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MAP Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR) Method
Working alongside mangrove ecologists, local NGOs, and communities, we promote the MAP Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR) Method, an economical and efficient 6-Step approach to mangrove restoration which follows basic natural processes.
Hydrological Restoration
The MAP EMR Method prioritizes the restoration of the natural hydrology of disturbed areas. Deemphasizing capital and labor intensive direct hand planting, MAP applies a broader, less expensive, and more effective restorative approach.
Restoring an area's natural hydrology will, in many cases, allow Nature to restore the mangroves via tidal ebbs and flows, transporting mangrove propagules (seeds) for the natural regeneration of a bio-diverse and healthy forest wetland.
Successful, Community-based, Small-scale
EMR greatly increases the overall success rate for naturally restoring large areas of degraded mangrove forests. Our efforts are unique in that they place the local community at center stage in the restoration and management process.
MAP supports small-scale efforts, in fact tiny, when compared to the huge programs supported by World Bank loans and government agencies. MAP has supported mangrove restoration efforts in Ecuador, Brazil, Guatemala, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Malaysia, and has actively rehabilitated 580 hectares of mangrove forests in Riau and North Sumatera, Indonesia, using the MAP EMR Method as part of post-tsunami recovery.
MAP EMR dig and training video(20 mb, 10 min) - Ban Talay Nok, Ranong Province on the north Andaman coast of Thailand.
Mangrove Rehab Photo Essay - N. Sumatera (pdf 3.62 MB)
Mangrove Rehab Photo Essay - Riau (pdf 3.74 MB)
Natural Revegetation of Abandoned Shrimp Pond Complex - Tiwoho, N. Sulawesi, 1993-2006 (pdf, 4.7MB)
Confronting Rising Sea Levels
Faced with rising sea levels caused by climate change, the MAP EMR Method, combined with manual planting of mangroves (when necessary, see the 6 Steps) should be an important tool for international relief organizations to incorporate into their mangrove restoration efforts.
Carbon Sequestration
Recent studies reveal that some mangroves sequester 1.5 metric tons of carbon per hectare (1,336 pounds per acre) per year. Yet, our planet is losing 150,000 hectares (370,050 acres) of mangroves yearly. The MAP EMR Method has the potential to restore our mangrove forests’ capacity to function as large-scale carbon sinks, mediating the prolonged effects of climate change.
MAP's Illustrated Manual for Successful EMR
Recuperation of Abandoned Shrimp Farms
Tale Nok Villagers, Ranong, Thailand improving hydrology of old shrimp pond by digging channel.
