Community Awareness Program on Mangrove Plantation and Conservation

The Coastal community can play an important role in the sustainable management of mangrove forests. But, some of them do not realize the fact that the mangrove plantation and conservation are equally important for their own survival. Raising community awareness is a crucial part to control mangrove forest depletion. Unfortunately, the role of mangrove forests in human life is often neglected or perhaps less socialized.

The community’s lack of knowledge and awareness of the function and value of mangroves has led to some of the destruction of this ecosystem in Sundarban. Our goal is to build long-term trusting relationships with community members while disseminating knowledge and current information about mangroves in an engaging and interactive way.

To accomplish this, Mukti on 9^th August 2021 with “United Way India” organized an awareness program on Mangrove plantation and conservation at Mukti Gram (Purba Sridharpur) under Nagendrapur GP and Mathurapur II Block of Sundarban.

Participants learned about the ecological and economic importance of mangroves, sustainable environmental practices, and the current status of Mangroves in Sundarban. They also learned about the conservation efforts that Mukti had initiated.

31 villagers of Mukti Gram along with Mukti mangrove project coordinator Mr. Rajat Mondal, the working committee members of Mukti Mr. Bijoy Krishna Halder, Mr. Chitta Ranjan Halder, Mr. Yeachin Gazi, Mr. Subarna Kar, Mukti Gram project coordinator Mr. Harisadhan Mondal, and MSS teacher Mr. Bimal Khan participated in the awareness program.

One of the participants Mrs. Nilima Halder said “I want to tell other Mukti volunteers and my co-working sisters that I am fully agreed with Mukti. For our survival, we need to plant mangroves. I am happy to be a part of this project and I want to be with Mukti.”

Mukti hopes, the successful implementation of the Mangrove Plantation and Conservation project will serve to increase awareness and appreciation of mangroves contributing to greater preservation of wetland ecosystems. The program will also aid in educating people about the interconnected nature of marine ecosystems and the value of marine protected areas and place-based conservation efforts.