1. 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
National Consultation on Climate Smart
June 15, 2010 Disaster Risk Management
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6. 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.
7. 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.
10. 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
As expressed by the fisher folks during regular consultation…
11. Identification of Project Site
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
12. 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
13. 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
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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
18. 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
19. Koonan Kuppam, planted in October 2008
Plots – 4
Area – 11747 sq mts
Casuarinas – 1940
Pungama – 45
Thespesia – 52
Neem – 43
Coconut – 155
Two bores
Watering and safe guarding
Two Yanadi families
50% SEEDS 50% Village
20. TM Nagar, planted in November 2008
Plots – 4
Area – 5694 sq mts
Casuarinas – 1543
Pungama – 69
Thespesia – 55
Neem – 29
Coconut – 108
Two Bores
Watering and safe guarding
Two Yanadi families
80% SEEDS 20% Village
21. Nadu Kuppam, planted in November 2008
Plots – 2
Area – 2232 sq mts
Casuarinas – 873
Pungama – 16
Thespesia – 19
Neem – 16
Coconut – 29
One Bore
Watering and safe guarding
Two Persons
80% SEEDS 20% Village
22. Arangem Kuppam, planted in December
2008, Neem and Coconut in February 2009
Plots – 2
Area – 8088 sq mts
Casuarinas – 1874
Pungama – 45
Thespesia – 62
Neem – 52
Coconut – 67
Two Bores
Watering and safe guarding
9 persons
80% SEEDS 20% Village
23. Vairavan Kupam, planted in December 2008,
Neem and Coconut in January 09
Plots – 2
Area – 7800 sq mts
Casuarinas – 2472
Pungama – 59
Thespesia – 52
Neem – 39
Coconut – 141
Two Bores
Watering and safe guarding
Two Families
80% SEEDS 20% Village
25. 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
26. 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
27. 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
28. 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
29. 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
30. 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
31. 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