BALASORE: As 53-year-old Balaram Patra walks through the mangrove plantation near Bichitrapur, a coastal village in Balasore, his face lights up. The stretch that once brought floodwaters into his village has now started growing into a thriving mangrove forest. The degraded land now protects nearby settlements from cyclones and tidal surges and has given employment to dozens of locals, especially women.
During Cyclone Yaas in 2021, sea water entered Khadibil, Ranasinghpur, Bichitrapur and other villages along the coast. It left agricultural fields in the region saline, accelerated erosion, shrank fish breeding habitats and made livelihoods increasingly uncertain.
However, in the four years since, the community-led restoration effort has changed the landscape and the lives linked to it. Patra, who now heads the Bichitrapur Prakruti Niwas Committee, says the initiative has created livelihood opportunities for over 70 people in the villages with around 80 per cent of them being women.
The initiative was kickstarted by the Forest department in 2022 under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC), a Government of India project, supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and UNDP. The approach combined scientific planning with community participation.
Village elders, traditional fishermen, women, youth and members of Vana Surakshya Samitis joined plantation and maintenance work. Their local knowledge complemented technical assessments carried out by the department, including mapping of degraded areas, GPS-based demarcation, soil salinity and pH analysis, hydrological studies and tidal inundation assessments to identify suitable sites.
Based on the findings, degraded creeks were restored and fishbone channels were developed to improve tidal water flow before planting began. Demonstration plots tested different mangrove species under local conditions. After six months, four species - Avicennia marina, Avicennia officinalis, Rhizophora mucronata and Kandelia candel - that showed the highest survival chances and adaptability were planted.
Since then, 275 hectare have been restored, creating a 5.84-km-long and nearly 0.7-km-wide coastal bio-shield. Once they get matured in another four to five years, the plants will protect vulnerable villages while supporting biodiversity and local livelihoods.
The community members remain involved at every stage. They help identify plantation sites, collect propagules and seeds, raise community nurseries, undertake planting and casualty replacement, monitor plantation health, organise awareness campaigns and protect sites from grazing and other disturbances. They also support the Forest department in the long-term maintenance of the mangroves.
One of their important contributions is a voluntary watch and ward system. VSS members patrol restoration areas in small groups, particularly at night, to protect young plantations from damage and illegal activities, said officials.
Forest guard Sanjay Kumar Mohanty, who regularly visits the sites with VSS members, said, “For the community gathered here, these are not merely mangroves. They are symbols of collective effort, resilience and hope.”
He said the ecological gains of the project are already becoming visible as villagers report reduced coastal erosion along restored stretches, better protection against tidal surges, increased sightings of fish, crabs and other aquatic species and improved breeding habitats.
The restoration has also generated economic benefits. More than 72 local families have earned wage employment through nursery raising, plantation and maintenance work.
The site has also emerged as a tourist attraction. Patra said a group from Indonesia and visitors from West Bengal visited the site and praised the community’s efforts. During winter, the area attracts several species of migratory birds, he said.
To reduce dependence of the locals on natural resources, ECRICC is also promoting climate-resilient livelihoods. These include the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), ornamental fish culture, crab culture and distribution of insulated ice boxes to strengthen household incomes while supporting conservation.
PCCF (Wildlife) and ECRICC state project director Prem Kumar Jha said mangrove restoration and sustainable livelihood projects are being implemented in four districts under the programme. “Mangroves are Odisha’s green shield. They protect our coasts, nurture biodiversity, store blue carbon and strengthen resilience against climate change. The state will celebrate International Mangrove Day at Bhitarkanika on Sunday,” he said.