Maharashtra have expressed disappointment at the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEF) giving clearance to the National High Speed Railway Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) to remove 1.5 lakh mangrove trees. They said that they will not let the bullet train body carry out the survey for land acquisition in Palghar. Moreover, the farmers’ and villagers’ group from Palghar Bhumi Putra Bachao Andolan, has fielded its own candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate. Earlier, the NHSRCL told the Bombay high court that it had received permission from the Union environment ministry to hack 1.5 lakh mangroves from Thane, Palghar and Navi Mumbai districts. “The environment ministry seems to be in a hurry to grant permissions for hacking mangroves, even when a case regarding the bullet train is being heard in the Gujarat court. We have fielded one candidate from our group who will be representing issues like irregular environment destruction and land acquisition in Mumbai and surrounding areas,” said Sameer Vartak, a member of the Bhumi Bachao Andolan. “We are against land acquisition and the cutting of mangroves in Palghar for the bullet train project, along with other cases of damage to the environment in projects such as the Metro 3, READ MORE Sri Lankan Navy seizes 8 for cutting mangrove shrubs SRI-LANKA - A group of Naval personnel attached to the North Central Naval Command together with officials of Wildlife Conservation Department-Mannar attached to the Madu office, nabbed 8 persons who were cutting mangrove shrubs, during a raid carried out in Udeiadi lagoon area, Wankalai, yesterday(09). The Sri Lanka Navy stated that a few mangrove branches cut by the suspects, two knives and 2 axes used for cutting mangrove were taken into naval custody. The suspects are residents of Mannar area in the ages of 43, 38, 31, 29, 27 and 19. Officers of the Wildlife Conservation Department conducts further investigation on arrested suspects and mangrove poles. This mangrove ecosystem which is an authentic resource activate against the soil erosion is destroyed only by very few people and SL Navy keeps a watchful eye on such groups to foil their attempts and to enforce the law against them. Further, the Navy has launched several projects successfully to replant the mangrove around the lagoon areas of the island. Especially, at present, these mangrove replanting projects are being actively maintained in Northern, North Central, North Western, and Southeastern Naval areas. The main objective of these projects is to conserve and protect the coastal belt around Sri Lanka.  Environmentalists accuse salt firm of brazenly illegally destroying forest, people's livelihoods INDONESIA - A coalition of church and environment advocacy groups have called for action to be taken against a salt company they accuse of illegally destroying more than 240 hectares of mangrove forest in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province. The Franciscan commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) filed a complaint on March 27 with police in Kupang, the provincial capital, against PT Daya Inti Kencana. They said the firm was operating without a license and violating laws regulating coastal area and forestry management that protect mangrove forests. The company's activities had resulted in the illegal eviction of indigenous peoples and the clearing of 242 hectares of mangrove in Malaka district to facilitate its salt production, according to the activists. This area was important source of income for the indigenous people living in the area, the coalition said. If found acting illegally those responsible could face 10 years in prison and a US$700,000 fine. Father Alsis Goa Wonga, director of the JPIC, said every development project should be oriented to improve the welfare of communities, and should not neglect ecological, cultural and social conditions, as well as existing laws. "What is happening in Malaka is a result of ignoring all this," he told ucanews.com. READ MORE Police arrest two for cutting mangrove trees PAKISTAN - Police claimed to have arrested two members of a gang involved in the illegal cutting of mangrove trees in Karachi on Sunday. Carrying out action against loggers, police arrested two who were allegedly belonging to a gang involved in timber smuggling. The arrests were made in Ibrahim Hyderi area of the metropolis. Law enforcers have also recovered more than 200 tons of mangrove tree wood loaded on a truck during the raid. According to Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Malir, the accused persons, Kamran and Mazhar, were arrested from Chashma roundabout. He said that the persons were involved in the illegal cutting of tree and selling of the wood into timber market. A case was registered against the accused persons under the Forest Act, he added. Earlier in October last year, the officials of Forest Department in Chitral had foiled a bid to smuggle two truckloads of timber and arrested two persons. READ MORE Commodification of Living Space for Coastal Communities INDONESIA - As a maritime country, Indonesia has an abundance of marine and fisheries resources that can be found in coastal areas, small islands and deep water region. Not only the potential of capture fisheries, Indonesia also has abundant coastal and other marine resources, including the area of 2.6 million hectares of mangrove forest; tropical forest area on small islands of 4.1 million hectares, area of 1,110,900 hectares of seaweed cultivation, and salt ponds covering more than 25 thousand hectares. All of these resources should have a positive impact on the lives of coastal communities in Indonesia (traditional fisherfolks, fisherwomen, aquaculture, salt farmers, preservers of coastal ecosystems, and coastal indigenous communities) both economically and socially. Not only that, with this wealth of marine and fishery resources, coastal communities should be the main actors in development. However, to this day, we find the fact that more than 7.87 million people or 25.14 percent of the total national poor population are those who depend his live on the marine sector. In other words, those who have been living in coastal areas and small islands are the poor people. Then, where is the root of the problem? The answer is that the arrangement of space in coastal areas and small islands that doesn’t provide a fair space for coastal communities. READ MORE AMERICAS Seawalls and the tyranny of small decisions USA - “They start at 6 a.m., if you can believe it,” my friend told me with a hint of frustration. This was his neighborhood, and we were both gawking at a huge pile-driver sitting atop the dune across from the Turtle Shack in Flagler Beach. The machine is being used to sink pillars 30 feet down as foundation for the new concrete seawall being constructed by the Florida Department of Transportation. I hadn’t visited Flagler Beach in more than a year, and sitting there with my friend, looking at the scale of the construction underway, it was clear that the city and its beaches will never be the same again. These seawalls are being installed along both North and South A1A in the name of protecting local businesses and property. But will they? Most people would agree that being business-friendly in Flagler Beach also means acknowledging that local shops and restaurants are unlikely to thrive if the local beach disappears. And with sea level rise and stronger hurricanes as a result of climate change, the destruction and loss of beaches not only in Flagler, but around Florida, is already becoming a stark reality. A shocking study conducted by researchers at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, reported in the prestigious journal Science, used data from NOAA to show that nearly 15 percent of the entire United States’ shoreline is covered in concrete. READ MORE EUROPE An easy, cost-effective way to address climate change? Massive reforestation. UK - As the implications of climate change become starker and the world faces up to a biodiversity crisis that threatens humanity’s existence, a group of campaigners from across the world are saying there is one clear way to get us out of this mess, but that governments are ignoring it In an open letter published in the British newspaper, The Guardian, the group tells governments that the best and cheapest way to avert a climate catastrophe is to heal nature by restoring and replanting degraded forests and by better conserving the natural world. “Defending the living world and defending the climate are, in many cases, one and the same. This potential has so far been largely overlooked,” say the 23 signatories to the letter. “We call on governments to support natural climate solutions with an urgent program of research, funding, and political commitment,” they added. Vast amounts of carbon can be removed from the air and stored by restoring ecosystems razed by palm oil plantations, cattle ranching and timber, and fish production, the letter says. The 23 signatories include the teenage school climate strike activist Greta Thunburg, authors Margaret Atwood, Naomi Klein, and Philip Pullman, U.S. climate scientist Michael Mann, and environmental campaigner Bill McKibben. “The world faces two existential crises, developing with terrifying speed: climate breakdown and ecological breakdown. Neither is being addressed with the urgency needed to prevent our life-support systems from spiralling into collapse,” say the signatories. READ MORE OCEANA The Great Barrier Reef's Secret Climate Change Weapon Is This Switzerland-Sized Meadow of Seagrass AUSTRALIA - Tourists frequently flock to Lizard Island, off the northeastern coast of Australia, to marvel the Great Barrier Reef. Among the dugongs, sea turtles, and jewel-toned corals, though, there’s another organism that doesn’t get nearly as much credit as it deserves: seagrass. a team of Australian scientists has discovered that seagrasses of the Great Barrier Reef are absorbing climate-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at a surprisingly high rate rate. This reef-bound carbon sink is one of many so-called “Blue Carbon” sinks. These are aquatic and marine environments which effectively store carbon, helping to mitigate climate change. Other such carbon sinks include marshes and mangrove forests. Beds of the seagrass Halophila draw down about the same amount of carbon at depth as they do in shallower regions—a result the team was not expecting, per the study. Deepwater seagrass habitats held about nine times the amount of organic carbon as the bare sediment around them. Extrapolating their measurements to the entire estimated deep-water Halophila habitat, they arrived at roughly 30 million tons of stored carbon. READ MORE Back to Top	Restoring The Natural Mangrove Forest Watch movie Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration in Rufiji Delta VIEW VIDEO ACTION ALERT Halt further destruction of primary mangrove forests in the Maldives. We are urging you to write letters to the recently elected president of the Maldives and his environmental minister View Sample letter Save Pulau Kukup National Park - second largest mangrove island in the world. Sign The Petition Video: Mangroves for the Future - A look bacK. As the latest phase of Mangroves for the Future (MFF) draws to a close, this video highlights some of the project’s most successful initiatives – from local women supporting national park management in Viet Nam to an island in the Maldives that has become a model for waste management, and everything in between. View Here Making the case for Emergency Climate Change Action Counting Mangroves Placencia mangrove workshop teacher's poem Volunteer with MAP - LEARN MORE Watch Children's Mangrove Art Calendar Promo 2019 Click Here MAP 2019 Children’s Calendar  CLICK HERE You can help ensure that the knowledge and skills needed to conserve and restore mangroves is preserved in coastal communities READ MORE WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Follow and Join MAP!           VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY MANGROVE ISSUES  Want to learn more about mangroves? Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION What is CBEMR? Easy to follow fact sheet – CLICK HERE What is EPIC? - The Ecosystems Protecting Infrastructure and Communities (EPIC) project:  the role of ecosystems as protective barriers against climate induced hazards MANGROVES APP AVAILABLE A pictorial field guide for easy identification of various mangrove species and learning about the mangroves ecosystem. CLICK HERE View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!   WATCH VIDEO Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video The Value of Mangrove Forests View Video CBEMR Experience Exchange MAP 2017 English Subtitles VIEW THE VIDEO Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – Click Here   Mangrove rehabilitation in Asia – Local Action and cross-border Transfer of Knowledge for the Conservation of Climate, Forests and Biodiversity VIEW VIDEOS HERE SHARE MAP'S VISION  CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea". Our short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves   Exclusive Interview with Alfredo Quarto, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mangrove Action Project - See more Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum The Marvellous Mangroves Education Forum is an online hub for those utilizing the Marvellous Mangroves (MM) Curriculum. 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Zoning Regional Regulation, Commodification of Living Space for Coastal Communities

 Jln. Rawajati Timur Blok AM-7 | www.kiara.or.id | Telp & Fax. +62 21 25032147 Ruko Kalibata Indah, Jakarta | INDONESIA | 1275

People’s Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA) 

www.kiara.or.id 

Jakarta, April 6, 2019 – As a maritime country, Indonesia has an abundance of marine and fisheries resources that can be found in coastal areas, small islands and deep water region. Not only the potential of capture fisheries, Indonesia also has abundant coastal and other marine resources, including the area of 2.6 million hectares of mangrove forest; tropical forest area on small islands of 4.1 million hectares, area of 1,110,900 hectares of seaweed cultivation, and salt ponds covering more than 25 thousand hectares.

All of these resources should have a positive impact on the lives of coastal communities in Indonesia (traditional fisherfolks, fisherwomen, aquaculture, salt farmers, preservers of coastal ecosystems, and coastal indigenous communities) both economically and socially. Not only that, with this wealth of marine and fishery resources, coastal communities should be the main actors in development.

However, to this day, we find the fact that more than 7.87 million people or 25.14 percent of the total national poor population are those who depend his live on the marine sector. In other words, those who have been living in coastal areas and small islands are the poor people. Then, where is the root of the problem?

The answer is that the arrangement of space in coastal areas and small islands that doesn’t provide a fair space for coastal communities. In contrast, structuring coastal spaces and small islands provides free space for investors to privatize and commercialize coastal areas and small islands. In this context, the politics of spatial planning is not directed to the maximum prosperity of the people, but to the maximum prosperity of a few people. Society/peoples is not the subject of development, but only an object of development.

The unfair arrangement of coastal and small island spaces is legalized by the Regional Regulation of the Zoning of Coastal Areas and Small Islands (Zoning Regulations). KIARA’s Data and Information Center (2019) notes, up to April 2019, that 18 provinces in Indonesia have ratified their zoning regulations. The rest, as many as 16 provinces are still under discussion.

Responding to that, Susan Herawati, Secretary General of KIARA, said that the Zoning Regional Regulation provides facilities for Investors to get investment facilities. "The zoning regulations in all provinces in Indonesia legalize the seizure of living space for coastal communities," she said. 

Susan give an example of deprivation of living space which was ratified by the Zoning Regulations in Lampung. “Lampung Zoning Regulation legalizes the reclamation project in South Lampung Regency, where more than 1400 fisherfolk families are affected. At the same time, the North Kalimantan Zoning Regulation legalized the sea sand mining project in the Bulungan Waters, where more than 2,290 fisherfolk families were affected," she said. 

Susan added, the NTB Province Zoning Regulation also legalized the sea sand mine in the waters of the Alas Strait, East Lombok for the reclamation of Benoa Bay, Bali. Meanwhile, the Zoning Regional Regulation of NTT Province legalized the seizure of space through tourism projects in the waters of Labuan Bajo and Komodo Island National Park. "Thus, the zoning regulations are ratified only to only cover the deprivation of living space projects. In other words, this is the commodification of the living space of coastal communities", she said firmly. 

KIARA called for the government to stop various discussions on Zoning Regulation that are still being discussed by 16 provinces while evaluating Zoning Regulations that have been ratified in 18 provinces. The State must guarantee the sustainability of the life of coastal communities while protecting their living space, as mandated by the Decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) No. 3 of 2010. 

As a maritime country, Indonesia has an interest in protecting coastal communities that have managed and preserved fisheries resources so far. "If their living space continues to be seized, then the future of coastal communities is in serious threat," said Susan. (*) 

Further information: 

Susan Herawati, Secretary General of KIARA, 0821-1172-7050 

Attachment 1: Data of Local Regulation on Zonation and Economy Interest Behind it 

MAP NEWS Issue 465, March 30, 2019

The MAP News 465th Edition                                                     Mar 30, 2019
FEATURE Restoring The Natural Mangrove Forest USA - Coastal communities are intrinsically connected to the sea. Their lives depend on it. A key to happiness and life in tropical regions is a healthy mangrove forest. We are now recognizing that a world without the rainforests by the sea, wouldn’t just mean a dismal scenario for coastal communities, but would ultimately affect us all, and our planet. With the ability to store vast amounts of carbon, mangrove forests are key to tackling climate change, but they are under threat worldwide. The film takes us to the Andaman Coast in Southern Thailand, and explores the importance of mangrove forests. Much like the rest of Thailand, huge areas of mangroves were cut down during the 80s and 90s to make way for shrimp farms. And as mangrove destruction continues globally at nearly 1% annually, attempts are being made to restore these carbon-rich forests. We are introduced to Mangrove Action Project who have a unique approach to restoring mangrove forests; encouraging natural regeneration (ecological mangrove restoration), and collaborating with coastal communities (community-based restoration). The results show that these ideas and methods would have a great impact on any restoration project, and need to be implemented globally. VIEW VIDEO   AFRICA ‘Seawater is coming into our farms and killing the plants’ TANZANIA - The water from the wells in Kisakasaka used to be so salty that it would turn people’s teeth yellow. Children, no matter how thirsty, would often refuse to drink. But with no other water source in this farming village near Zanzibar’s capital Stone Town, around 1,000 residents were forced to drink increasingly salty water that gave them headaches and nausea. “It was very difficult at the time and the children complained a lot about the water, but they had to drink it because there was no other option,” said Pili Issa Moussa, a mother-of-five and local resident. People’s problems were compounded when more and more crops started failing and animals started getting diseases as the seawater crept further inland and spoiled or washed away fertile soil. “There are some areas where even the coconut trees started to die,” said community leader Khatib Ali. The villagers formed a non-governmental organization to fight the effects of climate change and save their village from being battered by the winds and seawater advancing unimpeded due to the lack of tree barriers. READ MORE   ASIA   Rampal coal power plant, Bangladesh, an ethical perspective INDIA - While the entire world is moving towards searching for the alternatives, especially renewable energy; Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Ltd, is going to construct a 1,320 MW coal fired power plant near the Sundarbans in Rampal (located only 14 km apart from the world’s largest mangrove forest). The company is a joint venture between the state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), and India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). While the government is electroplating any possible damage to the Sundarbans, a UNESCO world heritage site, the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports; some left-leaning organizations as well as environmentalists have been opposing that there will have numerous adverse impact on the pristine forest. READ MORE   Mangroves destruction in Maldives-islands’ biggest ecocide MALDIVES - The decision to build a domestic airport in Kulhudhuffushi wetland and mangroves and the subsequent reclamation of a significant part of the mangroves is one of the biggest environmental ecocides the Maldives has seen in recent times. The destruction of the mangrove ecosystem commenced in October 2017, during President Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s administration despite a public outcry against this. The project has attracted criticism and attention not only from locals, civil society organizations and politicians based in the Maldives, but also from international organizations, foreign diplomats, international media and scientific and research-based organizations from abroad as well. Kulhdhuffushi Kulhi wetland and mangroves along with a belt of coastal vegetation running along the eastern edge of the island are the last remaining green space in this rapidly urbanizing island. READ MORE   Saving Mumbai's natural mangrove buffer against rising tides INDIA - Crows pick at debris washed up on a shore in Mumbai. It's a humid day, and through thick smog, the outlines of gray buildings are just about visible on the other side of the inlet. In this part of Mumbai's mangrove forest, the land is barren, dotted with pools of dirty water and plastic waste. "There's so much dirtiness," says 19-year-old college student Kajal Jadhab, as she looks around at the trash. Scenes like this are common along Mumbai's shoreline. They were once covered in mangroves — coastal trees that act as vital flood defenses and carbon storage systems — but the forests have severely degraded, destroyed by encroaching housing developments and waste. Mumbai, India's second city, has lost around 40 percent of its mangrove forest cover in recent decades. Desolate areas like this are left behind, snapshots of the country's troubled relationship with the environment. READ MORE   North Jakarta sees growth of 32,000 mangrove trees INDONESIA - North Jakarta has seen the growth of 32,000 trees since they were planted 10 years ago at the Ecomarine Mangrove Forest. The trees were planted on 1.8 hectares of land that was initially barren before it was converted into a forest on the edge of the Kali Adem Estuary in Muara Angke. “From 2008 until now, 32,000 mangrove trees have grown here,” said Muara Angke Mangrove Community head Muhammad Said as quoted by tempo.co on Wednesday. The mangrove trees include the pidada (Sonneratia), api-api (Avicennia), nipa palm (Nypa fruticans), and red mangrove (Rhizophora), Said explained. The trees were planted to recover the mangrove forest ecosystem along Jakarta's northern coast, which is threatened by land conversion. “There were mangroves, but in the 1990s they were wiped out due to the impact of development. In 2008, we established a mangrove community and started mangrove planting for the sake of caring for society and the environment,” he said. READ MORE   Sabah villagers struggle to save dwindling mangroves MALAYSIA – At the Telaga river in Pitas, in the northern region of Sabah, villagers are fighting to save a once thriving mangrove forest which they say is teetering on the brink of destruction thanks to a shrimp park project in the area. A total of 2,300 acres of mangrove forest along the river has already been converted into shrimp ponds, with a further 1,000 acres earmarked for the park. The project came to a halt following protests mounted by the villagers and backed by NGOs. Mastupang Somoi, a farmer and fishermen who led the protests, said the initial damage to the mangrove forest was done in 2015. “The heavy machines came one night on a barge. They levelled the mangrove trees and dug a deep trench in the middle of the mangrove colony, cutting the brackish water supply to the trees. READ MORE   AMERICAS   Northward march of mangroves impacts fishing, flooding, carbon USA - Walking along a wooden path winding through Nease Beachfront Park, Danny Lippi pointed to coastal trees sprouting from the shrubbery around him. The exotic species were brought here by warming temperatures — bringing business opportunities for the local arborist. “All of these are mangroves,” Lippi said, surrounded by the young perennial plants, blooming with hues of green and golden yellows. “You can actually see that line where the upland vegetation just stops.” Demand for Lippi’s mangrove trimming service has been growing as the trees have been accumulating northward, starting to block coastal views from Ormond Beach to Palm Coast. Their northernmost limit in the U.S. sits about 70 miles from St. Augustine on Amelia Island, and it continues to shift. Ranges of mangroves have naturally waxed and waned over the years, influenced by the weather, but with climate change has come a crucial reduction in crop- and tree-killing freeze events. The last freeze strong enough to wipe out mangroves took place in 1989. This decline in the number of frosts, coupled with intensifying storms spreading seed-like propagules, is causing the trees to push poleward. READ MORE   OCEANA   Why we should save the last scraps of nature AUSTRALIA - Scientific thinking changes as new evidence comes to light. One vital new insight is the importance of saving even tiny, isolated remnants of native vegetation. Decades of research on fragmented habitats has shown that small, isolated patches of habitat are often ecologically depauperate — deficient in top predators and specialized old-growth species, and suffering from a wide variety of ecological woes. This research correctly shows the vital importance of protecting Earth’s vanishing wilderness areas. But such studies have also convinced some people that very small, isolated patches of native vegetation are nearly worthless. In many places, these tiny remnants are being bulldozed and razed to the ground. READ MORE   GLOBAL   Educating FAO: an urgent need! 2019 – International Day of Forests GOLOBAL - In 2012, the UN General Assembly proclaimed March 21st the International Day of Forests. The aim: raising awareness about the importance of forests. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the organizer of the Day, chose Forests and Education as the theme for 2019 and underlines the importance of investing in forest education. But what does FAO mean by “forest education”? Based on what World Rainforest Movement has learnt from communities, FAO ought to reflect on –at least- the following 10 points: 1. Plantations are NOT forests, FAO’s forest definition considers forests to be basically just “a bunch of trees”. This ignores the vital interconnections with other life forms. With this definition, FAO has actively promoted the establishment of many millions of hectares of industrial tree plantations, of mainly alien species, especially in the global South. 2. Forests cannot be reduced to forestry: The terms “Forestry” and “Forests” may sound similar and are sometimes used interchangeably, but they refer to very different things. Forestry reduces forests to their potential for wood production. Hence, FAO argues that you can “plant” forests. The reality is that it is only possible to plant trees. When FAO created a “Forestry department” (and not a Forest department) it shows that the “forestry” concept has priority in its policies. READ MORE LAST WORD Dear MAP Friends It is with sadness that I let you know that I recently lost a true friend, who has been at my side helping to edit the MAP News for more than 12 years now. Chuy was a fan of MAP, my Editor in Chief, and a faithful friend to those who work to make our planet a better place. He did just that, and he will be missed. He would have been 17 years old in Sept. Sincerely, Sam Nugent MAP News Editor Back to Top	Restoring The Natural Mangrove Forest Watch movie Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration in Rufiji Delta VIEW VIDEO ACTION ALERT Halt further destruction of primary mangrove forests in the Maldives. We are urging you to write letters to the recently elected president of the Maldives and his environmental minister View Sample letter Save Pulau Kukup National Park - second largest mangrove island in the world. Sign The Petition Video: Mangroves for the Future - A look bacK. As the latest phase of Mangroves for the Future (MFF) draws to a close, this video highlights some of the project’s most successful initiatives – from local women supporting national park management in Viet Nam to an island in the Maldives that has become a model for waste management, and everything in between. View Here Making the case for Emergency Climate Change Action Counting Mangroves Placencia mangrove workshop teacher's poem Volunteer with MAP - LEARN MORE Watch Children's Mangrove Art Calendar Promo 2019 Click Here MAP 2019 Children’s Calendar available now  CLICK HERE You can help ensure that the knowledge and skills needed to conserve and restore mangroves is preserved in coastal communities READ MORE WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Follow and Join MAP!           VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY MANGROVE ISSUES  Want to learn more about mangroves? Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION What is CBEMR? Easy to follow fact sheet – CLICK HERE What is EPIC? - The Ecosystems Protecting Infrastructure and Communities (EPIC) project:  the role of ecosystems as protective barriers against climate induced hazards MANGROVES APP AVAILABLE A pictorial field guide for easy identification of various mangrove species and learning about the mangroves ecosystem. CLICK HERE View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!   WATCH VIDEO Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video The Value of Mangrove Forests View Video CBEMR Experience Exchange MAP 2017 English Subtitles VIEW THE VIDEO Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – Click Here   Mangrove rehabilitation in Asia – Local Action and cross-border Transfer of Knowledge for the Conservation of Climate, Forests and Biodiversity VIEW VIDEOS HERE SHARE MAP'S VISION  CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea". Our short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves   Exclusive Interview with Alfredo Quarto, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mangrove Action Project - See more Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum The Marvellous Mangroves Education Forum is an online hub for those utilizing the Marvellous Mangroves (MM) Curriculum. It gives students, teachers and anyone interested in mangroves, the opportunity to learn and share ideas themed around the curriculum, to connect and communicate with others around the globe whilst exploring mangroves from your computer or on the go. VISIT The award-winning Marvellous Mangroves (MM) curriculum educates children on the importance of mangroves and their ecological functions, teaching them about modern challenges and mechanisms for sustainability. VIEW VIDEO Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum in Bangladesh - WATCH VIDEO MARVELLOUS MANGROVES IN BRAZIL En Portuges Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide. FOR MORE ON MAPs AWARD WINNING CHINA MANGROVE CURRICULUM VISIT VIMEO SHOW VISIT OUR "MM" WEBPAGE Check out our presentation for more details on Marvellous Mangroves Read this 10 page history of the development of MAP’s educational curriculum VIEW DOCUMENT   Article in Canada's Green Teacher Magazine - Read More Donate to MAP via Paypal Giving could never be easier It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result. —Mahatma Gandhi Green Planet Fundraising Assists MAP – LEARN MORE  Volunteer Opportunities with Mangrove Action Project CLICK HERE "Question Your Shrimp" Campaign Question Your Shrimp- Don't Buy or Sell Imported Tropical Shrimp! Sign the Petition Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog Editor’s Note: Mangrove Action Project’s Executive Director, Alfredo Quarto was interviewed about shrimp by Green Acre Radio’s Martha Baskin LISTEN TO INTERVIEW Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection SEE DETAILS MANGROVE/SHRIMP Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp Join MAP on Facebook Not yet a MAP News subscriber? Click here to subscribe. Note to Our Readers: We strive to keep active links in our newsletter. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, occasionally links to stories may become broken. 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