On International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, these events are themed on the vital aspect of the city’s ecology
Mangroves protect Mumbai from tsunamis and cyclones
Tech away
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Join environmentalist Laxmikant Deshpande of Sanjay Gandhi National Park’s Nature Information Centre today, which is International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, as he talks about how technology can be used to protect mangroves better. Tejashree Joshi, head of environment and sustainability at Godrej and Boyce (G&B), which is organising the event, shares how G&B has designed an app called Mangroves, a first of its kind in Asia, that provides scientific information about different species of flora and fauna that one can find among mangroves. “Plus, drones are used to look for pest attacks and infections, and we use geo-tagging to check the height of trees,” Joshi adds.
Time: 8 pm
Email: [email protected] to register
Raising a voice
Majhi Vasundhara is a State Government organisation that has joined hands with environmental platform Climate Voices to organise a panel discussion on the importance of wetlands. Tune in to catch Virendra Tiwari from the state’s Mangrove Cell, activist Stalin Dayanand and others discuss the issue.
Time: 11.30 am
Log on to: bit.ly/3rcJyio
Staying resilient
The Confederation of Indian Industry and Godrej and Boyce have come together for a webinar on the need to build resilience to climate change by protecting mangroves. It will feature Ravi Agrawal, additional secretary of the Union Government’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Ravindra Singh, director of the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme, among others.
Time: 11 am
Log on to: shorturl.at/nFZ24 to register
Drawing strength
The Mumbai chapter of the non-profit organisation, Mangrove Action Project, is organising a children’s painting competition to mark Mangrove Conservation Day. Selected entries will be featured on their special calendar for 2022. The last date for submissions is July 30. Check out the link below to find out more.
Log on to: mangroveactionproject.org/
Wild tales
We might not notice them, but mangroves provide a habitat for various species of birds and insects. Joshi tells us that it nurtures insects like the crab spider. Also, birds like cattle egret and white-breasted waterhen lose their homes when mangroves are cut down.