West Bengal

training to contribute to the project. The enhanced ecosystem services will generate greater food items and timber products. The green corridor is expected to provide safe cover to the Royal Bengal Tiger population.

Women’s SHGs have been brought into the fold for nursery management and planting. Local practices and knowledge have been optimised to identify mangrove propagules with the potential to plan nursery management strategies. For instance, bamboo poles and fishing nets have been used to create ad-hoc barriers against grazing. The local calendar is used to design the plantation schedule based on the moon’s phases and tidal patterns. Trenches and ‘fish-bone channels’ have been developed to trap newly-created silt to provide improved germination for the mangrove propagules. Research has been conducted to identify fauna that is complementary to mangrove cover and can not only help bind the soil better but is also viable in high-salinity regions.