Seashore Restoration

  

SEASHORE RESTORATION THROUGH NATIVE BEACH VEGETATION

MLA biologists tried to protect the seashore from tidal surge that was regular in every monsoon very high spring tide. MLA simply conducted plantation by goatsfoot Ipomea pes caprae (a creeper that naturally occurs along tropical sea shore), and screwpine(Pandanus sp.). It was a demonstration plot. During the last 20 years, the screw pine strip along the coast of St. Martin Island has been destroyed. Ultimately nothing could save the country only very significant screw pine vegetation. But tall Casuarina tree, finally initiate the erosion process during monsoon when heavy rain and strong wave swipes away the beach and Casuarina root systems become exposed, and the tall tree is unable to stand due to heavy weight, ultimately falling and erosion increasing. This is happening along the entire coast of Sonadia and Cox’s Bazar, where the trees are at least 30-40 feet high. To overcome this problem from MLA, we emphasized and discussed the matter to high officials of Forest Departments and requested to take program planting Screwpine bordering all Casuarina vegetation. As demonstrations, we started planting screw pine, and the seeds were collected from St. Martin Island. Figure 8.1. Natural Screwpine vegetation at St. Martin Island (top); uprooted Casuarina at Diabetic Point Cox’s Bazar during monsoon (Middle) and Screwpine plantation by MLA at Cox Bazar & Sonadia.