Mangroves to counteract global climate change!

Climate protection is not in vain – every contribution counts!

This is what we can do with a donation from you:

• Provide an energy efficient stove for one family
  25 Euro
• Plant 250 mangrove seedlings
  60 Euro
• Environmental education for 50 participants per event
  100 Euro
• Technology to process coconut fibre for traditional arts and crafts for 20 families
  1,000 Euro

Please support us in our efforts to advance the fight against climate change and protect the mangrove forests – with a one-off donation!

The battle against climate change in difficult times

Climate change sceptics have gained a considerable advantage in global politics with US president Donald Trump. As a result of this political development, the US, the second largest greenhouse gas producer worldwide, has backed out of the tediously drawn up Paris climate agreement. Reaching the goal of limiting global climate change to 2 °C is becoming more and more difficult. Initiatives which are committed to achieving the agreed objectives and contribute to counteracting climate change effects are more important than ever.

Climate change is not fair

Global climate change will especially affect the population of the poorest countries, even though they were not the ones to cause it. Already, the effects are clearly discernible, e.g. in the rising sea level, as well as the increase in frequency and intensity of tropical storms which batter the coasts. An example of this is the tropical cyclone Aila, which hit the Indian and Bangladeshi coastline, leaving one Million people homeless and destroying their livelihoods.

Mangrove forests are all-rounders

In India and Sri Lanka, the mangrove forests are a natural buffer against tropical storms and prevent seawater from flooding agricultural fields and spoiling them with the high salinity. Additionally, mangroves are an incredibly important carbon sink which prevent harmful CO₂ from entering the atmosphere. The forests are rich in biodiversity. They provide nursing grounds for fish and crab species, are an important source of nutrition for many bird and mammal species, and benefit the Bengal tiger, which is the top predator in the food web.  

Protecting mangroves means protecting species

The Sundarbans, our project focus region, are a hunting territory for the Bengal tiger. Undamaged mangrove forests contain a wide range of suitable prey. If the forests are decimated beyond a certain degree, the large predators will inevitably turn towards the cattle herds for prey which will result in human-wildlife conflicts.

Project launch in four regions

Together with our local project partners, we will carry out a 3 year project to restore and provide long-term protection for the mangrove forests in India and Sri Lanka.

Our objectives are…

... to restore over 150 ha of mangrove forest in particularly affected regions. This is achieved by various methods, e.g. setting up a communal tree nurseries with over 200,000 seedlings.

... to ensure the permanent storage of up to 240,000 tons of CO₂ in the mangrove forest. Thereby we will prevent the harmful greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere and thereby stop global warming.

... to train 1,400 people in growing vegetables, ecotourism and traditional arts and crafts, in order to create alternative sources of income so that further destruction of forests becomes superfluous.

... to minimise the requirement for firewood in the communities, by providing energy efficient stoves to 80 families. The income of the families will increase as a consequence and the pressure on the mangrove forests will decrease.

... to protect the rich biodiversity supported by the Sundarbans, India’s wide ranging mangrove forests. The only way to ensure that tigers, monkeys and other animals can continue to be safe in their current habitat, is to put an end to deforestation.

Together we are strong:

“We initiate the projects. Our sponsors support us in terms of finances. Together, we can make sure our projects are successful!” Thies Geertz, Project Leader GNF

“The only way to guarantee that our project is sustainable and ensure the continuous existence of the mangrove forests for future generations, is to involve the local population in the project.”  Ajanta Dey, NEWS

Further information on our project "Mangrove Protection in Sri Lanka and India" is available here.