Sri Lanka first nation to protect all mangrove forests

SRI LANKA – Sri Lanka has become the first nation in the world to comprehensively protect all of its mangrove forests. A scheme backed by the government will include alternative job training, replanting projects and microloans. Mangroves are considered to be one of the world’s most at-risk habitats, with more than half being lost or destroyed in the past century. Conservationists hope other mangrove-rich nations will follow suit and adopt a similar protection model. Commenting on the agreement, Sri Lanka President Maithreepala Sirisena said: “It is the responsibility and the necessity of all government institutions, private institutions, non-government organisations, researchers, intelligentsia and civil community to be united to protect the mangrove ecosystem.” The Sri Lankan government is a joint partner overseeing the measures, alongside global NGO Seacology, and Sri Lanka-based Sudeesa, which was formerly known as the Small Fishers Federation of Lanka. READ MORE

AFRICA

Unilateral Boundary Demarcation by Herakles Farms Causes Tensions
CAMEROON – The people of Mokange village in Mundemba subdivision spotted unidentified persons conducting land demarcations of their forest. This information was conveyed to SEFE by the proposed chief of Mokange and two elites who informed SEFE of the presence of some 30 persons working for Herakles Farms who had come to the Talangaye area. After spotting the people demarcating the forest, the villagers quickly contacted the Divisional Officer (D.O) for Mundemba, who told the people that his office was not aware of the exercise. As tensions heightened, the company dispatched its Community Relations Manager, Daniel Agoons, to the concerned villages to appease the population. Danial Agoons is said to have visited the following villages: Mokange, Lipenja, Kuma, and Esoki Bima. In all four villages, Agoons made apologies to the people on behalf of Herakles Farms for demarcating their lands without consulting or informing them. Herakles Farms had previously promised to pay the villagers 50,000 frs per month, starting in 2010, following the signing of MoUs with chiefs and supporters. But they have still not started making these payments. Agoons told the villagers that these amounts will be paid as arrears without specifying when they would be made. READ MORE

ASIA

Survey on mangroves to be out soon

INDIA – A comprehensive survey report on mangroves in the district will be released soon, District Collector P. Bala Kiran has said. Inaugurating a seminar on mangrove forests in Kerala, he said the procedure for takeover of the mangrove areas by the government was in the final phase. The district has nearly 2,500 acres of mangrove vegetation spread over 32 villages, and collective efforts are required for its conservation, he said. Environmental activist Khaleel Chovva, delivering the keynote address at the seminar, called for wetlands of Kattampally to be declared as Ramser a site. Participants of the seminar included environmental experts who spoke on various issues relating to the conservation of the biodiversity-rich ecosystem in the upper reaches of estuaries, lagoons and backwaters of the coastal districts of the State. READ MORE

Mangrove crusader Pokkudan to start mangrove school
INDIA – Mangrove crusader and environmentalist Kallen Pokkudan is slowly giving a concrete shape to his long-cherished green dream a school to train the young generation about the importance of mangrove conservation. Probably this is the first such institute in the country, he says without any claim. Though there are umpteen organizations, including nongovernmental organizations, working in the field of environment conservation, there was no serious effort to protect mangroves or teach the society about its importance in preventing natural calamities and environmental equilibrium. “So, I decided that I should only venture into that mission too, as I had planted hundreds of mangroves in different parts of the state, against all odds,” said Pokkudan. “When I planted mangroves here nearly 25 years ago, I was termed mad and the local CPM leaders even turned against me. Time proved that I was right. So this school has a historic relevance as it is a continuation of that mission,” he said. READ MORE

AMERICAS

Gaston Browne: Don’t let Chinese Developers break laws conserving our Marine Protected Areas.

ANTIQUA – Recently a Chinese development company purchased some 1600 acres of undeveloped waterfront land with the intention of creating hundreds of villas, several marinas and luxury hotels, a casino, a school, a hospital, a horse racing track and two golf courses. All of it lies within an incredibly delicate marine ecosystem which is currently protected by the Laws of Antigua and Barbuda. Among several laws which aim to conserve this national treasure is a section within the Fisheries Act dealing with Marine Protected Areas. All of the coastline within this project are within the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA) which was designated a Marine Protected Area in 2005. Despite this, plans show vast marsh lands, mangroves, flats, reefs and nesting vegetation cleared to make way for the project. This would mean laws either being broken or changed for the developer. This can not be permitted to happen. READ MORE

Half violated environment
BRAZIL –  Late 2014 and early 2015 were catastrophic for the environment in Brazil. Several media reports show how the nature has been “raped”. And the eternal contradiction between theory and practice is more than this in Brazilian politics. Deforestation in the Amazon continues to grow – according to information produced by the Deforestation Alert System (SAD), the Institute of Man and Environment in the Amazon (Imazon). In the month of January 2015 were cleared 2 288 km, representing an increase of 195% over the same month in 2014. In February and March were deforested respectively 42 km 2:58 km2, representing, in relation to 2014, increases of 169% and 282%. The cumulative devastation August 2014 to March 2015 reached 1761 km 2, equivalent to an increase of 214% over the same previous monitoring period. Contrary international efforts, Brazil refused to sign the “Declaration of New York on Forests”, during the Summit of Climate that took place in September 2014. This statement, considered a letter of intent was signed by more than 30 countries (United States, Canada, European Union and others), plus dozens of companies, environmental organizations and indigenous peoples. Once implemented can halve the felling of forests in the world by 2020 and zero by complete deforestation by 2030. LEA MAS EN ESPANOL

14 environmental groups raise their voices to demand a halt to the destruction of wetlands in Panama

PANAMA – The battle for wetlands in Panama City has a new episode. Fourteen groups in defense of Wetlands of Panama made an appeal to the state to stop the destruction of wetlands and “recognize the urgent need to halt the destruction of wetlands’. In a letter that was sent yesterday and in which five points, including stringent requirements on the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by the National Environmental Authority (ANAM) are included. In addition, the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) will require more detail to determine the cause of the destruction of mangroves and their impact on communities; the Ministry of Housing and Land Management require you to meet the standards to protect mangroves. In its request, the ANAM asked to ‘act is demanding and that all projects that seek to destroy wetlands are not admitted with a lower Category Category III EIA, considering their cumulative impacts’. Another point that Community Organization Users of Wetlands he requested the authorities is to ensure public consultation with accurate and updated information, and no recurrence cases whose EIA omitted consulting the communities of several provinces. LEA MAS EN ESPANOL

Whigham Elementary’s Earth Day features mangroves and butterflies
USA – More than 400 students participated in an all-day event called “Birds, Blooms, Butterflies and Bees” as part of International Global Youth Service Days. “The event was coordinated with help from Whigham students participating in Youth Service America’s Semester of Service as part of a State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grant,” said Adrian Delesdernier, a third grade science, social studies and WAVE (Whigham Aquatic Visionary Explorers) teacher. Delesdernier and three other Whigham teachers — Sue Cummings, Dionie DeSilva and Louis Saenz — were recipients of a $2,000 grant for the 2014-15 school year to help promote service learning among 80 students. During their semester of service, students learned how to identify environmental issues and propose solutions that benefit the community. READ MORE

Marine biologist in Haiti creates a national park

HAITI – A Haitian marine biologist who successfully fought to create a national park to protect a large swath of Haiti’s north coast has won a prominent US environmental activism prize. Jean Wiener was awarded a Goldman Environmental Foundation prize for his efforts to establish the Caribbean nation’s first Marine Protected Areas while working with local communities to promote sustainable fishing practices and preserve mangrove forests. In awarding the $175,000 prize, the Goldman foundation highlighted Wiener’s efforts in overcoming extreme poverty and political instability in Haiti, a country with few full-time environmentalists and almost no government programs to protect natural resources. READ MORE

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