Long Term Monitoring Plan for the Ecosystem Based Conservation Management for BCA – Phase III

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The Project

The Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (OFDSP) funded a project on “Long-term Monitoring Plan for Ecosystem-based Conservation Management of Bhitarkanika Conservation Area” from December 2017 onwards until December 2023 to the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, MoEF&CC, Chennai.  The primary aim of the project is twofold: (i) to undertake long term monitoring of the environmental and ecological characteristics of the BCA to enable the development of robust, science-based conservation management plans and (ii) capacity building of the Forest Officials. The project also produced three Ecosystem Health report Cards in 2019, 2020-21, 2021-22 (published in 2022-23) respectively.

The Phase II of the study focused on three major aspects

  • Continue the long-term monitoring together with specialized studies and
  • Establishment of the Dangamal Laboratory with scientific equipment and (iii) real-time monitoring of Greenhouse Gases and water quality monitoring through data buoys.

This proposal (Phase III) is an extension of the above two Phases, with a holistic and comprehensive approach to fill the scientific gaps and to enhance the capacity building programmes, not just to the Forest Department, but to other related line departments and the dependent communities.

The Bhitarkanika Mangroves (within the Bhitarkanika Conservation Area) is situated in the estuary of the Brahmani, Dhamra, and Baitarani rivers in the north-eastern portion of Kendrapara District, Odisha. The Bhitarkanika Conservation Area (BCA), is a rich, verdant, and lively habitat with a total mangrove cover of 2731.92 km2 area (Figure 1). The two Protected Areas that make up Bhitarkanika are Bhitarkanika National Park and Bhitarkanika Sanctuary.

Keywords

Mangrove

Greenhouse gas flux

Climate Change Mitigation

Realtime monitoring

Mangrove health

National Inventory

Aim

The study is intended to develop an integrated science-based management plan involving various components for the sustainable management of the mangrove ecosystem. These components shall focus on understanding of how mangroves will respond to climate change; what factors will help them survive these changes; and, how the community will respond. The specific work objectives envisaged for the long-term assessment of the Bhitarkanika Conservation Area.

Expected Outcome

This research finding can be a new approach to determining the types of mangroves that must be optimized in ecosystem rehabilitation or restoration activities. Under suitable environmental conditions, mangrove species that can be considered for restoration activities based on climate change mitigation have a greater growth rate in diameter and carbon sequestration than other species. However, regarding salinity tolerance, a few species can also be considered for selection in restoration activities. The ability to tolerate salinity is a determining factor in the survival rate of each mangrove species naturally and in restoration activities. The finding can also be applied to the carbon offset mechanism, where government and private agencies must plant mangroves to absorb CO2 emissions produced due to particular development.

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