It was a proud moment when UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) announced the 2023 Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management to Jagdish S Bakan on World Environment Day on June 5. Jagdish, Wildlife Warden and Director of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust of Ramanathapuram is the first Indian to receive this award. He presented his case study at the award ceremony in Paris on June 14.
This #EnvironmentDay, we are so happy to announce that Jagdish Bakan, Director of Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve will be awarded the 2023 #MichelBatisseAward for #BiosphereReserveManagement!@jagdishbakanIFS will present his case study at the award ceremony in Paris on June 14. pic.twitter.com/nxNge8hjIf
— UNESCO New Delhi ️ #Education #Sciences #Culture (@unesconewdelhi) June 5, 2023
The biennial award function took place during the MAB (Man And Biosphere) council where Jagadish also received US$ 12,000 in memory of Dr Michel Batisse for their outstanding achievements in biosphere reserve management. Jagdish presented the key findings of his case study, ‘Development of Sustainable Livelihood and Community-Based Biodiversity Conservation and Environment Protection.’ The study focuses on conserving the Gulf of Mannar, which is degrading due to anthropogenic habitat destruction, over-harvesting of various resources, and potential localised land-based marine pollution.
In an interview with TNM, Jagdish explained what this study means to local community members and conservation.
What are the major threats to the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere?
The unsustainable use of marine biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, marine plastic pollution, wildlife entanglement in a fishing net, illegal wildlife trade, and lack of ecosystem are the critical threats to marine ecology in many parts of the state. To address these issues, we took a lot of initiatives including creating awareness of the significance of the biodiversity of the Gulf of Mannar reserve, developing a community-based plastic control drive, community development efforts with natural resources management and restoration of mangroves, coral reefs, seagrasses, with the help of local community members and forest officials.
Tell us about the green jobs that this project generated
The project has created jobs for 7,788 members and 7,243 of them are women. Nearly Rs 26.4 crore of microcredit was provided to empower the local communities. We have established six community-based projects (four ecotourism and two plastic-free zones) under this project. In all four ecotourism spots, the women members from Self Help Groups run canteen services for the tourists. Community members are involved in creating land-derived sustainable products such as palm craft and palm jaggery and marine-derived sustainable products such as shell artefacts, fish pickles, and more products
What contributions have been made by local community members to conserve this biosphere?
To make conservation projects more efficient, nearly 36,000 members from Self Help Groups and members of 252 Eco Development Committees are closely working with the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust. We started two community-led models of plastic control programmes to reduce the amount of plastic entering the sea. Dhanushkodi and Ervadi areas were declared as plastic-free zones where plastic usage was controlled and collected at the check posts.
Apart from these, residents from the coastal villages were deployed to remove invasive species from shores and seabed. So far, along with forest personnel, they have planted 70,000 mangrove saplings on 70 hectares of degraded land. They also helped in transplanting coral reefs and seagrass in 600 square metres and 1,000 square metres of the sea, respectively.
A lot of marine wildlife rescues are being carried out by forest staff and fishermen and we give cash rewards to such fishermen. To spread awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation, the forest department widely uses the community radio station Kadal Osai FM.
Fishermen are coming forward to conserve nature. Also, the fishermen's communities possess traditional knowledge of conservation. They know that good fish catch will come only if the marine ecosystem is healthy and diverse.