A mangrove trail in Kochi aims to fight tidal flooding Premium

A mangrove trail in Kochi fights tidal flooding by converting mangrove preservation activities into economic resilience building activities for the coastal communities

Sunshine filters through a canopy of aerial roots, branches, and the blue sky, as our canoe courses leisurely through narrow, green waterways. A palpable silence arches over the four square kilometres of swampy forest. “Mangroves are among the most productive marine ecosystems on earth and provide a unique habitat for many species,” says naturalist Gishnu Mohan, leading the mangrove trail at Malippuram in Vypeen.

Conceptualised by not-for-profit Resilient Destinations Foundation, India (RDF) and operated by The Blue Yonder the trail aims to convert mangrove preservation activities into economic resilience building activities.

“We work with communities impacted by tidal flooding and develop climate resilience. These are then tweaked into consumable products. This is our latest venture,” says Gopinath Parayil of RDF. The trail was launched in January 2023.

On the boat is also Murugesan, a skilled fisherman and mason from Malippuram, who has made planting and tending mangroves his life mission. Every time the tide rises, his courtyard is flooded with water.

He has so far planted over a lakh of saplings and distributed as many mangrove tree seeds, a feat that made him one of the portraits featured in the documentary  From The Brink, about the people affected by climate change and ensuing disasters in coastal Ernakulam. The documentary was screened recently at the mega art event, Kochi Muziris Biennale.

“There’s a science behind mangroves and Murugesan knows that,” says Sreeja KG, research director with EQUINOCT, which provides solutions to climate change challenges, and CEO of RDF. She adds, “We use his knowledge and learning to mitigate the effects of tidal flooding.”

Called Sunny day flooding or nuisance flooding, tidal flooding is chronic but it has not been declared in the state list of disasters by the government. Explaining how climate change has altered its pattern, Sreeja says, “The sea now enters the courtyards or homes and refuses to leave... Issues have so far remained unaddressed but there’s a change after the 2018 Kerala Floods.”