Bioshield programme in the project villages of Sri Lanka – some observations

Dr. V. Selvam Programme

Director M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

Chennai, India

Process followed:

Briefing by the project leaders and senior managers

Field Visit:

Meeting with the community: Presentation by community members and discussion

Meeting with other stakeholders: FD, CCD, Agri. Dept, Envir. Dept.

Visit to the site: along with the community and in most cases with other stakeholders and discussion

Visit to the nursery

Finalization of the observation with accompanying staff

Villages visited and nature of bioshield

DistrictDistrict VillageVillage BioshieldBioshield

HambantotaHambantota WandruppaWandruppa Sand dune, non-mangrove, mangrovesSand dune, non-mangrove, mangroves

HambantotaHambantota AdaragagasyayaAdaragagasyaya Sand dune, non-mangrove, mangroveSand dune, non-mangrove, mangrove

HambatottaHambatotta MadillaMadilla MangrovesMangroves

MataraMatara Bathigama,Bathigama,

TalallaTalalla

PelanaPelana

Non-mangroveNon-mangrove

GalleGalle WalhangodaWalhangoda

BramanawattaBramanawatta

PathegamaPathegama

Non-mangrovesNon-mangroves

AmparaiAmparai KalumunaiKalumunai

MaruthamunaiMaruthamunai

KaraitheevuKaraitheevu

Non-mangrovesNon-mangroves

Village 1. WANDRUPPU

Sand duneAssociated vegetation

Village

River

Mangroves

Open area1.5 km

SEA

Profile

Sand dune

Stakeholders have developed a good design

SeaForeshore

Back dune

CrestFront dune

Spinifex

Ipomea

Scaevola

Bushy type

Cassia Morinda Calotropis

Casuarina Coconut Terminalia etc.,

Sand dune - Suggestions

1.One of the choices of the people in back dune is PHONIX – related livelihoodIt may be included – propagation technique – training necessary

2.Scaevola propagation technique – people should be trained

3.Already GOAL planted casuarina – how to coordinate?

Open area

Present idea is planting Pandanus all over the area

Suggestion: Scaevola can be planted in the front (towards seaward side in two rows and Pandanus can be planted on the river side This will result in pyramid type of bioshield

Issue: Already Pandanus planted but because of poor attention to maintenance they are not growing well – trampled by cattle

Fencing the area ???

Open area

Scaevola

Pandanus

Mangrove area

Sonneratia caseolaris – KIRALA

Fruit used to make a drink

Well conserved– Acrostichum, a weed spreadingPreventing nal increase in population

Suggestion: Manual removal of AcrostichumAnd planting of seedlings of Kirala

Issue: Technique to remove Acrostichum Propagation technique for Kirala

Acrostichum

Suggestion: Training

Issue: GOAL Project site

Village 2. ANDRAGASYAYA

PandanusSand dune

Mangroves

Sand dune…...

Complex multiple dune system

Stabilized – creepers, some bushy type of vegetation, Pandanusoccasionally seen

Sand dune…...

Plan:

•Planting Pandanus and Palmyra – permission obtained from CCD•Palmyra can grow – but earlier attempt by IUCN was not very successful

IMPROPER MAINTENANCE????

Suggestion: •Pandanus will not grow – limited moisture

a study can be carried out on the plantation by IUCN and based on the finding planing can be done

a lot of maintenance work is necessary – like watering

community suggested multiplication of NIRALU a locally available species and informed they know the multiplication method

A study on this can also be made before planning

CASUARIANA?????

Mangroves…...

A small mangrove ecosystem

Dominated by Luminitzera racemosa(veronia)

Some part of the mangroves is fencedby the Forest Department for restoration and Conservation

FD has also introduced some species likeRhizophora, Bruguiera etc.

A part of the land is undertaken for raising mangroves – typical wetland suitable for raising mangroves

There is a dispute – govt. planning to allot this land to villagers – a community leader informed he would solve this problem and get the land allotted

Suitable for Integrated Brackish water farming or canal plantation

Canal plantation

Rhizophora can be planted along the canalLuminitzera can be planted in between

Maintenance will be a major issue - grazing

THERE IS A NEED FOR DEEPENING OF THE CANAL – DRAINAGESave the paddy field and provide more water for mangroves

BUND

Brackish water farming system to integrate mangroves plantation and culture Of fish and crabs

Fish/Crab

Outlet

Inlet

Inner bund with mangroves

Halophytes can also grownas cash crops

Gravity flow of tidal water

View of the Integrated Seawater farm

Inner bund

TIDAL OUTLET

Mangrove plantation

Outer bund

Grow out areaFor fish, crab

Rhizophora plantation

Sesuvium plantation

A halophyte can be used as a salad

• It is more suitable to grow crab than fish

• So far crab is not successfully grown in ponds because they easily climb the bund and escape and secondly, strong crab can kill and eat week crabs (Cannibalism)

• In the present seawater farming system mangrove root provideshelter for crabs and hence they would not escape

• the main food of crab is organic matter and hence, degradingmangrove leaves can become nutritious food for crabs

• A farmer can earn 1.5 to 3 lakhs from crabs alone

Village 3. Medilla

Mangrove bioshield

Two sites – nearby the village and near to bridge (sea) – FD permission obtained – a forest officer accompanied the trip

Species selected Ceriops - PonkanduBruguiera - MulkadalRhizophora- Maa KadnduAvicennia officinalis x ManduAcanthus x Averi kaduLuminitzera x VeroniaAcrostichum - people use tender shoot

but can be deleted from the list -pest

Community experienced how tsunami impact was reduced by the mangroves- determined to raise the mangroves

Nursery being raised

Suggested pattern:

Site near village

Along the river bank Rhizophora and Bruguiera can be planted in the gaps found among Avicennia

Second tier – Luminitzera

Third tier – Acanthus

Along the boarder of the village’- Excoecaria

Issue: Nursery technique for Luminitzera and Aegiceras

Plantation of the above two species in small mounds

Propagation technique for Excoecaria

Maintenance

Site near bridge – near sea??

Along the river bank Rhizophora and Bruguiera can be planted in the gaps found among Avicennia

• Along the canal – Luminitzera

• In between – Acanthus

• Along the try land boarder- Excoecaria

Canal system of planting:

Issue:

• Similar to the site near village

POSSIBILITY OF DEMONSTRATING BRACKISHWATER FARMING SYSTEMCAN BE EXPLORED

MATARA DISTRICT and GALLE DISTRICT

Bathigama, Talalla and Pelana and Walhangoda,Bramanawatta and Pattegama

Only non-mangrove bioshield

Bathigama - about 1 km long 2 to 5 m wide

Talalla - about 1.5 km 2 to 10 m wide

Pelana - about 1 km

General feature

very narrow beach

Physiographically may be divided into three zones

Foreshore area or lower beach – Harsh environ. Wave Wind Salt spray Storm

Beach crest Pandanus Scaevola Unidentified species

Inland

Ipomea

Most of theareas converted

Suggested design:

First tier ScaevolaClose spacing – 30 cmPropagation - stem cutting Seed

Number of rows ????

Second tier Pandanus – Rana

Another type – Wattakaiya – may growonly in land

Third tier TerminaliaBarringtoniaThespesiaCoconut

One of the Forest Officer told that space may be available for planting only one or two rows of plant!!!!!

In case no space then PandanusCan be planted in the front row

Planting technique and Maintenance

• Different species require different planting technique

• Community needs to be trained

Maintenance

• Shade and watering for the third tier plants

AMPARAI DISTRICT

Villages: Kalmunai, Marathumunai, Karaitheevu

Only non-mangrove bioshield

Kalmunai - Beach Profile

Sea

Small sand duneBoat land

65 m

CCD

Tsunami affected areaGiven to CCD

Residential area

Sea

Small sand duneBoat land

65 m

CCD

Residential area

Present plan

No bioshieldactivity

Bioshield

CasuarinaCashewCoconut

First tier Casuarina – should be closed spaced

Second tier Already coconut trees are therein midst cashew will be planted

Third tier Coconut x

Suggested forth tier One row of closely spaced palmyra

Issue:

• Access to resources by the community

• There is an argument that coconut and cashew would notgrow together - community

• But in a near place they are growing together – Exposure

• Planting technique – Training

• Maintenance – plan should be developed with the stakeholder

Maruthamunai

Profile and bioshield plan

SEA

Beach – no bioshield activity

Wet areaCasuarina Coconut already present

Cashew in the middle

Tsunamiaffectedarea

Residential area

65mCCD

MaruthamunaiProfile and bioshield plan

Community participation is total

Issues as in the case of Kalmunai

Conclusion

Community is well mobilized but participation of men is limitedexcept in Amparai site

Stakeholders participation is good – formal agreement??

Decentralized nursery is good practice – income generationawareness, participation

Integration of livelihood addressed in non-mangrove bioshield

Nursery practices need a lot of improvement

Staff and community members should be trainedThey should regularly monitor and provide inputs to community

Design of the bioshield is lacking – basic aspect of planning – Major lacuna

How many tiersEach tier how many rowsWhat are the plants and how many

Design should be the base for nursery planning

What are the species?How many to be grown in the nursery and when?

Plantation technique for many species community is not

trained – different kind of ideas – some standardization required – thorough training is required

Plan for maintenance

Exchange visit – community leaders from Amparai to Tamil Nadu – interaction in Tamil would benefit them – all components