Minister Visited Coastal Restoration Site - Model for Coastal Restoration

The pilot ecorestoration process was implemented with the participation of local community in the region incorporating MNREGA scheme and finished restoration of one coastal ecosystem i.e. stream draining directly to the sea. This has been announced as a model program by Mr. Saji Cherian, Honorable Minister of Fisheries, Government of Kerala appreciating the effort of involving local Panchayath and women incorporating MNREGA. The local community demanded planting niche profiled tree composition in the coastal belt as a vegetation belt along the coast near to the sea wall as a barrier against coastal erosion as envisaged in the detailed project report (DPR). This has been started with the involvement of the local community through the MNREGA scheme and continuing. Local communities and Grama Panchayath in the nearby region also demand the same understanding of the replicability of the process with careful input on the species composition to be planted. This also has very informative scientific potential especially in the time of climate change. This could be one of the best and unique niche specific ecorestoration processes involving local communities in the tropical country.