How Gujarat's villagers turned mangroves into a natural coastal shield

Join conversation View All Comments → Share your thoughts in the comments Insightful Agree Disagree Skeptical Concerning Promising Worth Reading Big Development Post Comment Be respectful · TOI community guidelinesIn the 1980s, when much of Gujarat’s coastline was losing its mangrove cover, some coastal communities began protecting the few patches that remained. By 1999, that figure had more than doubled to 1,031 sq km. It reached 1,164.06 sq km in 2023, making Gujarat home to nearly one-quarter of India's mangrove cover. In several parts of Gujarat, conservation efforts have involved coastal communities in protecting and regenerating mangrove areas. That local involvement matters because mangroves occupy a difficult landscape — one constantly shaped by tides, salinity, grazing, cutting and human activity.The government has now taken the approach nationwide through MISHTI, launched in 2023 to restore and promote mangrove ecosystems along India's coast.

Source: Times of India September 13, 2026 12:45 UTC