More encouraging news to mark World Mangrove Day. Trinidad and Tobago’s Environmental Policy Planning Division, in conjunction with the Institute of Marine Affairs, recently organized a mangrove planting activity on Trinidad’s west coast:

Dozens of volunteers descended on the Brickfield mudflats, Orange Field in Carapichaima [on June 24, 2018] to plant mangrove saplings in an effort to prevent further erosion along the western coastline.

The project is an initiative of the Ministry of Planning and Development through its Environmental Policy Planning Division and the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) to commemorate World Day to Combat Desertification which was observed on June 17.

IMA deputy director Dr Rahanna Juman, who was busily directing the replanting efforts, said the Brickfield area was chosen because of the evident coastal erosion.

She said the mangrove replanting was the first time such a project was done locally as Trinidadians were now beginning to understand the effects of coastal erosion and climate change.

“We are having a volunteer session this morning where people have volunteered to come out and help us plant mangroves in this area in Brickfield to help stabilise these headlands and to stabilise the coast.”

She said the mangrove trees helped to protect the coastline by dissipating wave energy and holding the sediments together along the coast as well as acting as a windbreak.

“So basically they form our first line of defence against things like storm surge and sea level rise.

Read more in the report from Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

[Image: Vashti Singh via Trinidad and Tobago Newsday]