Thursday, 22 March 2018
JOURNAL ARTICLE
AVILA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, EDACOCHIN
Local
Residents’ Awareness towards the Issue of Mangrove Degradation at Edacochin
NAME: AGHILA K. A.
REGISTER NUMBER: 160011003182
OPTION: PHYSICAL SCIENCE
INTRODUCTION
The mangrove forests are one among
the most productive ecosystems on this planet. They serve as custodians of
their juvenile stock and form most valuable biomes. Mangroves have very
specialized adaptations that enable them to live in salty environments.
Naturally, resilient mangrove forests have withstood severe storms and changing
tides for many millennia. This unexplored bounty was revealed only after the
Tsunami disaster. The only nature’s gift which stood bravely against tsunami
other than the humanitarian services are the mangroves of the coastal regions.
Areas with dense mangroves suffered fewer human casualties and less damage to
properties compared to areas without mangroves. But, today mangroves are
destroyed mainly by man-made activities in different forms, which pose serious threat
to the ecosystem around the map and silently become one of the reasons for
Global warming and climate change. This is due to population growth and
unsustainable economic development including deliberate land reclamation for
urban and industrial development. With continuing degradation and destruction
of mangroves, there is a critical need to understand them better and now it is
a need of the hour to concentrate and protect mangroves for generations.
This study is to
emphasize the awareness level of the residents in the management of mangrove
forest in Edacochin. Irrespective of the fact that on that point are many
profound researchers conducted several studies on the management of mangrove
forest, there are nonetheless a bunch of doubts and inquiries on that topic.
Such as; how far do the local resident’s actions and awareness make a
difference in mangrove rehabilitation? The reasons for these happenings
resulted from human activities; for example, conversion to agriculture and salt
production, coastal industrialization, conversion to aquaculture and others.
The mangrove forests
are seen as dump land and were not worth of looking and taking care of it. They
are smelly, muddy and carry no beauty to the eye of a beholder. However, few
studies have been conducted and together they come to a conclusion saying that
mangroves are one of the great wonders of the environment. It has several
criteria, making it a nature’s defense against the harshness of the
environment. Mangrove forests are a protection belt to the coastlines. With the
mangrove gone, tsunami, waves and wind easily penetrated into the coastal and
causing damage to nearby residents. A disaster that hits Aceh should be a
lesson and guidance for us to keep the belt safe and sound so that in the future,
it will protect us from the harsh waves and tsunami.
Mangroves were long
considered as wastelands and as a consequence had been cleared or used as dumpy
yards of wastes. In spite of the favorable climate there are no larger
formations of mangroves in Cochin. The most important reason for this is the
population pressure. Reclamation of the estuarine coasts for human settlements
has been in progress since the 1970’s, as a result of which mangroves are
extensively destroyed. The net result is that the mangroves of Cochin are
reduced to a few patches that is mostly under private control. In these
circumstances an extensive awareness program related to the value of mangroves,
conservation and utilization among decision makers and the public should be urgently
instituted.
In essence, this study
provides a better understanding of the residents on their awareness and
acceptance regarding this issue. Furthermore, the economy of Edacochin plays an
important part in the development. With that, the resident’s awareness is
crucial and significant in planning a better head for Edacochin with the
increasing number of residents and the environment.
Thus, the residents’
awareness and involvement in this pertaining matter is important and crucial in
helping the authority or planning department to plan ahead for the development
of Edacochin. Knowledge of the residents determines the effectiveness of
rehabilitation program done by either the Government body or the Non-Government
body. A good and successful environment management depends on the awareness
that depicted entirely in accommodating the issues and problem while
rehabilitation programs are well implemented and enforced. Therefore, it is the
argument of this research that there is not enough awareness in some of the residents,
and the lack of this awareness might just be the reason for poor participation
in mangrove rehabilitation programs.
NEED
AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Tropical coastlines and marshy areas
around the world have one thing in common: mangrove forests. These consist of
trees and shrubs that throw out many prop roots and sustain a large variety of
aquatic animals, birds and plants. These mangroves form a complete ecosystem.
That is, they provide a complete base for all the organisms within that environment
to live and thrive. That keeps the balance in the larger environment of which
humans are a vital part. Marshy and swampy tidal areas near seas and estuaries,
where rivers empty into the sea, are ideal for mangrove forests. The prop roots have one function. They support the
mangroves in the ever moving loose sand, as sea water flows over it. All types
of aquatic life forms can be seen in these mangroves — turtles, crabs, shrimps,
lobsters, prawns, fish, storks, egrets and cranes, among others. Algae, which
are the green scum on the water, are source of food for many fish. The mangrove belt is very important to humans. For,
like the coconut, cashew and casuarinas trees, it provides protection to the
coastline from the rough seawaters and prevents soil erosion. During a cyclone
or tidal wave, a mangrove belt faces the fury of wind and water and minimizes
the destruction on the coastline. The tidal forest is a rich source of biomass.
But, not surprisingly, this rich aquatic ecosystem is under threat from humans.
Land is being reclaimed from the sea for industrial and commercial purposes.
Increase in shrimp farming has led to a decline in mangrove forests. Laws have
been enacted to protect these forests, but the plunder continues. Mangroves,
admittedly, are not only important but crucial for the coastal areas. Since
estuarine areas are highly populated areas, the slightest ecological imbalance
will take a heavy toll. They play a vital role in stabilizing these areas. No
engineering and technological solutions can be sought for stabilizing these
areas. Even if we negate all benefits of mangroves as forests, their value as
"protector of shore-line" is enough to convince us for conserving
them.
Mangroves are buffers between the land
and the sea. Coastlines throughout the world are facing serious problems of
coastal erosion and threat of rising sea
levels due to global warming has increased
the threats by several folds. To control such assault of the sea on land the
nature has provided what is called as Mangroves, a tropical littoral ecosystem
which is more dynamic than the sea itself. Mangroves not
only help in preventing soil erosion but also act as a catalyst in reclaiming
land from seas. This is a very unique phenomenon, since there is a general
tendency of water to engulf land. Mangrove forests
and estuaries are the breeding and nursery grounds for a number of marine
organisms including the commercially important shrimp, crab and fish species. Hence,
loss of mangroves not only affects us indirectly but there are direct economic
repercussions through loss of fishing industry. Mangrove trees are also used for house building, furniture,
transmission as well as telephone poles and certain household items. When these
activities are managed appropriately it is possible to derive timber products
from mangrove forests without significant environmental degradation, and while
maintaining their value as a nursery and a source of food for commercial capture
fisheries.
Mangrove trees have
been the source of firewood in India since ancient time.
Honey collection from the mangrove forest is a promising business in India. Above all, Mangroves are now looked after by scientists as saviors in the today's scenario of global warming. We all know that most of the coastal areas throughout the world are going to be affected by sea level rise due to global warming. The effects of which are already visible. Therefore, when most of the coastal areas will be flooded, mangroves can possibly provide a gene bank for cultivating salt tolerant species of crops which could be our future resource.
Honey collection from the mangrove forest is a promising business in India. Above all, Mangroves are now looked after by scientists as saviors in the today's scenario of global warming. We all know that most of the coastal areas throughout the world are going to be affected by sea level rise due to global warming. The effects of which are already visible. Therefore, when most of the coastal areas will be flooded, mangroves can possibly provide a gene bank for cultivating salt tolerant species of crops which could be our future resource.
Public awareness of both the biological and
economical importance of natural resources and the need for proper management
is crucial in order to improve the environmental quality as a whole. The best
way to obtain a good level of public awareness and participation is by
respecting institutionalized and voluntary rules agreed by understanding
dialogue, participation and partnership. To raise awareness is by informing and
educating people about a topic or issue with the intention of influencing their
positive attitudes, behaviors and beliefs towards the achievement of a definite
purpose of goal in the subject matter. In the local context, it is undeniable a
fact that public awareness is very important in the environmental related
issues. The increasing level of awareness of the local community is the first
step in empowering the local participation in planning and managing their
natural resources.
Mangroves are crucial for coastal areas like
Edacochin; since it is a populated locality a slightest imbalance will take
heavy toll. Being an endangered species, its vast destruction must be stopped.
By giving proper awareness to the locals could explore fishing possibilities of
the area and protect mangrove tree destruction.
LITERATURE
REVIEW
A
Brief History of Cochin
Cochin came into existence as an important port in
1341 A D when the flooded Periyar River destroyed what up to then had been a
world renowned port, Kodungallur, just north of Cochin. It is believed that the
formation of a cluster of islets at the end of the river Periyar, which is
emptying into Cochin backwaters, is the result of the deposit of silt due to
the catastrophic deluge which occurred in 1341 AD. The massive uncontrolled
flood eventually lead to the accumulation of large amount of silt giving birth
to the various islets in the Cochin backwater region of Vembanadu lake. The
Vembanadu Lake that we see now was also shaped at that time. The new Cochin
port found its echo in the neighboring villages of Vytilla, Edapally,
Mamangalam, Palarivattom, Ernakulam, Vypeen, Vallarpadom, Thopumpady, and
Kannamali. Edacochin and Palluruthy, which began their integration into Cochin
from then. The ideal location of its natural harbor helped Cochin emerge as a
bustling centre of commercial activity. After independence, the corporation of
Cochin was formed in 1967 and the city took its present shape.
Geography
of Cochin
Cochin has one of the best natural harbor;
in the world. The Cochin back water extends along the western side of the
Cochin area which in turn is the northern part of the Vembanad Lake. The Vembanad
lake is the biggest and most extensive one in Kerala It extends between 9":
s’ and 10' 10' N and longitudes 76' 13' and 76' 31' E. The lake covers an area
of 7503 8 ha and Cochin backwater covers 2257.89 ha. Near the northern end of
this lake is situated the port of Cochin where the lake is permanently
connected to the sea by a narrow channel. During flood tides the sea water
enters the Cochin estuary via Cochin bar mouth and the flow reverses during the
ebb tides. In Cochin backwaters there exist many thickly populated islands.
Vembanadu Lake and connected Cochin backwaters are
considered to be an example for mangrove estuary. The rich particulate organic
matter derived primarily from the decomposed mangrove foliage is nutritionally
very rich and hence forms an important source of food for juvenile fishes and shrimps,
formerly, a highly productive lagoon system bordered by lush mangrove forests
were present in the Cochin area, but now the bay 1s secluded. On land Cochin
area is midway between Alapuzha and Trichur districts on south and north sides
respectively. The main occupation of the people apart from trading is fishing;
but it has prosperous agricultural hinter- land which benefits from the rich
alluvial soil of the region.
Mangroves
Mangroves are
shrubs or small trees that grow in coastal saline or brackish water. The term
is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species.
Mangroves occur worldwide in the tropics and subtropics, mainly between
latitudes 25° N and 25°S. The total mangrove forest area of the world in 2000
was 53,190 square miles, spanning 118 countries and territories.
Mangroves are salt tolerant
trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to life in harsh coastal conditions. They contain a
complex salt filtration system and complex
root system to cope with salt water immersion and wave action. They are adapted
to the low oxygen (anoxic) conditions of waterlogged mud.
Etymology
The term ‘mangrove’ comes to English from Spanish
(perhaps by way of Portuguese), and is likely to originate from Guarani. It was
earlier “mangrove” (from Portuguese mangue or Spanish mangle), but this word
was corrupted via folk etymology influence of the word “grove”.
Ecology
Mangrove swamps are found in tropical and subtropical tidal
areas. Areas where mangal occurs include estuaries and marine shorelines. The intertidal existence
to which these trees are adapted represents the major limitation to the number
of species able to thrive in their habitat. High tide brings in salt water, and
when the tide recedes, solar evaporation of the seawater in the soil leads to
further increases in salinity. The return of tide can flush out these soils,
bringing them back to salinity levels comparable to that of seawater. At low tide, organisms are also exposed to increases
in temperature and desiccation, and are then cooled and flooded by the tide.
Thus, for a plant to survive in this environment it must tolerate broad ranges
of salinity, temperature, and moisture, as well as a number of other key
environmental factors — thus only a select few species make up the mangrove
tree community. About 110 species are
considered “mangroves”, in the sense of being a tree that grows in such a
saline swamps though only a few are from the mangrove plant genus, Rhizophora.
However, a given mangrove swamp typically features only a small number of tree
species. It is not uncommon for a mangrove forest in the Caribbean to feature
only three or four tree species. For comparison, the tropical rainforest biome
contains thousands of tree species, but this is not to say mangrove forests
lack diversity. Though the trees themselves are few in species, the ecosystem
that these trees create provides a home (habitat) for a great variety of other
organisms.
Threat
to Mangrove Ecosystem
Large demographic pressure is exerting tremendous stern on
the coastal environment. The main culprit in the destruction of mangroves is
man. To achieve harmful supremacy over nature, human have destroyed the
magnificent ecosystem almost irreparably. Land reclamations and industrial
effluents are the major cause of mangrove degradation. This debris creates a
barrier preventing the sea water from entering the mangroves and eventually
kills the mangroves. In many instances, this is done intentionally to reclaim
land for construction activities. This is an urgent need to stop this
systematic degradation of mangroves.
Mangrove Destruction in Edacochin
The Kerala coastal zone management authority (KCZMA) has
intervened o check the destruction of mangroves in the coastal belt of Kochi. The
authority has directed the Ernakulam district administration to act on
complaints in this regard. Mangroves that dot the areas neat Kochi backwaters
are being destroyed by dumping of slurry and domestic waste on them. The trees
dried up after being covered by domestic waste and refuse for construction site. Destruction of large
tracks of mangroves was one of the biggest ecological disasters that have
happened near Kochi area. Even now, mangroves were being destroyed along
coastal areas even though it is breeding ground of fishes.
OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
·
To study the awareness level of the
residents in Edacochin about the importance of mangrove and ecology.
METHODOLOGY
Primary data was collected using
survey method. The sample consisted of 30 persons in Edacochin area. The sample
of respondents was selected randomly. An interview schedule consisting of six questions
was used to collect the relevant data. The investigator visited the individuals
and got the schedule filled by asking each question and jotting down the
responses. After collecting the entire
information, the data was properly processed and analyzed by using necessary
statistical techniques.
Name :
Age :
Address :
1. Are
you aware of mangrove trees?
2. Are
you familiar with the uses of mangrove trees?
3. Is
the number of mangrove trees in your coastal area declining?
4. Do
you think mangroves are worth saving?
5. Do
you think the situation can be changed?
Yes No
6. Would
you be interested to promote a campaign to help save the mangroves in your
area?
Any
other suggestions you could add to solving the problem of mangrove degradation:
ANALYSIS
AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
The details of the pattern of
responses to the questions in percentages are graphically presented in figures
1 to 6.
(Figure: 1)
(Figure: 2)
(Figure: 3)
(Figure: 4)
(Figure: 5)
(Figure: 6)
From the figure:
1, we can see that 50% of people are aware of mangrove trees in their locality
and 50% of people are not aware of it. When it comes to the use of mangrove
trees only 30% of people are aware of it and 70% are unaware of it. From the
next figure it is evident that 80% of people clearly know that the mangrove
trees in their locality are declining and 20% are ignorant about it. Since
majority of the people were not aware about the uses of mangrove trees, 60% of
people thinks that the mangrove trees are not worth saving. And 40% thinks that
it is worth saving. Most of the mangrove lands were already occupied with
household-industrial wastes and buildings. Therefore 70% of people clearly know
that the degradation of the mangrove trees cannot be overcome. They are of the
opinion that the only solution for the problem is to save the existing mangrove
trees.
Most of the
resident’s of that locality are uneducated, so without knowing the value of
preserving mangrove trees, they dump their household wastes into the mangrove
areas. Since they are utilizing these areas for their own needs 60% of people
are not interested to promote campaigns to help save the mangroves in their
locality.
CONCLUSION
The coastal and
mangrove ecosystem have proved to be amongst the most important ecosystem. It
is the most important breeding ground and habitat for many organisms apart from
the marine species. Residents are part of the ecosystem. Therefore, it is
necessary to understand the socioeconomic condition of the locals, especially
their use of mangrove areas. The primary role of the locals is to determine the
success level of the projects.
Throughout the study,
it has been argued that the lack of local community awareness is considered as
the main problem in weakening the local community participation in mangrove
management. The outcome of this study has demonstrated clearly that the lack of
awareness efforts leads to less information being received by the local witch
eventually cause poor participation in mangrove management in Edacochin. Thus,
public understanding and awareness in regards to the mangrove biological and
economy values are vital to ensuring the proper administration of this
resource. The importance of environmental education is considered as the
potential tool to elevate the residents’ knowledge, understanding and awareness
on the mangrove ecosystem. It is hoped that this research has contributed to
the body of knowledge as well as this is also related to the achievement of
sustainable development, concerning the future generations. Stewardship of the
mangrove ecosystem and good management depends wholly on this generation and
next generation to come. The younger generation must, therefore, take the lead
and show some interest in caring the environment for a safer, healthier and
brighter future.
REFERENCES
Basha, S. C. (1992).
Mangroves of Kerala- A fast disappearing asset. Indian Forester, 120(2), 175-189.
Blasco, F. (1975). The mangroves in India. Pondicherry,
India: Sri Aurobinda Ashram.
Preethy, C. M.,
Varghese, R., & Nandan, S. B. (2010). A baseline study on the distribution
of mangroves in and around Ernakulam, Kerala. Retrieved from
http://www.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/lake2010/Theme%206/T6_Oral_03_PPT.pdf
Ram, A. T., & Shaji, C. S. (2013). Diversity and
distribution of mangroves of Kerala. IOSR
Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology, and Food Technology, 4(4), 18-26.
Retrieved from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jestft/papers/vol4-issue4/D
0441826.pdf
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