Towards nature; An emerging practice
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), underscores that healthy ecosystems are at the epicenter of development, strengthening societal well-being, and economic growth. It is quite conventional that the capitalistic norms of our society prompt us towards economic development, but at what cost? In reality, our unregulated and unsustainable practices cause varying degrees of ecological erosion and climatic shifts, affecting its accompanying ecosystem services i.e., provisioning, regulatory, supporting, and cultural. Highlighted by Eggermont et al. (2015) and Steffen et al. (2015), human activities have been widely acknowledged as reaching levels that could currently result in unanticipated and irreversible environmental alterations proving detrimental to human well-being.
Now, I know if you clicked on this blog post, you are interested in understanding how innovative ecosystem-based approaches can achieve climate resilience and sustainable development. Thankfully, the Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) framework exists.
Let’s jump into nature! – There are varying (NbS) definitions, however, I provide the working definition by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It states; “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits.” This goes hand in hand with Albert Einstein’s saying; “Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.” Accordingly, this approach allows society to ‘look to nature’ in these unprecedented times, as we aim to solve many socio-environmental challenges, thus progressing Einstein`s historic perspective.
According to the IUCN, (NbS) provides a framework that lends support to societies` developmental achievements, while safeguarding human well-being, in a fashion that enhances ecosystem resilience, allowing the innate capacity for renewal, and provisioning of services while reflecting socio-cultural values. It is people and environment-centric, cultivating sustainable solutions which are robust enough to respond to environmental changes and hazards while emphasizing social facets like poverty alleviation, governance principles, and socio-economic development (Eggermont et al. 2015). Thus, the attainment of a sustainable future requires an alternative approach, which is described by Eggermont et al. (2015) as the comprehensive management of socio-ecological systems in tandem, thereby sustaining and increasing the delivery of ecosystem services to mankind, as it sustainably uses nature in solving societal issues.
Now, let`s visualize the (NbS) framework below which identifies key examples.
Nature-Based Solutions Conceptual Framework
Sources:(Irfanullah 2020; Cohen-Shacham et al. 2016)
NbS application; T&T`s mangrove approach towards climate resilience
The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, tells us that developing countries are at the forefront of climate change, and as such, they are taking actions to achieve resilient development via acknowledging the nexus of disaster risk management, climate change, and socio-economic development, by the utilization of Nature-Based Solutions. Bringing it to the home front, Trinidad and Tobago’s coastal mangrove forest is currently emerging as a Nature-based weapon in this 'climatic' war. Take a look at the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) – and their book entitled “Mangrove Forests of Trinidad and Tobago”, underscores the value of T&T`s mangrove forests, as we endeavor to circumvent the multifarious pervasive impacts posed by ongoing climatic disturbances. According to the IMA, it explains how carbon is sequestered in mangroves, conservation management, and the relationship between mangroves their environment. Also, it is written in a non-technical fashion, thereby providing the opportunity for various stakeholders like; land-use planners, decision-makers, and ‘john public’ the access, improved understanding, and overall enjoyment of this pertinent information.
Now, it's time to awaken your inner Ecologist!
Mangroves are taxonomically defined as being a diverse group of salt-tolerant, mainly flowering plants that grow primarily in the tropical and subtropical regions, within the intertidal zones and marine coastal environments, or estuarine margins (McLeod and Salm 2006; Ellison and Stoddart 1991; Duke 1992).
In later terms, simply visualize trees in shallow water like shown below.
Unfortunately, ignorance has inaccurately painted mangroves as useless, unproductive ecosystems and was commonly reduced to being known as ‘smelly wastelands, replete with mosquitoes and diseases’. However, they have many environmental benefits, which were determined via scientific research advancements. Thus, allowing the realization of its emergent use as an ecosystem-based mitigation and adaptation strategy towards reducing climate change vulnerabilities.
Let’s talk about Sustainable Development Goals – (NbS) strategies that are mangrove-centric show alignment with and allow the achievement of the following SDGs and targets, as expressed by the United Nations SDG framework.
SDG 13, which states; “to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”, and targets 13.1, which describes; “the ability to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries” and target 13.b highlighting the need to; “promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in the least developed countries and small island developing States.”
SDG 14, which states; “to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”, and its accompanying target 14.2, which states; “to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems in avoiding significant adverse impacts, strengthening their resilience, and act for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.”
So why mangroves? Firstly, Trinidad`s coastlines are commonly fringed by these ecosystems, with coverages estimated at 7,532 ha (west coast), 1,132.8 ha (east coast), 0.3 ha (north coast), 481.3 ha (south coast), with Tobago having an estimated coverage of 222.9 ha (windward coast), respectively. Such abundance makes mangrove ecosystem conservation a viable option for a Nature-Based Solution in T&T.
Here I offer you some geographical context to connect the dots.
Mangrove coverage in Trinidad and Tobago
Source: (Juman and Ramsewak 2013)
So how do these “water trees” help? For your edification, take a look at two advantages of mangrove forests in the battle for a climate-resilient future.
Environmental advantages are inclusive of Carbon Storage and Coastal Protection. Ensuring the preservation of existing mangrove assemblages, restoration of degraded areas, or creation of new assemblages, can build climate resilience. The IUCN boasts that mangrove forests provide incredible long-term carbon stocks, storing carbon for thousands of years in both the plants and soil beneath. Thus, playing a key role in decarbonizing the atmosphere, removing a major culprit to global warming i.e., CO2. Shedding further light in this regard, Nyanga (2020) and Twilley and Rovai (2019) highlight the mangrove’s ability to store three to four-fold more carbon in comparison to regular terrestrial forests, storing atmospheric carbon and stockpiling during their growth period, ranging from 50 metric tons to as much as 220 metric tons per acre; and on a global scale, this can equate to 24 million metric tons of carbon sequestered per annum, showing an astonishing capacity in offsetting carbon emissions.
Mangroves are coastal defenders; they reduce damages from waves by reducing their energy, storm surges, dissipating winds, and aids in keeping up with rising sea levels. Losada et al. in 2018 documented the mangrove`s ability to reduce wave height as much as 66% over a 100-meter-wide belt, with 50%-100% over a 500-meter-wide mangrove belt, further emphasizing that in low-lying areas, the smallest of reductions can prevent flooding and attendant property damage. Proving increasingly beneficial, as the effects of climate change currently loom over the Caribbean Region; it is expected to have increased storm activity, as well as the region is extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels, threatening many of our coastal human settlements.
Get this – our regional institution, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency – CDEMA affirms that 60% of the Caribbean Region's population and 70% of their attendant economic activities are both located within two (2) miles of their respective coastlines. Thus, resulting in organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank – IDB highlighting the important role coastal ecosystems play in protecting people, infrastructure, and attendant economic activity against flooding, erosion, and rising sea levels, hence persons are increasingly looking towards nature as the first barrier of defense.
Below I give a visualization of how mangroves protect coastal settlements.
Mangrove`s influence on wave height reduction.
Source: (Losada et al. 2018)
The above thus shows an overarching alignment with SDG 11 – target 11.b which underscores the need to; “substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, with the development and implementation, which aligns with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030), and holistic disaster risk management at all levels” – United Nations.
Let’s get into the local action. The image below captures proud local participation in a seedling replanting exercise at the Brickfield mudflats, Couva, Trinidad in 2018, where approximately 1,000 seedlings were replanted to combat the ongoing erosion of the headland, as the Ministry of Planning and Development reiterates that mangrove forests are paramount, in reducing climate change impacts. It shows an environmentally conscious step in the right direction, in ensuring the continued, future existence, of mangrove coastal ecosystems, as a means of climate resilience, sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation.
IMA Mangrove planting exercise - Brickfield mudflats Couva
Source: (Trinidad and Tobago Newsday 2018)
The ‘Naturistic’ Way Forward….
It comes as no surprise that T&T is a Small Island Developing State – SIDS, replete with challenges. Ranging from geographic smallness, limited natural resources, fragile economies and ecosystems, and vulnerabilities to natural hazards. Looking to nature as a means of inspiration for sustainable development and climate resilience is certainly the green way forward. As a Caribbean society, we must endeavour to maintain mangrove ecosystem resilience as an avenue to managing the socio-environmental threats posed by climate change. Therefore, citizens must rather see themselves as extensions of said environment and understand that our sustained existence is heavily based on the resilience of our surrounding ecosystems. If you leave with anything, leave with this – mangroves are robust and complex structures, which holds the key to unlocking a climate-resilient and biodiversity-rich future for Trinidad and Tobago and the wider CARICOM.
Recommended Readings and Websites:
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). 2014. Regional Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM)-Strategy & Results (2014-2024). Building No. 1, Manor Lodge Complex. Lodge Hill, St. Michael, Barbados.
Eggermont, Hilde, Estelle Balian, José Manuel N. Azevedo, Victor Beumer, Tomas Brodin, Joachim Claudet, Bruno Fady, et al. 2015. “Nature-Based Solutions: New Influence for Environmental Management and Research in Europe.” GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 24 (4): 243–48. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.24.4.9.
Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). 2018. “Enhancing Resilience through Nature-Based Solutions.” Accessed May 27, 2021. https://www.gfdrr.org/en/nbs-at-cop.
Irfanullah, H. 2020. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Sustainable Development.
IMA. 2021.“Book Launch: Mangrove Forests of Trinidad and Tobago.” Accessed June 13, 2021. https://www.ima.gov.tt/event/book-launch-mangrove-forests-of-trinidad-and-tobago/.
IUCN. 2020. “Nature-based Solutions” Accessed June 04, 2021. https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-ecosystem-management/our-work/nature-based-solutions.
Juman, Rahanna, and Deanesh Ramsewak. 2013. “Status of Mangrove Forests in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies.” Caribbean Journal of Science 47 (2-3): 291–304. https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v47i3.a18.
Losada, I. J., P. Menéndez, A. Espejo, S. Torres, P. Díaz-Simal, S. Abad, M. W. Beck, S. Narayan, D. Trespalacios, K. Pfiegner, P. Mucke, L. Kirch. 2018. The global value of mangroves for risk reduction. Technical Report. The Nature Conservancy, Berlin.
McLeod, Elizabeth, and Rodney V. Salm. 2006. Managing Mangroves for Resilience to Climate Change. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
Ministry of Planning and Development. 2021a. “New Book Celebrates Mangroves In T&T as Nature-Based Solution to Climate Change.” Accessed June 07, 2021. https://www.planning.gov.tt/content/new-book-celebrates-mangroves-tt-nature-based-solution-climate-change.
Ministry of Planning and Development. 2021b. “Saving Our Biodiversity through Mangrove Replanting in Brickfield.” Accessed June 07, 2021. https://www.planning.gov.tt/content/saving-our-biodiversity-through-mangrove-replanting-brickfield.
Nyanga, Charles. 2020. “The Role of Mangroves Forests in Decarbonizing the Atmosphere.” Carbon-Based Material for Environmental Protection and Remediation, August. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92249.
Steffen, W. et al. 2015. Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science 347/6223. doi:10.1126/science.1259855.
Schueler, Kelsey. 2017. Nature-Based Solutions to enhance coastal resilience. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.2018. “IMA plants mangrove seedlings to curb coastal erosion. “Accessed June 09, 2021. https://newsday.co.tt/2018/06/25/ima-plants-mangrove-seedlings-to-curb-coastal-erosion/.
Twilley, R. and A. Rovai. 2019. Why Protecting ‘blue carbon’ storage is crucial to fighting climate change.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 2021.“Environment: UNDP in Trinidad and Tobago”. Accessed June 05, 2021.
United Nations. 2021. “THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development.” Accessed June 04, 2021. https://sdgs.un.org/goals.