76323 Issue #2 January 2013 Projecthighlights Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project in Tamil Nadu, India Overview and promote recovery in the tsunami-affected areas in the short-term. In the longer term, the goal of the Coastal Tamil Nadu, one of the most densely populated program was to reduce the vulnerability of coastal regions of the world, is facing major issues of sea level communities and create a more resilient environment. variation, shoreline erosion, salt water intrusion, and degradation of mangroves and existing shelterbelts. In addition, there are increasing commercial pressures The Impact of Shelterbelts and Mangroves to develop the coast. The combination of these During the Tsunami detrimental effects has led to the dwindling of coastal In 2004 in Pichavaram, Villupuram district, 1,100 m resources, thus increasing the vulnerability of the area wide mangroves located between a lagoon and T. S. to natural hazards. Pettai village absorbed most of the energy of the tsunami, This situation took its toll during the 2004 Indian resulting in zero damage to life and minimal damage to Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami, which impacted property. The neighbouring village of Muzhukkuthurai, hundreds of thousands of people on the Indian coast. which had no mangrove buffers, suffered five deaths In response to this event, the Tamil Nadu Government and heavy damage to private and public assets. launched the Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Similary, Nagaptinam New Beach village was Project (ETRP) with assistance from the World Bank. protected by a shelterbelt spreading 1 km north to The objectives of the ETRP were to revive livelihoods south in length and 500 m east to west. This reduced the speed of the waves and restricted damage to 51 Photo above: While planting mangroves the land parcels mainly in houses and resulted in no loss of life. On the other the form of mudflats are divided by a network of manmade canals. This allows flow of water along these canals. Mangrove seedlings hand, Nallianthottam village in Chokkanatharkoil, which are then planted along the edge of these canals. Seen above is a was located 2 km south and was not protected by the main canal. shelterbelts, suffered from heavy loss of life and property. www.gfdrr.org Projecthighlights P. Marianth, a Plant Watcher, proudly displaying the height the mangrove trees planted as part of the ETRP. 2008-2009 implementation phase ensuring the continuity of shelterbelts along the coast and creating a bio shield that Coastal shelter belt in Allawandar Trust lands in Kancheepuram district would act as a first line of defence against tsunamis, cyclones, where Casuarina equisetifolia is planted in neat rows at fixed intervals parallel to the shore. The Casuarina trees have reached a height and girth storms, and other natural calamities. that makes them useful as scaffolding in construction sites. Each pole The project generated 13,000 days of direct employment would yield Rs 150 and the branches would serve as fuel wood. This brings for local communities and contributed long term livelihood them under pressure for cutting by local population. opportunities by improving fishing, increasing ground water, Raising Shelterbelt Plantations and Mangroves and planting trees of economic value. in the Coastal Areas of Tamil Nadu Shelterbelts and mangroves are productive coastal Shelterbelt Plantations ecosystems that survive in a harsh environment, buffering The project involved consultations with all stakeholders and the land from the sea, checking erosion, and containing the was built on traditional local knowledge. Sites were selected impact of high velocity winds and cyclonic storms. Taking based on precise technical data. Environmental education these aspects into consideration, shelterbelts and mangroves programs were carried out to make stakeholders aware of were included as components within the Emergency Tsunami the benefits of shelterbelts and to address the competing Reconstruction Project (ETRP). demands from agriculture, aquaculture, and grazing. Village These ETRP components were implemented by the Tamil Forest Committees (VFCs) were established allowing for Nadu Forest Department from 2005 to 2009. Revenue and greater participation in the planning and implementation private lands in all 13 coastal districts were undertaken for of the project. Additionally, home stead planting involving the shelter belt plantation. Shelter belts on private lands 15,000 families was carried out in the vicinity of the were undertaken with the consent of the owners. In addition, plantations. Forest Department lands in Muthupet, Tiruvarur district were Casuarina equisetifolia, which forms 90% of the project undertaken for regenerating mangroves. plantation provides potential economic benefit given that its This component aimed at augmenting the long term timber and firewood can be sold and that its acceptability benefits to agriculture and water supply by stabilizing coastal sand dunes and conserving moisture. By raising mangroves, amongst local populations is high. Other local species the initiative also sought the conservation of estuarine like Cashew, Acacia planiferons, Ficus, Odina wodier, and ecosystems. In addition, the extension of the coastal Azadirachta indica were chosen based on their ability to vegetal cover aimed to re-establish vegetation destroyed by withstand harsh conditions near the sea. the Tsunami. Through the Joint Forest Management (JFM) Weeding, soil working, watering were carried out for two practices it targeted improving the livelihoods of the coastal years, casualties were replanted in the first year. Borewells poor by providing alternatives to activities that were not and open wells were sunk where necessary for watering the detrimental to the natural coastal habitats. saplings. During the 2005-2007 implementation phase, the project Entry Point Activities (EPA) including the construction raised 4,778 ha of shelterbelts along the 341.6 km length of roads, improvement of inflow channels and village ponds, of the entire coast and 2,162 ha of mangrove plantations construction of bus shelters and community sheds, creation in the estuarine areas of the Koraioor River of the Cauvery of coconut groves, distribution of oil engines, and sinking of Delta in Muthupet, Tiruvarur district. An additional 900 bore wells contributed to long term livelihood opportunities ha of shelterbelts on private lands were raised during the and made qualitative improvements to people’s lives. 2 Projecthighlights Muthupet Mangroves Muthupet, ‘Land of Pearls’ is the largest mangrove area in Tamil Nadu, and the 11 sq km Mullipalam lagoon in Muthupet is the second largest in the state. The six rivers of the Cauvery delta flow into these mangroves. According to S. Manickam, a forest ranger in Muthupet, the villages sheltered by the mangroves were not affected by the Tsunami whereas other non-sheltered villages were hit. The degradation of the Muthupet mangroves has been primarily due to i) Clearfelling: Such activities were detrimental to forest growth were finally stopped in 1971; ii) Lack of fresh water: Dams and barrages upstream result in lack of fresh water supply except during the north-east monsoons, and increased salinity levels adversely affect the diversity of the mangroves; iii) Hyper-saline soil conditions: Due to lack of drainage channels, north-east monsoon flood waters stagnate in mudflats and evaporate, leading to the gradual formation of hyper-saline soils. In the 1980s, the government realized that the issues related to the hyper-saline soils and the lack of tidal flushing The shelterbelt as seen from the high tide line with Ipomea biloba in the needed to be addressed. The preliminary proposal was to foreground. Casuarina was removed to facilitate movement and nesting of Olive Ridley Turtles, and native vegetation like Ipomea has taken over. dig channels in degraded areas to permit the entry of tidal Ipomea is a runner species that also acts as a binder, holding together sand waters. Regular inundation would bring down salinity levels dunes and the sands above the HTL. and gradually render the area suitable for regeneration. This approach came to be known as the Canal-Bank Planting Results of Shelterbelt Project technique. The most ideal regeneration sites are those adjoining The project resulted in a number of social benefits. Casuarina existing natural vegetation with the growth of Suaeda, a tree prunings were supplied to local SHGs for free to use as salt extractor species. Channels are formed in pre-monsoon fuel wood. Formal community organizations were created. The months so that the site is flushed with floodwater, leaching poorest and most disadvantaged were involved in ecological the soil of its salinity. Appropriate species selection, timely activities, improving their habitat and livelihoods. Gender planting, de-silting of channels, casualty replacement, and equity and empowerment issues were addressed through site after care all contribute to a successful regeneration. specific and targeted programmes. All these activities have Mangrove regeneration was a major component of ETRP. had long-term social spin offs well beyond the project period. Starting from the main water source, main channels of 2 m Ravi L. S., Divisional Forest Officer, Social Forestry Division, top width, 1 m bottom width and 1 m depth were dug out. Changalpattu has commented that the division has been able Feeder channels of 1.5 m top width and 0.75 m bottom width to control sand drifts that would otherwise cover parts of the and 0.75 m depth that were connected to the main channel East Coast Road (ECR) and fill up private land. The activities were dug out at intervals of 10 m. This channel network have also protected agricultural lands from salty winds and sand, thus improving productivity. Additionally, there are other indirect benefits. For example, in Kancheepuram district, the planting of shelterbelt plantations on commercial and private lands has protected them from encroachment and land grab. Mangroves - A Tidal Forest Mangroves are a salt tolerant vegetation type in the intertidal zones of rivers and estuaries. Sediment deposition and availability of sheltered areas are two essential pre- requisites for mangroves. Mangroves perform a number of vital ecological functions such as nutrient recycling, maintenance of hydrological regime, coastal protection, and fish-fauna production. However, their locations coincide with high human densities, bringing them under immense A Rhizophora mucronata mangrove tree planted at the junction of the main anthropometric pressure that results in their decline and and feeder canal as part of the ETRP. The Rhizophora displays prop roots destruction. that not only help anchor the tree but also help the tree breathe. It was reintroduced in Muthupet in 1992 based on studies that confirmed that it was present in this region 150 years back. 3 Projecthighlights helps perpetuate the continuous flow of water and keeps the is a uniformed service, patrolling and protection remain a pH values in check, which is necessary for the survival and challenge. Since the lands under the shelterbelts are either growth of the mangroves. Mangrove seeds were planted in commercial lands or private lands, the Forest Department the soil between October and January on both sides of the can only take action through the police. The trees in some main and feeder channels at a spacing of 0.5 m. Seedlings of shelterbelts have reached a level wherein their harvest 10 mangrove species from Pichavaram and Orissa were used. could yield Rs 150 each. As such, even though patrolling by During the first year, channelling and casualty replacement landowners is high, the pressures to cut trees on commercial activities were carried out. In the second year, maintenance and private lands remains a challenge. and de-silting of trenches/channels were implemented. Such V. Ramakrishnan, a Forest Watcher in the area, says that adequate protection and care have assured a high rate of one of the main aspects of his job is to talk to people and success of the mangrove regeneration component of ETRP. raise awareness of the benefits of shelterbelts. Even though he has had to report cases to the local police, these efforts Challenges have gradually reduced the tree-cutting activities in the area. The shelterbelt plantations were taken up to the High Tide Line (HTL), but it was later realized that Olive Ridley Sea Turtles nest in a zone beyond the HTL. This was brought to the attention of the authorities as these plantations would affect the turtles’ movement and nesting. After due review, the government sanctioned the removal of casuarinas sufficiently away from the HTL to ensure turtle nesting and free movement. The Society for Social Forestry, Research, and Development in Tamil Nadu was engaged to monitor the movement and nesting of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in the Chengalpattu and Madurantagam Ranges in Kancheepuram district and the Vedaranyam Range in Nagapattinam district, and their recommendations were shared with the Forest Department. The efforts of the department have shown encouraging results with over 5000 turtle eggs being collected in the V. Ramakrishnan, Forest Watcher year 2008-09, as against few hundred eggs collected in the previous few years. The Department works closely with local fishermen communities and NGOs working on wild life In case of mangrove regeneration, the natural factors conservation, in carrying out these activities. pose the greatest difficulties. Mangrove saplings typically In the case of the shelterbelt plantations, community need supervision for five to seven years, meaning higher cost participation was low despite the Entry Point Activities (EPAs). of protection, replanting, and maintenance. The Koraioar The social fencing principal, which has been fairly successful River is not a perennial source of water anymore, with fresh in other social forestry and protected area management water seeping into the estuary only when it rains. This results projects, has not had the same traction in Tamil Nadu. Unlike in high salt and unfavourable pH values and poses challenges other similar government schemes, there is no provision for to the survival of the mangrove saplings. As a result, controlled the harvesting of the shelterbelt trees that would salinity resistant Avicennia marina dominates the Muthupet result in additional revenues for the local panchayats. The Mangroves, account for 95% of the vegetation. shelterbelt is perceived as a loss of open land that was used The coastal shelterbelt plantation and mangrove for cattle grazing and other activities. Since the community regeneration sub-components of ETRP have successfully does not see any monetary benefits, their participation in its fulfilled the project’s objectives. These include reviving upkeep is low. livelihoods and promoting recovery in the tsunami-affected According to Mr. Rama, the Forest Range Officer, the Forest areas in the short-term. Overall, these activities have Department was not present in the coastal districts before the contributed to the long term goal of ETRP, which is to reduce tsunami and its existence was barely recognized by the local the vulnerability of coastal communities and promote safer population. The department was understaffed and though it living standards across the region. Disclaimer: The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other informa- tion shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. DISASTER RISK & CLIMATE CHANGE UNIT