-project coordinator
Mangrove replanting exercises are moving ahead with positive results while the committee established to oversee the restoration of the tropical plant along the Coastland foresees the completion of its mandate in advance of a planned three-year timetable.

Project Coordinator Bissasar Chintamanie told Stabroek News on Tuesday that the project has seen replanting of mangroves at various areas along the Coastland over the past several months. It is being implemented with key factors of public awareness, restoration and monitoring of replanting areas taking effect and over the next three years the project is expected to cover approximately 11 km along the Coastland. But Chintamanie said he foresaw an additional 9 km of the coastline being sheltered by mangroves.

He said that replanting began in the Essequibo area a few months ago and at the moment exercises are ongoing at the Hope area on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). By the end of this week, some 17 hectares of land at Hope is expected to be replanted. He said that the additional eight hectares will be covered at a later date as the experts would have to monitor the growth of the species in the area before additional planting could begin. There is a similar situation along the Essequibo Coast as replanting will continue at that location within the next few weeks. Observation reports have shown that the plants placed there have been adapting to the geographical conditions.

Replanting exercises will be undertaken at Mon Repos this weekend, where some 15 hectares of land will be covered and the exercises will continue at Number 6 Village in the West Coast Berbice (WCB) area soon after. New potential planting areas have been identified at Greenfield on the ECD, parts of Essequibo island of Wakenaam, Number 6 Village and Port Mourant in Berbice. Assessments are ongoing to identify additional areas.

The physical planting of mangroves are carried out by University of Guyana students, workers of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and community based-workers. Chintamanie noted that the public relations aspect of the project is being handled “smoothly” by the unit within the Mangrove Action Committee (MAC) which has been delegated to undertake that aspect of the project.

Security of nurseries where the mangrove is replanted has been lacking in the past but Chintamanie noted that rangers have been deployed at replanting locations across the Coastland. As regards the disbursement of funds for the project, he noted that the committee is utilising monies from a $100M sum provided by the government earlier this year. He said that the MAC is awaiting the approval of the National Mangrove Action Plan (NMAP), which was tabled in parliament recently. At the same time, the $1.2B funding which will be provided by the European Union has to be processed between the government and the EU before those monies can be utilised for the project. These mangrove plans were announced by President Bharrat Jagdeo as part of the Low Carbon Development Strategy.

Among the specific objectives of the action plan are to  promote sustainable management of mangrove forest; establish and complete a legal framework for mangrove ecosystem management which encourages community-based participation; and increase public awareness and education on the benefits of mangrove forests.

The mangrove project is being implemented by several agencies which are being led by the National Agricultural and Research Institute (NARI). NARI is situated close to many proposed project sites and it also houses the central nursery as well as volunteers and visiting experts.

It was noted in the master plan that the best stretches of undamaged mangroves exist along the coastal area in Region One and their protection as well as their value as a control group for the study of mangrove loss as it relates to sea defence structures are critical.