Publication

Abstract : This chapter examines the multifunctional benefits of mangrove ecosystems and their benefits as being revealed by different communities who have been part of the mangrove restoration activities in Gujarat promoted by the state government. The chapter is based on an empirical survey of 227 households covering seven villages spread over four districts around the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambhat, viz., Kutch, Surat, Anand and Bharuch. The analytical frame of the study is conceived on the principles of multifunctionality of mangrove ecosystems, including their critical role in the provision of ecosystem services, besides the tangible and intangible benefits reportedly enjoyed by the coastal communities in the study villages. This chapter also tries to explore how different communities perceive the tangible and intangible benefits of the mangrove restoration activities going on in the state. It then discusses some of the critical issues that need serious attention for sustaining the regeneration and conservation efforts in the villages. As the communities are different in terms of socioeconomic status and occupational structure, their perceptions of the benefits from mangroves differ, leading to differences in attitudes towards the conservation of mangrove ecosystem. This is further constrained by the impediments faced by the village communities in accessing the multiple benefits of mangroves. Eventually, the entire mangrove restoration process seems to be deficient in terms of the lack of initiatives by the state agencies in creating a social space for collective action, facilitating further expansion and sustainable conservation of mangrove ecosystems in the region.