Beach Please & Nridhar Foundation Organise Weekly Mangrove Clean-ups In Mumbai

Mangroves are a critical forest ecosystem, mainly found on the coastlines in tropical and subtropical areas. Healthy mangrove forests are essential to a healthy marine ecology. Several endangered species are native to mangrove forests, as they provide necessary habitat for various marine and terrestrial flora and fauna. From fighting climate change to preserving fisheries and coastlines worldwide, mangroves the world's most indispensable and interconnected environments. But over the years, mangrove ecosystems have been decreasing rapidly due to extensive urbanization, deforestation activities along coastlines, and several other reasons. Thus, accelerating climate changes & rising flood occurrences along coastlines. Mangrove deforestation has also led to the salinization of coastal soil & threat to several migratory bird species.

Being a coastal city, Mumbai was once surrounded by thousands of acres of velvety green mangrove forests that acted as a barries between the city and the Arabian Sea. Rapid urbanization & population surge have been the main reason for the decreasing mangroves along Mumbai's coastline. Recent reports reveal that Mumbai lost almost 40% of its mangroves between 1991 & 2001, i.e., approximately 9,000 acres. The decreasing mangroves in Mumbai are among the primary reasons for increasing floods & water-logging issues that occur every monsoon. Gaging this situation, Beach Please & Nridhar Foundation took up the initiative to organize weekly mangroves clean-ups along the coastline of Mumbai. Through this initiative, they have managed to discard 3 tonnes of garbage from the city's mangroves. 

" I think we've been talking a lot about climate change, but we fail to realize the fact the mangrove ecosystem plays a crucial role in controlling climate change. They trap more carbon dioxide than any other tree on this planet. Destructing the mangrove ecosystem accelerates climate change & releases more carbon dioxide trapped by the mangrove." says Malhar Kalambe, Founder of Beach Please.

With sea levels rising inevitably, Mumbai's mangroves are more crucial now than ever. A recent study by climate change researchers predicts most parts of Mumbai will be underwater by 2050 if global carbon emissions don't reduce. As citizens, we ought to take sustainable steps towards environmental & water conservation. Take the Har Ek Boond pledge by logging on to www.republicworld.com or give a missed call to 1800-120-887788. Let's save water as every drop counts.