Grants :: Small Grant Facilities :: Enroute Food Security
Enroute Food Security
To demonstrate that the preservation of mangroves is essential to maintaining a healthy ecosystem, through:
1. Increased community awareness in Village Mani Hor, Lasi Kund, Somniani Balochistan on the importance of conservation of mangroves.
2. Introduction of marine aquaculture as an alternative livelihood source.
The project was undertaken to promote mangrove conservation in Balochistan and to demonstrate to the community at Mani Hor the link between income generation and sustainable management of mangroves. The project site is an inland estuary with an abundant supply of existing mangroves and smaller estuaries emanating from the main inland waterway. It was therefore felt to be suitable for the purposes of the project particularly given a decline in community income from traditional sea fishing due to overfishing and the lack of community knowledge on environmental conservation. The project aimed at creating an understanding of the long- term benefits of conservation, marine aquaculture farming methods and their benefits. It was also intended at demonstrating to the communities the link between mangrove conservation and economic prosperity, and also ensuring that a system of management, maintenance and policing was implemented at the community level.
The local residents of Mani Hor Village.
1. Demonstration of the importance of mangroves conservation relative to economic growth.
2. Demonstration of the life cycle of fish and spawning grounds in mangroves.
1. The project has held a number of awareness-raising meetings with the community on the preservation of mangroves and their direct benefit to aquaculture production. The emphasis has been on showing that young fry are collected from the mangroves.
2. Pontoons of four cages were launched.
3. The fishermen who were to look after the cages were familiarized with the objectives of the intervention and trained in methods of installation of cages.
Communications
The project developed presentations as part of its awareness-raising activities on marine ecosystems and mangroves.
Gender equality
The project ensured that women were involved in community trainings and in fish farming techniques.
Climate change
The project has sensitized the local community on the importance of mangroves and other natural resources.
1. The project implementation was hampered by weather. The sea was at times too choppy to launch boats; as such the project had to wait for abatement of the monsoon tides.
2. The project also needed to work around the availability of fishermen.
3. Security concerns have remained a key constraint in timely implementation of activities. Access to the target village was hindered over several weeks owing to the security issues related to movement of staff and experts from Karachi to the project site.
Sonmiani, Balochistan, Pakistan
1st Nov 2011 to 30th Jun 2012
PKR 860,000
Indus Earth Trust
Shahid Sayeed Khan
Address: 1C 34th Street, Tauheed Commercial,
Phase V, DHA, Karachi
Email: 63skhan@gmail.com
Tel: + 92 3586 4344
MFF