Role of NGOs and CBOs in a Decentralized Mangrove Management Regime and Its Implications in Building Coastal Resilience in India

Abstract

Mangrove forests are the critical coastal ecosystems that are increasingseen as an effective mean of climate change adaptation viz-a-viz.disaster risk reduction in coastal areas. Yet, the very own existence ofmangroves in India are vastly challenged due to heavy biotic pressure,unsustainable practices of forest exploitation and environmentaldegradation despite of significant legislative protection. Followingnearly four decades of a state owned conservative management ofmangroves, India has emerged with the concepts of community basedco-management of mangrove resources (also known as `Joint MangroveManagement') since the last decade. One of the key components of JointMangrove Management (JMM) is the involvement of Non GovernmentalOrganizations (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) indevelopment, conservation and restoration of mangrove resources whichhas been largely described as an ameliorative management of theseexclusive coastal resources. Under this backdrop, this chaptercritically examines the participation of NGOs and CBOs in JMM over thelast decade and attempts to identify their strength, weakness,opportunities and threats in the existing co-management system ofmangrove resources. The analysis leads to the conclusion that despiteCBOs and NGOs being the two major stakeholders in JMM; their role islargely restricted mostly due to lacking of legal and tenurial rights.The chapter concludes with some key recommendations to enhance theirinvolvement in JMM where sharing of statutory rights and integration ofdisaster risk reduction with mangrove conservation remains extremelyimportant in the future course of action.