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The MAP News
453rd Edition October 13, 2018 |
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IN MEMORY OF Roy R. “Robin” Lewis III We at MAP were saddened to hear of the passing of Roy R. “Robin” Lewis III. He made a substantial contribution to the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) over the years as a Board Member then as our technical advisor sharing his knowledge & understanding of mangroves and restoration for the benefit of the planet. Robin was one of MAP's first board members, and helped shape our efforts. We at MAP owe much to him for his dedicated work and wise counsel over those many years. We thank you! Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III, Professional Wetland Scientist, Ecological Society of America Certified Senior Ecologist, Board Certified Environmental Professional READ MORE FEATURE STORY Harvesting honey saves forests and lives  THAILAND - The coastal villages of SW Thailand were once home to thriving mangrove forest ecosystems that preserved the shoreline, sequestered carbon, sheltered fish, and sustained communities that relied on small-scale inshore fishing. Today, these communities are among the poorest in the region as mangroves are lost to aquaculture, logging, and urban expansion. MAP will help 4 communities develop sustainable sources of mangrove-based income through harvesting high-quality honey from mangrove flowers. Since 2014, MAP has been collaborating with Ban Nai Nang to generate new income while restoring their mangrove forests. Today 45 beekeeping families, who would normally depend on small-scale fishing, are empowered, producing +300kg of honey per year and value-added products such as hand soaps, shampoos and balms. They want to pass on their expertise to 4 other communities, creating a sustainable network to share skills and knowledge. READ MORE SPECIAL FEATURE - Mangrovian Rhapsody Queen Parody - GCSE Geography  WATCH VIDEO AFRICA Tanzania plans to set new conservation program for mangroves TANZANIA - An official said Tanzania planned to come up with a new management plan for mangrove conservation. Zawadi Mbwambo, Director of Resources Management with state-owned Tanzania Forest Services Agency, said adoption of the new plan will replace the existing one, which has been in place for nearly three decades. Tanzania is one of few countries which have been blessed with mangrove forests, with an estimated 115,000 hectares of the trees. Opening a four-day National Mangroves Stakeholders Workshop , Mbwambo said the government through the agency and other local and international institutions were collecting data on mangroves that will be used to formulate the plan. "The existing mangrove management plan was established 27 years ago. However, it has posed a challenge that we are currently not certain of the status of mangrove production and destruction," he said in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. The government is currently prohibiting people from harvesting mangroves which are facing extinction, said the official. READ MORE Mida creek conservation groups want incentives to promote marine ecosystem  KENYA - Mida creek conservation groups in Kilifi want to be provided with incentives to set up blue economy projects. The locals who largely engage in mangrove conservation have ideas of setting up projects of ecotourism, eco-agriculture among others to help them uplift their standards of living and promote conservation of the marine ecosystem. Currently, community members engage in conserving the mangroves by setting up nurseries and planting seedlings in degraded areas but the majority are living in poverty. Arafa Salim Baya a conservationist and a member of women conservation groups within the Mida Creek said the incoming Blue economy conference should come up with proper ideas of funding groups that are keen in conserving the marine ecosystem. Speaking after mangrove planting exercise done in partnership with Seacology Foundation, a non-governmental organization that funds conservation projects in East Africa, Baya said there is need to set up projects that can transform life for the locals. READ MORE ASIA Mangroves destruction violates fundamental rights of citizens  INDIA - The Bombay High Court, in an 83-page judgment, on Tuesday banned destruction and cutting of mangroves in Maharashtra. The bench,also prohibited any sort of commercial exploitation of the mangroves. All mangrove land, according to the court, will fall in Coastal Regulation Zone-I category as per both the CRZ notifications of 1991 and 2011. “The destruction of mangroves offends the fundamental rights of the citizens under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. In view of the provisions of Articles 21, 47, 48A and 51A (g) of the Constitution of India, it is a mandatory duty of the State and its agencies and instrumentalities to protect and preserve mangroves.” In its latest direction, the high court has asked Maharashtra government to identify all such private plots and declare them as protected or reserved forest area within 18 months in accordance with the Indian Forests Act, 1927. The jurisdiction of those lands will then be transferred to the Maharashtra Forest Department. READ MORE TMC to deploy drones to digitally map mangrove belt in Thane INDIA - The municipal corporation will now keep an aerial vigil over the mangrove belt along the Thane coastal belt to keep check on the mafia involved in its alleged destruction. The decision to deploy drones for mangrove surveillance and also digitally mapping the mangrove belt in Thane was taken by municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal at a review meeting on Monday. The meeting was held following the Bombay High Court recently ordering stern steps to be taken against those found tampering with the mangroves. Jaiswal said that a special committee will be formed to analyse the damage done to the green cover since 2005 and appropriate investigations and police case will be filed against the perpetrators. READ MORE Enabling Resilience for All: Avoiding the Worst Impacts  PHILIPPINES - The Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, the flagship event of the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN), is the primary regional platform for adaptation practitioners to meet, share their learning and experiences, and work together towards the pertinent outcomes and practical solutions that are needed to address the challenges of climate change. Since the first event in 2010, the APAN Climate Change Forum has grown to become the venue for scientists, donors, youth, and representatives from over 50 countries to meet, converse, and work together for adaptation action partnerships. The 6th Forum will be built around four “streams” focusing on (i) resilience of social and human systems, (ii) resilience of natural systems, (iii) resilience of industry and the built environment, and (iv) resilience of island communities. The inclusion of islands recognizes that Asia and the Pacific’s numerous and diverse island communities face particular challenges associated with economic shocks and natural hazards, and building resilience is often an existential task. The hosts of this year’s Forum - the Philippines and Palau – embody the diverse experiences of island communities and have compelling resilience stories to share, which many other countries in Asia and the Pacific might identify with and learn from.READ MORE Come clean on mangrove forest clearing in Juru, authorities told  MALAYSIA - A swathe of the last remaining mangrove forest here is allegedly being cleared indiscriminately, believed to be for the development of aquaculture ponds. The location is accessible via a bund road that starts at the Sungai Belanak Fisherman Jetty towards the Permanent Food Production Park (TKPM). Machineries were spotted at the site recently to clear the 0.9ha mangrove forest and level the muddy soil. Checks by NSTP at the area today showed the entrance had been cordoned off with a black trawler net. Next to it was a shrimp pond, which has been in operations for the past five years. “In a survey along the bund road in Juru, Bukit Tengah recently, we were shocked to see machinery used to clear the mangrove forest and the muddy soil being leveled while being observed by several individuals there,” Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president S.M. Mohamed Idris said. READ MORE 5 new complaints filed against Indonesia’s largest palm oil company  INDONESIA - Indonesian, Liberian and International NGOs have just filed five new complaints (attached below) against Indonesia’s largest palm oil company, Golden Agri Resources (GAR). GAR which is part of the huge Sinar Mas (Golden Rays) conglomerate run by the Widjaja family with interests ranging from palm oil and pulpwood to real estate and banking, is failing to comply with the RSPO’s standards, claim the NGOs. Both GAR and its subsidiary in Liberia – Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) – angered NGOs when they recently withdrew GVL’s membership of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), thus dodging a demand from RSPO that it halt development of its palm oil mill on contested lands. According to Liberian NGOs, GVL was pushing ahead with its development despite the refusal of the Blogbo community to cede their lands to the company, despite their complaints to the RSPO, despite their complaints being upheld by the RSPO Complaints Panel and despite the Panel upholding the stop work order it had issued, after overruling an appeal by GVL against the Panel’s decision. READ MORE Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat will be conserved as a Nature Park  SINGAPORE - In conjunction with the World Migratory Bird Day next weekend and the 25th anniversary of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the National Parks Board (NParks) today announced that Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat will be conserved as a Nature Park. Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat is situated about 3 km to the east of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and is one of the richest wetlands in Singapore. Collectively, the Wetland Reserve, Kranji Marshes and the new Nature Park safeguard a variety of complementary wetland habitats, including mangroves, mudflats and freshwater marshes, strengthening the conservation of wetland biodiversity in the northwestern part of Singapore. (Refer to Annex for map of wetland habitats) Ecologically linked to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the 72.8-hectare Nature Park will enhance the Reserve’s ecological capacity in wetland and migratory shorebird conservation. NParks will sensitively provide opportunities for research and education in the Nature Park for visitors to learn more about Singapore’s wetland biodiversity and to play a part in its conservation. The Nature Park is slated to be opened in mid-2022.READ MORE AMERICAS Noted environmentalist dies at home in Salt Springs  USA - "His work improved the quality of life for millions of people who’ve probably never heard of him, as well as helped save thousands of fresh and salt-water species," said Lynda Lewis of her brother, Roy R. "Robin" Lewis. Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III, a certified environmental professional and senior ecologist whose work was well known locally and internationally, died Sept. 24 at his home in Salt Springs. He was 74. Lewis was a member of the National Association of Environmental Professionals, Society of Wetland Scientists and Ecological Society of America, and president of Lewis Environmental Services, Inc. Coastal Resources Group, Inc., among many other affiliations. "His work has touched many special places in Florida and around the world, improved the quality of life for millions of people who've probably never heard of him, as well as helped save thousands of fresh and salt-water species," she noted. READ MORE Climate Change in My Lifetime  USA - Leaders in business, local government, and from across communities continue to step up around climate action. Under the umbrella of the 30x30 Forest, Food and Land Challenge, WWF and over 100 NGOs, businesses, state and local governments, indigenous groups and communities issued 17 commitments to advance the forest, food and land agenda. Land, and how we use it, is the second largest source of emissions, but can deliver up to 30% of the climate solutions needed to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement. Business and local leaders weren't the only ones making gains for climate action: An estimated 30,000 people took to the streets of San Francisco to speak out for strong climate action. Behind the WWF banner were 200+ WWF staff and supporters marching through San Francisco, with Panda Ambassadors mobilizing in more than 10 cities across the country. Thank you to everyone who marched alongside us. READ MORE GLOBAL New methodology for comparing and assessing risk reduction benefits of mangroves in countries  GLOBAL - TNC scientists and partners at the Environmental Hydraulics Institute IH Cantabria, Spain have produced a ranking of countries that receive the greatest risk reduction benefits from mangroves, relative to their vulnerability. The Global Value of Mangroves for Risk Reduction– available in both a Summary Report and a Technical Report– uses rigorous hydrodynamic and economic models to value the coastal flood protection services of mangroves globally, and then identifies the places where mangroves provide the most benefits to people and property. This work applies an approach that is commonly used in engineering and insurance sectors, and quantifies protection benefits of mangroves as the amount of flood damages avoided because of the presence of mangroves. READ MORE Plastic Forests?  GLOBAL - The contamination of marine and coastal environments with plastics and other manmade debris is becoming a worldwide problem. Many mangrove forests are becoming inundated by this pollution, threatening ecosystem health and the benefits they provide. This story map presents the results from a survey of 24 mangroves sites conducted in 12 countries across the world. Information gathered included the general status and overall trend of mangrove health, impacts of pollution as well as local usage and management. Mangroves are not equally distributed throughout their range. This map shows the high variation in the distribution of above-ground mangrove biomass. Highest values are typically associated with tropical areas with high annual rainfall, whereas lower values are typically found in colder and drier areas. READ MORE LAST WORD Dear Friend, GlobalGiving’s Accelerator ended recently, and we are happy to announce that we have earned a permanent spot on their website! We are sincerely grateful — none of this would be possible without your help. Thanks to your contributions during the past month, we will now be able to use GlobalGiving's platform to expand and grow other projects in the future. Thanks to the support of our MAP community during this Accelerator, we can now fund training for 2 villages to implement beekeeping, all as part of an integrated effort to maintain mangrove forests and provide livelihoods for those who live in them. We are still looking to fund at least 2 other villages in the same manner, helping to further spread the impact of this sustainable livelihood, and this is the last day to give during our GlobalGiving Accelerator Campaign!  |
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Partnering with mangrove forest communities, grassroots NGOs, researchers and local governments to conserve and restore mangrove forests and related coastal ecosystems, while promoting community-based, sustainable management of coastal resources.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
MAP New Issue 453 - Oct 13, 2018
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