Kerala is opening up a new battlefront in the war against climate change. The State has secured funding from the Union government for a project to revive 600 hectares of coastal wetlands for climate-resilient farming.
The Rs.25-crore project seeks to restore and manage 300 hectares of Pokkali wetlands in Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Alappuzha districts and 300 hectares of Kaipad wetlands in Kannur for carbon sequestration and production of paddy and fish. The integrated farming practice will be promoted to build resilience to climate change and provide more income for farmers and local communities. The rotation of rice farming and fish aquaculture is also expected to improve land use efficiency and minimise land degradation.
The project has been cleared for financial assistance from the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change and will be implemented by the Agency for Development of Aquaculture, Kerala, (ADAK) over a period of four years.
It involves the construction of earthen bunds along the margin of rivers and backwaters and along the periphery of paddy polders to withstand sea level rise, floods, and tidal surges triggered by global warming and climate change. Sluice gates would be provided to regulate the water level and facilitate fish farming. Suitable species of mangroves would be planted to protect the bunds from damage due to heavy rain and flooding.
“The revival of coastal wetland farming is also expected to generate employment opportunities for women,” says U.S. Sajeev, Executive Director, ADAK.
The project report estimates an annual production of 1,500 tonnes of paddy and 2,250 tonnes of fish from the 600 hectares of coastal intertidal wetlands, generating a total revenue of Rs.24.75 crore. It would also generate 1,08,000 man days of employment every year, of which 43,200 would be for women.
The farmers will be supplied with tall, salt tolerant varieties of paddy and euryhaline fish that can adapt to a wide range of salinities.
Currently, only 400 hectares of Kaipad wetlands in Kannur are under farming while the Pokkali paddy- shrimp cultivation is prevalent in 2,200 hectares in Ernakulam, Thrissur and Alappuzha districts. According to ADAK, a total of 1,100 hectares of Kaipad land and 5,765 hectares of Pokkali fields can be revived.
