PROJECT REPORT
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Dear friend, Thanks to your support, a total of 50,000 trees were planted to restore 20 hectares of land in Bangladesh. Planting trees in areas that have been degraded or deforested helps the environment by accelerating and assuring the re-establishment of healthy forests. Through reforestation, the canopy is restored, ecosystems are made whole, and biodiversity can thrive. None of this would be possible without you. On behalf of everyone at One Tree Planted, thank you! What follows is a report outlining the project you supported in Bangladesh. I hope you enjoy reading it and truly feel the impact you have made.
OVERVIEW
The objective of the Bangladesh 2022 - Sundarbans Mangroves Restoration project was to increase mangrove coverage in the Sundarbans region. The planted trees will increase climate change adaptation and mitigation for the purpose of protecting coastal communities from natural disasters. By reforesting this area, this project aims to reduce riverbank erosion, protect livelihoods, engage the community in the importance of mangrove conservation, and stabilize the overall mangrove ecosystem.
TREES PLANTED 50,000
TREE SPECIES PLANTED 3
FAMILIES BENEFITED 200
HECTARES REFORESTED 20
WOMEN INVOLVED 40 JOBS SUPPORTED 111 VOLUNTEERS INVOLVED 20
ACRES REFORESTED 49 PEOPLE BENEFITED FROM TRAINING 20
TREE SPECIES PLANTED
Three native tree species were planted across 49 acres / 20 hectares for this project: large-leafed orange mangrove (bruguiera gymnorhiza), white mangrove (avicennia officinalis), and nipa palm (nipa fruticans). A 9 step framework for mangrove restoration was followed for this planting. The framework is outlined below: Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR): Step 1: Site selection Step 2: Ensure the involvement of local community Step 3: Land confirmation and preparation Step 4: Fencing of plantation site Step 5: Species selection Step 6: Ensure the quality of the saplings/seeds Step 7: Mangrove saplings plantation according to land alleviation Step 8: Regular nursing, monitoring and guarding Step 9: Ensure the long-term benefit of the local people like mangrove-based livelihood
For species selection (Step 5), choosing the right species for the right position was a key condition of planning a successful planting. These selections were based on information collected during site selection, including soil and water conditions, present vegetation, and mangrove plantation plans designed in collaboration with the local community. Also highly considered was indigenous knowledge of the mangrove ecosystem from technical and local experts. Ultimately, the aforementioned tree species were chosen for optimal suitability with the landscape, and increased likelihood of success. The monitoring and maintenance (Step 8) of these trees will be largely communitybased, as it plays an important role in the long-term result of mangrove planting. Statistics such as number of alive/dead mangroves, average height and leaf number will be collected, as well as investigation into the impairments and/or causes of death in order to course correct appropriately. Overall, our planting partners ensure the guarding and nursing of the planted trees for at least three years post planting.
TREE SPECIES
IDENTIFICATION & USE Large Leafed Orange Mangrove, scientific name Bruguiera gymnorhiza, is one of 80 different species of mangroves worldwide. Of these, 24 species of mangroves are specifically native to the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh. Orange mangrove typically grow to between 6 and 19 meters tall and are a robust species, capable of adapting to many different growing conditions. Orange mangrove bark is fissured, rough and grey-brown in color. Its leaves are large and thick, arranged in opposite pairs and occurring in clumps at the ends of branches. These leaves are bright and glossy above and paler on the under surface. Within each clump of leaves grows a single, vibrant red flower throughout the year from January to March. White Mangrove, also referred to as Avicennia officinalis, is a medium-sized tree that grows anywhere from 12 to 15 meters tall. Its leaves are oblong shaped with a distinctly yellowish-green underside, and its bark is yellow to brownish-grey in color. This species of mangrove’s key feature is its large, orange-yellow flowers that smell rancid. Beyond all these qualities, mangrove’s most distinctive feature is its knobbly, bent knee-shaped pneumatophores — also known as aerial roots — that are above ground and involved in the specie’s gaseous exchange. These roots develop from the underground root system and protrude through the soil surface at intervals. With this special capability, the species grows luxuriantly in places where freshwater mixes with seawater and where sediment is composed of accumulated deposits of mud. Mangroves fulfill a critical role in an ecosystem. Their dense root system serves many purposes, such as providing natural infrastructure that helps protect nearby populated areas by reducing erosion and absorbing storm surge impacts during extreme weather events such as floods and hurricanes. Likewise, mangrove’s intricate root systems make them attractive to marine life and other organisms seeking food and shelter from predators. Another unique feature of mangroves is that, unlike most marginal ecosystems, they are highly productive and dynamic. In fact, mangroves are one of the most capable tree species at sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. Despite mangrove forests accounting for less than 1% of the planet’s surface, these incredible trees are capable of storing up to 10x more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests.
YOUR IMPACT ON THE MAP The Bangladesh 2022 - Sundarbans Mangrove Restoration project supported the planting of 50,000 native mangrove and palm species across 20 hectares just outside Sundarban National Park in south Bangladesh. By restoring the mangrove ecosystem, this planting will bring about numerous benefits to the local coastal community and wildlife, including re-established mangrove habitat, reduced risk of flooding and erosion, and augmented resilience to climate-related disasters.
LANDSCAPE CONTEXT The mangrove forests of the tropical coasts are among the most important and productive ecosystems on the earth. They play an important role in stabilizing the world's climate by high carbon storing capacity — up to 10x more carbon than terrestrial species — and mangrove ecosystems have important ecological, economic, and social values for coastal communities for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Mangroves protect coastal communities from tropical cyclones, floods and erosion. But in recent decades, these productive ecosystems have come under severe pressure. Since 1980, mangrove forest cover has decreased by 20 percent worldwide. The Sundarbans is the single largest mangrove forest in the world, located in the southwestern part of Bangladesh as well as parts of India. With its array of trees and wildlife, the forest is a showpiece of natural history. It is also a center of economic activities for the coastal communities that call it home. Honey, fish-crab, and nipa palm are the main resources of the Sundarbans that people collect for their livelihoods. Once, there were plenty of mangroves in the periphery of the Sundarbans that created a buffer zone, which was beneficial for coastal protection as well as for habitat of wild animals and birds. But that buffer zone no longer exists due to deforestation of mangroves for agricultural land extension, shrimp cultivation, household making, collecting fuel wood and free grazing of livestock. Apart from this, coastal people are also disturbing the mangrove regeneration process by destroying the seedlings; disturbing seeds while catching shrimp fry as well as collecting seeds for cooking fuel. Thus, the mangrove ecosystem in Bangladesh has come under severe pressure due to climatic and anthropogenic reasons. Due to the lack of mangrove protection, tropical cyclones sweep across the Sundarbans, claiming many lives, destroying houses, and damaging agricultural lands. Thanks to donors like you, One Tree Planted has helped our partners achieve monumental change in restoring mangroves through plantation and regeneration, together with the coastal communities. Reforesting these mangroves in the coastal belt creates a mangrove buffer zone, strengthening the embankment and creating alternative, mangrove-based livelihoods for the coastal people. This project’s impact will be critical to supporting the coastal people and surrounding ecosystem, and enhancing the ecological benefits mangroves provide now and in the future.
DOCUMENTING YOUR IMPACT Through authentic and informative storytelling, we help donors relate to the people who plant their trees and to the impact they're making for the planet. We share photos, videos, and updates from our global projects across our social media, website, and other media to create a personal connection to the incredible work happening on the ground.
PHOTOS FROM YOUR PROJECT
OUR WORK CONSERVES MANGROVES AND IN TURN, THESE MANGROVES PROTECT US. FOR THIS REASON, YOUR SUPPORT TO US IS VITAL.
ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems among the tropics, and with their gigantic carbon storage capacity, they help to stabilize the global climate. The thick zone of the mangroves in the Sundarbans acts as a shelterbelt to protect the coastline from devastating cyclones. The dense root system of the mangroves holds sediments during regular water inundation processes, which helps to strengthen the embankment against soil erosion. Over time, it may create a small island through the sedimentation process which keeps pace with the rising sea level. The established sediments then have the capability to store water during heavy rainfall, thereby reducing the charge of coastal flooding. At the same time, mangrove root systems improve water quality by filtering nutrients and other pollutants from the water. This quality water creates the habitat of different aquatic biodiversity. Likewise, the fallen leaves of mangroves create feed for aquatic fauna by decomposing. Some species that are supported and sheltered by mangroves include bees and migratory birds, which helps enrich regional biodiversity.
COMMUNITY
BENEFITS
To ensure the long-term sustainability of a successful mangrove restoration, this project garnered the active participation of the local people. Any kind of conservation initiative becomes more successful and sustainable when local communities are on board, fully understanding the value of their participation and long-term benefits. Our planting partners collaborated with the local community through discussions, outreach education programs about the importance of mangroves and our collective responsibility for conserving it, and preparing and planning for various mangrove restoration activities. Within these restoration tasks, the team developed the skills of the villagers on mangrove-based livelihoods and how to support them to produce non-timber forest products and marketing. Following the planting, these mangroves will support their adjacent community by protecting coastal communities from cyclones and also providing livelihood opportunities. Mangroves are the front-line defender against storm surges, flooding, and cyclones for coastal communities. Thus, this mangrove plantation will promote nature-based solutions. Moreover, they can harvest fish during up streams, have the opportunity for enhanced bee keeping, and can collect and publicize mangrove honey. Additionally, the local community can harvest nipa palm and sell or use them for their own purpose, use mangrove fruits for pickle making, and harvest the dried mangrove leaves to be used for making handicrafts, medicines and tannins. The dried twigs and leaves can also be used for cooking fuel. Overall, mangroves help the local community by maintaining a healthy/ balanced environment, in addition to providing economic benefits. Last but not least, many smallholder farming families of the Sundarban region benefited from working on the fencing and seed sowing activities of the plantation site. By engaging the community in various aspects of this restoration work, we’ve motivated them to continue the restoration activities into the next phases of monitoring and maintenance, culminating in a community approach to long-term mangrove management.
U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTED TO THE FOLLOWING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
WHAT ARE SDGS? Sustainable development entails seeking out solutions that not only boost the economic outcomes of developing and poorer nations, but also work to limit (or eliminate) our impact on the planet. Trees are one such solution. From creating jobs and reducing hunger to improving gender equality, cleaning air and water, absorbing carbon, protecting life on land and water, and more, planting trees can address all 17 sustainable development goals.
"Planting trees here will protect, restore, and conserve Bangladesh's forest and related resources. As the trees grow, they will improve soil and water conservation, store carbon, moderate local climate by providing shade, regulate extreme temperatures, increase wildlife habitat and improve the land's capacity to adapt to climate change.”
Meghan Danny
Global Projects Support Specialist
KM Reyes
Project Manager Asia Pacific