Building Coastal Resilience towards Disasters:

Integration of Coastal Bio-shield and Information Communication Technology

Project Area: Coastal district of Tamil Nadu SEEDS Regional Centre, Pulicat

June 15, 2010

National Consultation on Climate Smart Disaster Risk

Management

Context and Condition

Tamil Nadu has a coastline of about 1,076 kms which is about 15% of the coastal line of India.

The unique geo conditions of the State make this region the most vulnerable to natural disasters.

Tamil Nadu is highly vulnerable to Drought, Cyclones and Floods.

The coastal area of Bay of Bengal in India is situated in the most vulnerable zone V of tropical storms and cyclones.

Highly vulnerable ecosystems due to natural disasters like cyclone, heavy rainfall, flooding and water

stagnation, freshwater depletion, shore line erosion and sea water intrusion etc.

Context and Condition……

The data shows between 1891 to 1990 nearly 262 cyclones (92 severe) in a 50 km wide strip occurred on the East Coast, indicates that on average, a moderate to severe cyclone hits the Tamil Nadu coast every two years.

In the year 2005 alone, 9 cyclonic storms crossed Tamil Nadu and Andhra coast in a three month period.

Community Based Coastal Bio-Shields

Mangrove Bio-Shields

Non Mangrove Bio-Shields

Community Based Coastal Bio-Shields

As expressed by the fisher folks during regular consultation…

Bio-Shield (Vegetation Belt)

Vegetation between sea and living habitat

Barrier for Sea borne calamities Shore line erosion Storm surge Sand dust

Useful as Shelter Ecological services - Landscape restoration

method, restoration of sand dunes, ground water source, coastal biodiversity

Economic value -timber and sand bar cultivation

Feasibility of establishing Bio-shield in 29 fishing hamlets of Tiruvallur District and Chennai

Discussion with the community leaders, fisher women and men of all hamlets and Panchatyat raj leaders

Selected five fishing hamlets to start the pilot work

Identification of Project Site

Light House Village Panchayat

The northern most coastal village panchayat of Tamil Nadu

Consists of 11 hamlets -Communities of Pattinavar, (MBC) traditional fishing community (predominant), Parayar, (SC) Yanadi (ST), Yadava, Mudaliar, Muslims all MBC) inhabit.

Seven Hamlets have rights over the sea shore –located on the beach front

Five Hamlets acceptance to establish Bio-shield Plantation

Two though willing technically not-feasible

Consultation/Planning with Village Communities Discussion with the traditional

community leaders/villagers about the modalities of establishing bio-shield plantation

Their earlier experience immediately after tsunami

Partial success in four villages

Failure in other villages – Intervention limitation

Consultation/Planning with Village Communities Demands made by the community

Strong fencing for the plantation Support assurance unlike the earlier NGO Regular monitoring support till the plants are stabilized

by SEEDS

Consultation/Planning with Village Communities Action plans made along with the community leaders

Species selection and Space selection Compromise on fencing methods Post care management like Planting, watering of the

tree saplings Continuous monitoring as collaborative effort-

Communities and Seeds

SEEDS Technical Support

Biophysical Survey

Suitable area available for plantation Existing plant diversity and plant not existing in the

area but suitable for bio-shield Available water sources Traditional sand dune formation etc

Agronomic practices for post care management

Soil fertility, judicious water supply, pest and disease management and promotion of sand bar cultivation to produce vegetable crops

Bio-Shield Planting and Post Care Management

Information on Community Bio-Shield Multi species

Casuarinas (1m), Pungamia (4m), Thespesia (4m), Neem(4m), and Coconut (5m)

Badam and local variety…as requested by the community

Bio-shield plots Identified by the Oor Panchayat

Maintenance and Management Arranged and organized by the Oor Panchayat Involving respective villagers and also neighbouring villagers

Value addition Sand bar cultivation (only in two plots) Vegetables – Flat beans, Bendi, tomato, brinjal, green and water

melon

Community Responsibility Since Dec 2009, village leaders manage and maintain the Bio-shield Community bio-shield joint accounts were opened in the local bank Village representatives nominated by community leaders operate the

account Fence Maintenance , plantation monitoring – Community

Leader/SEEDS

Koonan Kuppam, planted in October 2008

Plots – 4Area – 11747 sq mts

Casuarinas – 1940Pungama – 45Thespesia – 52Neem – 43Coconut – 155Two bores

Watering and safe guardingTwo Yanadi families 50% SEEDS 50% Village

TM Nagar, planted in November 2008

Plots – 4Area – 5694 sq mts

Casuarinas – 1543Pungama – 69Thespesia – 55Neem – 29Coconut – 108Two Bores

Watering and safe guarding Two Yanadi families80% SEEDS 20% Village

Nadu Kuppam, planted in November 2008

Plots – 2Area – 2232 sq mts

Casuarinas – 873Pungama – 16Thespesia – 19Neem – 16Coconut – 29

One Bore

Watering and safe guardingTwo Persons 80% SEEDS 20% Village

Arangem Kuppam, planted in December 2008, Neem and Coconut in February 2009Plots – 2

Area – 8088 sq mts

Casuarinas – 1874Pungama – 45Thespesia – 62Neem – 52Coconut – 67

Two Bores

Watering and safe guarding9 persons 80% SEEDS 20% Village

Vairavan Kupam, planted in December 2008, Neem and Coconut in January 09

Plots – 2Area – 7800 sq mts

Casuarinas – 2472Pungama – 59Thespesia – 52Neem – 39Coconut – 141

Two Bores

Watering and safe guardingTwo Families 80% SEEDS 20% Village

Bio-Shield impact during May 2010 “Lyla” Cyclone

Replication of Bio-Shield by Karimanal a non intervention village

Self initiated through knowledge about SEEDs intervention

Community consultation with SEEDS

Working with the community to make multi species

Adding Economic Value to Bio-Shield: Sand Bar Cultivation model

In November 2009 Sand bar cultivation was initiated in two plots of Vairavan Kuppam

Sand bar cultivation

Small patch of .75 meter x 1meter size with a depth of .45 meter is dug out in the sea sand between the trees in the Bio-shield plantation

Mixture of Red sand and compost manure is filled in it

Vegetable seeds are sown and grown in these patches

Adding Economic Value to Bio-Shield: Sand Bar Cultivation Model

Harvest At Vairavan Kuppam South plot

Brinjal, Bendi, Lap lap, green, tomato and water melon seeds were sown

In period of three months the yield shared by the villagers Bendi – 26 kg around ½ Kg per plant Lap lap – 10 kg around 400 gram plant Greens – 4 kg for three pits Tomato – 8kg around400 gram plant

Information Empowerment to promote community resilience

Strengthen the resilience of theses communities through effective knowledge based information through mobile telephony and Village Information and Knowledge Centre.

The intervention pertaining to is objective was extended to all the eleven hamlets of light house village panchayat

Discussion about the objectives with all the village community leader

Information need analysis amongst the community Fishing, Health, Education and employment, legal issues,

development schemes

Mobile Telephony – voice mail based information empowerment

On January 26th in partnership with

IKSL – IFFCO Kisan Sanchar ltd and M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation - voice mail broadcast was started

Had detailed consultation with the local communities

About 500 green SIM card have been distributed to all the villages and fishing community network was created

Mobile Telephony – Voice Mail based Information Empowerment On time information support - Daily five messages are recorded

and transmitted – weather forecast, market information etc Wave direction and height, Wind direction and speed, Potential Fishing Zones Fish prices in other Market Information about fisheries schemes, general schemes, health,

education etc

Feedback – fishermen perceives the information are very useful Individuals are approaching for sim card and willing to get in to

the network Working on more content generation with regard to

Sustainable fisheries to meet and educate the fishing communities

Village Information and Knowledge Center

Consultation with community leaders and the elected local body

Community provided the building Infrastructure

Resource material on Fishing resources Computer with internet facilities

A management committee comprising of representatives from all the eleven hamlets Information managers Computer literacy Environment sustainability

Community Awareness on disaster risk reduction and climate change

At Present

Thank You

SEEDS15/A First Floor,

Institutional Area, Sector-IV, R.K. Puram

New Delhi-110022, IndiaT: 91-11-26174272 www.seedsindia.org