FEATURE STORY

Rising tides: Will mangroves keep up as sea levels climb?

GLOBAL – Although mangroves will be able to withstand moderate sea level rise, the highest projections for the end of this century are likely to overwhelm many of these ecosystems, according to a new study. “It’s a warning that this vital resource, which can actually help protect people against some of the impacts of climate change, is itself vulnerable to that change,” said lead author Sigit Sasmito, a researcher with the Center for International Forestry Research. Mangroves have a built-in resiliency to fluctuating sea levels through what scientists call vertical ‘surface elevation change’. Researchers have been measuring this process in a handful of locations around the world. But until this review of the existing literature, it was largely unknown how mangroves would fare against climate-induced sea level rise. READ MORE
 
ASIA
 
The future of the Sundarbans lies in the hands of its youth

BANGLADESH – The great mangrove forest at the head of the Bay of Bengal known as the Sundarbans has one of most complex river systems in the world, a fine mesh net of distributaries seaward to the south and tributaries from the plains and mountains of the north, including the waters of three of Asia’s largest- the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna – as well as some fifty others. The natural contour of this feeder system is also affected by manmade interventions like large upstream dams, notably the Farakka Barrage on the Ganges in India; artificially dredged connector canals called “cuts”, such as the Halifax Cut between the Nabaganga and Madhumati Rivers in Bangladesh; and many low-lying artificial rice cultivation islands called polders, made by building high, non-floodable embankments. The distributaries run heavily in the rainy season and slowly in the dry through a web of 450 creeks, branches, and canals. Some of these are filled with sediment so they flow poorly, and others are temporarily dammed by farmers so they periodically dump large amounts of highly saline water into the rivers’ more brackish flow. In unlucky years, cyclones blow in and wreak their own havoc. An even more insidious threat to the Sundarbans is global sea level rise, and the people who live nearest the forest increasingly see their lands under threat. Those on the Bangladesh side of the border, where the human and non-human ecosystems are most interlocked, amount to some four million people. READ MORE
 
Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihood
INDIA – Action for Protection of Wild Animals (APOWA), Odisha, India in association with Mangrove Forest Division (Wildlife), Rajnagar was celebrated the World Wetland Day 2016 at Balipatana High School, Balipatana on 2^nd February, 2016. The programme was inaugurated by Mr Bimal Prasanna Acharaya, Divisional Forest Officer,  Mangrove Forest Division (Wl), Rajnagar. Among others Mr Dibakar Biswal, President of District Journalist Union, Kendrapara, Mr Gopinath Dash, District Coordinator of Eco Club, Mr Biraja Prasad Pati, Honorary  Wildlife Warden, Mr Manoj Satapathy, Eco club master trainer, Mr Pradeep Kumar Mishra, head master, Balipatana High School and Mr Bijaya Kumar Kabi, Director, APOWA were attend the meeting as resource persons. On this occasion, about 75 students from 15 schools were also participated in an ecological quiz competition. Apart from that, school teachers, forest range officers, foresters, NGOs, volunteers also participated in the programme. READ MORE
 
Mangrove Clubs promote Mangrove Conservation

BANGLADESH – There is a long list of contributing factors that are degrading the mangroves of the Sundarbans on a daily basis: lack of public awareness about the importance of mangroves, illegal poaching and logging, industrial pollution, urbanization, unplanned mega projects like adjacent thermal power plants, dockyard and silos, unwise resource collection by the traders, frequent natural disasters, irresponsible tourism, commercial shrimp farming, excessive use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides, lack of accountability and responsibility of authorities and absence of participatory forest management. Education on the ecology and importance of the Sundarbans mangroves is vital for conservation and sustainable use of the mangrove forest. But the schools’ national curriculum does not place enough importance on mangrove ecology. So, the previous and current generations have grown up with very little knowledge and sensitivity of the mangrove forest and its biodiversity. There are also severe problems involving the typical learning process, which follows a strict text-based lecture method without any practical or hands-on scientific activities. READ MORE
 
Partnership Project in North Negros
PHILIPPINES – The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), one of the country’s oldest and largest primary non-government organizations, has embarked on a new partnership project with The Johanniter, a German voluntary humanitarian organization, in northern Negros. The project, dubbed “Promoting risk resilient livelihoods and mangrove management in fishing communities in Negros Occidental” covers areas hit by Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013 particularly three villages respectively in the cities of Cadiz and Sagay and the town of Manapla in the Second District of the province. The one-year project, which reeled off December of last year, has the primary objective to rebuild better, safer and more risk resilient communities in the Yolanda-affected areas of northern Negros Occidental.  READ MORE
 
New fishing restrictions to take effect
THAILAND – The National Fishery Policy Committee recently resolved to put a limit on the number of marine animals that can be caught in an attempt to solve the problem of overfishing in Thai waters. Overfishing is among several problems concerning illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing pointed out by the European Union which warned that Thailand would be red-carded without specific steps to clean up the industry. In addition, the committee will look for possible legal complications should the government agree with local fishermen to revoke a new fishing law that limits their fishing areas. The law, known as Section 34 of a new executive decree on fishing, is hotly opposed by small-scale fishery operators, who say it will endanger their livelihoods. READ MORE
 
AMERICAS
 
Mangrove Action Project presents to Grand Bahama EARTHCARE Eco Kids

BAHAMAS – On February 5th, 2016, EARTHCARE brought Martin Keeley, children’s environmental book author to Grand Bahama Island to share his work with schools and the EARTHCARE Eco Kids. Martin met with the EARTHCARE Eco Kids first. The students were engaged at the Kevin Tomlinson Academy, learning about Science and how it relates to Marvellous Mangroves. Following the exciting experiments, after lunch, the EARTHCARE Eco Kids headed to Lucayan National Park where they got to see firsthand, healthy mangrove forests and all of the associated wildlife. The students learned about the many benefits of Mangroves such as being the nursery for many of our Fisheries products, protection against storm surge and storms, land builders, among many others. Martin continued engaging the students in learning exercises and introduced them to the various types of mangroves on Grand Bahama Island. Gail Woon, Founder of EARTHCARE and a Director of Save The Bays was elated to be able to bring Martin Keeley from Cayman Brac in the Cayman Islands to teach the EARTHCARE Eco Kids all about Marvellous Mangroves. Martin writes mangrove education curricula for schools around the world. READ MORE
 
OCEANA
 
Mangroving: Discovering the Greatest Wilderness

AUSTRALIA – What is it that makes humans so unique? More than any other animal, we are curious: constantly playing, driven to explore. We are visual: our eyes perceive depth, see in full color, recognize patterns and orient us in space. We are tactile: we grasp the world, and create it anew, with our agile hands. We are social: we live in groups; we need each other, and we love to talk to each other. And we are intellectual: we split the world into categories and understand the connections between them. How did we become such exceptional animals? My hypothesis is that these abilities originated long before we ever walked upright on the ground. They evolved as adaptations in our pre-human ancestors – primates who lived in the trees – precisely because trees are such an exceptionally complex environment to live in. READ MORE

LAST WORD(S)

This story involves protesters in Okinawa trying to stop a military base development there that endangers coastal mangroves as well as wildlife, such as the endangered manatee.
 
Ladies and Gents:  Sample of letter sent to nine council members.
Trevor Ozawa, chair of the Executive Matters and Legal Affairs Committee has concerns about Resolution 15-322, Democracy for Okinawa! and has blocked the resolution from being heard
We will continue to keep you informed.
Aloha, Ed
———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 7:08 AM
Subject: Resolution 15-322, Democracy for Okinawa!
To: Trevor Ozawa <tozawa@honolulu.gov>
 
Hello, EMLA Chair Ozawa:
Several weeks ago, we introduced you to Fumiko Shimabukuro, the 86-year-old lady in Okinawa protesting against the new airbase in Henoko, who survived flame torching in a refuge cave by U.S. soldiers in the Battle of Okinawa 70 years ago.  All she wants now is peace and no more wars.  See her recent photo enveloped in the Hawaii flag.
Fumiko's protest movement has now made the Washington Post:
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/02/08/protest-voices-okinawans-have-been-treated-like-we-are-disposable-for-too-long/
 
Mahalo for your support of the resolution.
Aloha,
Edward Kuba
Robert Nakasone
John Tasato
Goodwill Ambassadors of Okinawa