MAP News Issue #547 - May 28 2022

The MAP News 547th Edition                                                  May 28, 2022
MAP Website en Español haga clic aqui  FEATURED STORY Turtles, coral and mangroves top climate risk list CAYMAN ISLANDS - Scientists visiting the Cayman Islands from the UK who are helping the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency undertake a comprehensive assessment of the risks the country faces from climate change have already identified over fifty areas under threat. At a public meeting on what they had learned so far from their work on the risks to species and habitats, they revealed the top five concerns: turtles (at the top of the list), corals, the loss of the islands’ endemic species and mangroves. Based on the data they have already collected, Dr John Pinnegar, the lead advisor on climate change at Cefas, outlined some serious areas of concern relating to climate change. He noted that over the last 40 years the average temperature in the Cayman Islands has increased by 2.2ºC. Focusing on two well-known dangers that all low-lying islands face, Pinnegar said that by 2050, sea levels around the Cayman Islands will rise by at least 30cm, and the sea will warm, which will cause local ocean acidification to increase by at least a 20%. The changing climate is going to have complex impacts and knock-on effects that will need to be considered. Sea level rise will increase beach erosion, which won’t just affect luxury beachfront homes and flood out sewage systems, but will cause the loss of turtle nesting areas. The turtles will also be impacted by warming, acidifying seas as well as the increase in beach temperature, which affects the gender of hatchlings. READ MORE GLOBAL World Forestry Congress to push for greener, healthier future with forests GLOBAL - Making sure forests play a crucial role in combating climate change and achieving sustainable development goals will be the focus of the XV World Forestry Congress next week in Seoul, Republic of Korea. More than 12,000 forest experts have registered to attend the world’s largest forestry event, which is co-organized by the Republic of Korea and FAO and takes place in a hybrid format from 2 to 6 May 2022 under the theme of Building a green, healthy and resilient future with forests. “The Congress comes at a critical time in the global effort to combat the climate crisis,” said World Forestry Congress Secretary-General Eunsik Park (Korea Forest Service). “We have a crucial opportunity to advance international cooperation on forests and accelerate commitments to reduce deforestation and meet global development goals.” READ MORE AFRICA Poor planning, persistent farming undermine mangrove restoration in Tanzania TANZANIA - Tanzania’s Rufiji Delta is arguably the mangrove capital of East Africa, home to around 55,000 hectares (135,900 acres) of mangrove forest. In the face of the climate crisis, mangroves like this play an important role sequestering large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. For most of the roughly 49,000 people living in remote communities in the Rufiji Delta, these coastal wetlands mean livelihood. They depend on them for rice farming and fishing, as well as for firewood and timber. However an estimated 30-50% of the world’s mangroves have been lost in the past 50 years, contributing massively to global carbon emissions. Since the 1990s, the Tanzanian government has been working to replant the Rufiji Delta’s mangroves. But efforts to restore degraded mangroves in the northern delta block are being undermined by unsustainable rice farming, new research has shown. READ MORE AMERICAS Miami wants to ban planting mangroves at city parks USA - As sea rise and worsening storm surges from hurricanes increasingly threaten the shores around Biscayne Bay’s busy north end, a Miami city commissioner has made a puzzling proposal: no new mangroves at city parks. The ordinance sponsored by City Commissioner Joe Carollo would prohibit planting any new mangroves or “tall-growing plants” to protect waterfront views. When the ordinance came up for first reading at the commission’s May 12 meeting, Carollo said he’d postponed it to give the city manager more time to look at it. Carollo, whose district runs along the Miami River from Southwest 2nd Avenue to the Dolphin Expressway, did not respond to requests for interviews. Since the 1970s, the bay near Miami has been designated as an aquatic preserve in an effort to restore the habitat, including mangroves, that help shelter manatees, sea turtles, crocs and about 180 other rare and threatened species. Despite protections, conditions in the bay have spiraled downward. Seagrass meadows have wilted and vanished and persistent algae blooms have spread. In 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned the bay was undergoing a regime shift and in danger of losing its famously once gin-clear waters. In 2020, the largest fish kill in recent memory littered the north end with floating carcasses. READ MORE Hungry Bay residents bid to save ‘key’ mangrove forest BURMUDA - Hungry Bay area residents have put forward a planning application intended to help protect the island’s largest remaining patch of mangroves. According to a recent planning application the Hungry Bay Restoration Committee and property owner James Tucker hope to create a 4ft high seawall to block a gap in the shoreline formed by Hurricane Fabian. Bermuda Environmental Consulting Ltd, agents for the application, said historical maps had shown the “retreat” of the mangroves at the South Shore, Paget bay.That process had been accelerated in recent years after a gap formed in the rocks that once protected the bay. The firm said: “In 2003, Hurricane Fabian broke through the natural rock barrier that shelters the bay, creating a breach that has been enlarged by subsequent hurricanes and the net result is more wave energy impacting the mangroves and further destruction.“Thus, unless and until the breach is repaired, it will continue to expand, allowing for more mangrove loss.” READ MORE ASIA Cameroonian activist wins Wangari Maathai Forest Champions’ Award 2022 KOREA - Activist Cécile Ndjebet, of Cameroon, won the 2022 Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to preserving forests and improving the lives of people who depend on them. Presented by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), which is chaired by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the award was conferred at a ceremony during the XV World Forestry Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea. “This award celebrates Cécile Ndjebet’s energy and dedication over three decades in promoting women’s rights to land and forests. She has actively shown that women’s participation in forest governance and preservation is fundamental to achieving sustainable forest management,” said FAO Deputy Director-General and CPF Chair Maria Helena Semedo. READ MORE A Carbon Catastrophe in the Making: The dirty energy plans in Chattogram BANGLADESH - Known throughout Bangladesh for its beautiful beaches and mountainous terrains with deep tropical forests, the Chattogram division of Bangladesh is now at risk of being the location of one of the world’s biggest carbon catastrophes. Plans by companies predominantly from Japan and the United States to massively expand fossil fuels in Bangladesh overwhelmingly focus on the Chattogram division, the location of two-thirds of the proposed new fossil fuel capacity in Bangladesh. 20 gigawatts (GW) of new coal and gas power capacity is proposed in the Chattogram division this decade, enough to double the current power capacity of Bangladesh. This massive buildout spells disaster for the local ecology and waterways, communities and livelihoods, health and the climate. Let’s keep fossil fuels out of Bangladesh for the health and wellbeing of the local communities, the beautiful regional beaches and forests, the Bangladeshi economy, and our shared climate. READ REPORT SIGN PETITION UAE joins Sadhguru’s global ‘Save Soil’ movement UAE - The UAE has become the 74th country to join the ‘Conscious Planet Movement to Save Soil’, a global initiative founded by Indian yoga guru and environmental visionary Sadhguru Jagadish Vaudev, who visited Abu Dhabi. Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister for Climate Change and Environment, presided over an agreement signed in the capital between Conscious Planet and the Dubai-based International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), a non-profit research centre that focuses on improving agricultural knowledge. Sadhguru and other UAE officials then planted mangrove saplings at the Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi, and the guru was briefed about the important role mangroves play in carbon sequestration and soil conservation. “Soil gives us life, and is the largest terrestrial carbon sink. It also serves as a habitat for thousands of organisms, with one teaspoon of soil said to contain more microbes than the entire human population. Unfortunately, 33 per cent of the world’s topsoil is already degraded,” Al Mheiri told attending officials. READ MORE OCEANA Supermarket commits millions of dollars to protect Great Barrier Reef coastal ecosystem AUSTRALIA - One of Australia's largest supermarket chains, Coles, has announced a 10 million Australian dollars (about 7.1 million U.S. dollars) investment to help strengthen the regeneration and resilience of the decaying Great Barrier Reef. The plan would see the establishment of a ten-year "Blue Carbon Partnership", which recognizes and seeks to address the threat climate change has on the UNESCO world heritage site. "Unlocking Australia's blue carbon potential by investing in projects that support revegetation and regeneration of coastal ecosystems is crucial to preserving the Reef," said Coles CEO Steven Cain. The scheme would begin with the funding of two projects, one would work with farmers to restore coastal wetlands in the Great Barrier Reef catchment, while the other would develop seagrass nurseries around the reefs to support fish and shellfish and capture additional carbon. READ MORE   Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going.  Giving could never be easier *Articles in this newsletter may mention practices being used and/or show exagerated results being claimed without proof. Stories are presented here in effort to show mangrove related activity around the world and do not necessarily reflect Mangrove Action Project's views or mangrove restoration best-practices.	ACTION ALERTS Keep fossil fuels out of Bangladesh for the health and wellbeing of the local communities, the beautiful regional beaches and forests, the Bangladeshi economy, and our shared climate. SIGN PETITION Stop this total madness  Stop the biggest heated oil pipeline in the world -- right through the heart of Africa! CLICK HERE Strengthen 60 Women Farmers in El Salvador DONATE HERE Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier MAP Website en Español haga clic aqui ARTWORK SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN FOR NEXT YEAR'S CALENDAR    13 Year old Linda Li "Mangrove Adventure" from Kid Dream Art School WATCH NOW Restoring The Natural Mangrove Forest Watch movie Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration in Rufiji Delta VIEW VIDEO Video: Mangroves for the Future  View Here WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Follow and Join MAP!         Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier   Interested in connecting or working with MAP? Check out our opportunities here 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? Download MAP's 2 page CBEMR Information Sheet containing links to all MAP's CBEMR resources – CLICK HERE View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAP Video Gallery Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – Click 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 NASA Study Maps the Roots of Global Mangrove Loss Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum The Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum begins with a simple philosophy – getting future generations to not only learn about, but understand the importance of mangrove forests. 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. Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier   "Question Your Shrimp" Campaign Question Your Shrimp - is it really sustainable? Sign the Petition 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. If you find a link to a story is not functioning, please cut and paste the headline into your browser search bar. In most cases you should be able to locate the original story. Not yet a MAP News subscriber? Click here to subscribe.  *Articles in this newsletter may mention practices being used and/or show exagerated results being claimed without proof. Stories are presented here in effort to show mangrove related activity around the world and do not necessarily reflect Mangrove Action Project's views or mangrove restoration best-practices.
Mangrove Action Project Click here to view past newsletters

MAP Issue #546 - May 13, 2022

The MAP News 546th Edition                                                  May 13, 2022
MAP Website en Español haga clic aqui  FEATURED STORY Children’s Mangrove Calendar Art Contest 2022   BAHAMAS - During the Bahamas CBEMR training that took place from April 8-14 in Freeport on Grand Bahama, Monica Gutierrez-Quarto collaborated with Waterkeepers and with the resident artist Marie Louis Hayward producing the Kids Art Mangrove workshop on April 13th. Two art projects were presented to the students: a Painting workshop about animals of the mangroves and a silk screen workshop producing prints of a mangrove tree.   Before the hands-on art projects, the students received an educative presentation by a scientist from Waterkeepers about mangroves in Grand Bahamas. The students also had the opportunity to see the mangrove nursery at the Rand Center, where both the CBEMR training workshop and the children’s art workshop took place. Twenty students from ages 7 to 13 years old participated in this project. The event lasted 3 hours, and the kids had a great time producing their varied creations.  In addition, there were youth volunteers from the Waterkeepers that assisted and helped in the activity. It was a successful opportunity to educate Bahaman youth about the mangrove ecosystem via an integrated art curriculum. The guidelines for Mangrove Childrens Art Contest are updated and are published in MAP  website. Deadline for submissions to this year's contest is August 1,2022. READ MORE   AFRICA   Stewards of the forest: the pioneering women’s collective harvesting the Gambia’s oysters GAMBIA- In the cool air of an April dawn, Marie Sambou, an oyster harvester, carves through the brown water of the Gambia River’s Tanbi wetland in her long wooden canoe. The size of Manhattan, Tanbi teems with life. The mangroves provide an important habitat for many birds and fish, which nest, breed and spawn in the protective, nutrient-rich environment. Snow-white egrets stalk schools of needle-like fish nipping through the shallows as curlews and hornbills whirl overhead, and higher still, vultures turn in lazy circles. For the next six hours or so, while the tide remains low enough to work, Sambou will paddle along the forests on the riverbank, knocking hard, rock-like west African mangrove oysters (Crassostrea tulipa) from the exposed mangrove roots. It is tedious, physical work – and painful. Sambou has only thin gloves and socks for protection; her hands and feet are scarred from the razor-edged oyster shells. READ  MORE   Growing African mangrove forests aim to combat climate woes SENEGAL -  In a bid to protect coastal communities from climate change and encourage investment, African nations are increasingly turning to mangrove restoration projects, with Mozambique becoming the latest addition to the growing list of countries with large scale mangrove initiatives. Mozambique follows efforts across the continent — including in Kenya, Madagascar, Gambia and Senegal — and is touted as the world’s largest coastal or marine ecosystem carbon storage project. Known as blue carbon, carbon captured by these ecosystems can sequester, or remove, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at a faster rate than forests, despite being smaller in size. Mozambique’s mangrove restoration project — announced in February alongside its UAE-based partner Blue Forest — hopes to turn 185,000 hectares (457,100 acres) in the central Zambezia and southern Sofala provinces into a forest which could capture up to 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide, according to project leaders. READ MORE   A mangrove revolution: How Egypt is prioritising climate projects EGYPT – Al-Quweh was one of six Red Sea locations where a two-year government project aimed to rehabilitate mangrove plantations.  Launched in April 2020, the project was set to recover a total area of 210 hectares of mangrove forests. It was to serve as a line of defence, to slow down the effects of climate change - the most pressing of which is rising sea levels. The rate of rise in Red Sea levels has nearly doubled in recent years, according to a 2021 study. While this project failed to kickstart in some locations, it was a hit in others. The deterioration of Egypt’s mangroves is the result of the mushrooming construction of tourist villages nearby mangrove forests.  This is as well as recurring oil leaks from shipping lines and oil excavations, and locals’ continuous overgrazing of their herds of camels, goats and sheep, explains Dr. Sayed Bakr, director of the Western Desert Reserve. So the ongoing project - with a budget of 4 million Egyptian pounds (€200,054) and funded by the government’s Academy of Scientific Research and Technology - should “increase mangroves’ spread to 60 acres in each location”. READ MORE   AMERICAS   A closer look at the Fruit Farm Creek Restoration Project FLORIDA - Is restoration enough? There are around 110,00 acres of land throughout the state of Florida. About 20-30 thousand of those acres are mangroves. Mangroves are a state-regulated species with many benefits to wildlife and the environment. There are three types of mangrove species: Red, White, and Black. These species are protected by the City of Naples at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The most abundant of the three species are the Red Mangroves. “Restoration is used to preserve what is left of the mangroves,” Laakkonen said. According to Laakkonen, the restoration project was put into place to preserve what is left of the mangroves, more generally the red mangroves because no matter where they are planted the natural production of seeds will help to expand the mangroves and enlarge the restoration projects. READ MORE   This island nation will be one of the first to sell ocean-based credits BAHAMAS - Seagrass beds and mangrove trees in the Bahamas’ crystal-clear waters may soon be drafted into the fight against climate change.  The Caribbean country plans to offer "blue carbon" credits this year as a way for companies internationally to offset their emissions, the country’s prime minister announced last week. The island nation will be one of the first to sell ocean-based credits, and hopes to use the proceeds to invest in climate resilience projects.  Coastal ecosystems, such as seagrass meadows and mangrove forests, are some of the world’s most powerful carbon sinks, storing three to five times more carbon per hectare than tropical forests. They do so mainly by storing dead and decaying plant matter in the ocean floor, as well as sequestering carbon by pulling it straight from the air and water. Last year, an international team of researchers found that these marine habitats already store up to 30 billion tons of carbon — nearly as much as the world emitted in 2021 from fossil fuel burning alone. READ MORE   Builders hurt protected areas in climate-weary Puerto Rico PUERTO RICO - Homes of concrete block complete with fences, pools and even a dock have been illegally built inside the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The reserve has protected nearly 2,900 acres of mangrove forest surrounded by waters in varying shades of turquoise. It is home to the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle and the vulnerable West Indian manatee, among other species. Activists and some public employees say they are frustrated and feel alone in their fight as they accuse Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural Resources and other agencies of not doing their jobs. When a legislator during one public hearing asked the director of the Jobos Bay reserve who exactly had failed in their duties by allowing the illegal construction, she answered, “The entire system.” READ MORE   Protecting coastal vegetation means weighing development against the environment USA - In September 2021, a team from the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve broke ground on one of the largest mangrove restoration projects in the state of Florida. The Fruit Farm Creek Mangrove Restoration Project will install three 54-inch-diameter culverts beneath San Marco Road, connecting the two sections of wetlands and returning sheet flow to the mangrove forest. The project is budgeted to cost $1.4 million, a price many insist is worth it. Mangroves are essential to Southwest Florida—not just for the health of the ecology, but as a barrier to storms. Biologists, marine engineers and developers all know this. The problems arise at the intersection of these competing interests. Even as we create jobs for builders, contractors and tradesmen, even as we add more property value to the tax roll, even as we attract visitors and new residents who funnel millions of dollars into the state’s coffers, we risk sacrificing one of the most important parts of the Gulfshore. READ MORE   ASIA   Global investors exposed to mangrove deforestation linked Southeast Asian shrimp industry THAILAND - Shrimp producers in Southeast Asia – and the investors backing them – face financial risks from mangrove deforestation, according to a recent report from Planet Tracker. Mangrove forests benefit coastal ecosystems in a multitude of ways, including preventing coastal erosion, protecting inland areas from storm surges, filtering water, and providing nursery habitat for many fish species. Though they only account for 1 percent of carbon sequestration from forests, they make up 14 percent of carbon sequestration from the ocean. But mangroves are disappearing at an alarming rate. Globally, the rate of destruction of mangrove forests compared to their total area is five times higher than rainforests, according to Planet Tracker. In Southeast Asia, shrimp farming is the cause of 30 percent of mangrove deforestation and coastal land use change. That deforestation threatens the ecological sustainability of the shrimp industry, and its financial viability. Investors around the world could be at risk as rules come into force preventing the importation of products linked to past and future deforestation, according to Planet Tracker Director of Research Matthew McLuckie. Neither shrimp companies nor the top 20 institutional investors report mangrove deforestation or emissions from farmed shrimp. Accurate profit margins can't be assessed because of this lack of disclosure, meaning that investors can’t be confident of their risk exposure. READ MORE   Odisha’s logs country’s highest growth in mangrove forest: Patnaik INDIA = Odisha has recorded the highest increase in mangrove forest, otherwise described as coastal woodland, in the country in the last three years, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Thursday. Inaugurating a conference of Divisional Forest officers, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the State had added the highest growth in the mangrove forest in the country while adding that in spite of the difficult situation due to the pandemic, Odisha’s forest cover has improved in the last two years as per India State of Forests Report- 2021. Patnaik directed the forest officials to prepare a concrete roadmap for improving the health of State’s forests and enhancing the living standards of our forest fringe villagers. “We have added the highest number of mangrove forests in the country and third highest in total increase of forest cover between 2019 and 2021. This has been possible due to constant support of our people, the VSS members and tireless effort of forest staff in the field”, he said while calling upon the officials to work towards continuing this trend in the years to come. “Afforestation is a key component for providing employment to people in forest fringe villages. He advised the officials to rope in Women Self Help Groups for raising seedlings for the forest department”, he said. READ M ORE   Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going.  Giving could never be easier *Articles in this newsletter may mention practices being used and/or show exagerated results being claimed without proof. Stories are presented here in effort to show mangrove related activity around the world and do not necessarily reflect Mangrove Action Project's views or mangrove restoration best-practices.	ACTION ALERTS Stop this total madness  Stop the biggest heated oil pipeline in the world -- right through the heart of Africa! CLICK HERE Strengthen 60 Women Farmers in El Salvador DONATE HERE Stop construction work on a private port In Defense of the Quilombo Boca Do Rio TAKE ACTION! Tell Sumitomo to stop building polluting coal power in Bangladesh! TAKE ACTION! Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier MAP Website en Español haga clic aqui ORDER YOUR 2022 MAP CHILDREN'S ART CALENDER HERE  13 Year old Linda Li "Mangrove Adventure" from Kid Dream Art School WATCH NOW Restoring The Natural Mangrove Forest Watch movie Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration in Rufiji Delta VIEW VIDEO Video: Mangroves for the Future  View Here WANT TO GET INVOLVED? Follow and Join MAP!         Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier   Interested in connecting or working with MAP? Check out our opportunities here 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? Download MAP's 2 page CBEMR Information Sheet containing links to all MAP's CBEMR resources – CLICK HERE View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAP Video Gallery Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – Click 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 NASA Study Maps the Roots of Global Mangrove Loss Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum The Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum begins with a simple philosophy – getting future generations to not only learn about, but understand the importance of mangrove forests. 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. Like this newsletter? Pease consider donating to MAP to keep it going. Giving could never be easier   "Question Your Shrimp" Campaign Question Your Shrimp - is it really sustainable? Sign the Petition 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. If you find a link to a story is not functioning, please cut and paste the headline into your browser search bar. In most cases you should be able to locate the original story. Not yet a MAP News subscriber? Click here to subscribe.  *Articles in this newsletter may mention practices being used and/or show exagerated results being claimed without proof. Stories are presented here in effort to show mangrove related activity around the world and do not necessarily reflect Mangrove Action Project's views or mangrove restoration best-practices.
Mangrove Action Project Click here to view past newsletters