Kerala - Kochi   

Bio-shields for two tsunami-hit villages

Defence against disaster: Bamboo can serve as a bio-shield as well as a source of livelihood.

KOCHI: Researchers are all set to create bio-shields along two tsunami-hit coastal villages of Thrissur and the Bharathapuzha river basin and evaluate the carbon sequestration potential of various plant species used in bio-shields.

The State government has given the green signal for the Rs.1.08-crore Thrissur project to the researchers of the Kerala Forest Research Institute in this regard.

Bio-shields are strips of trees and shrubs grown along the coasts to protect coastal areas from high velocity winds and waves.

They serve as sand binders and also reduce wind speed during cyclones. Bio-shields also prevent the entry of seawater into the mainland during cyclones and tsunami, according to researchers.

Under the project, bio-shields will be created on the Ganeshamangalam beach in Kadannappally panchayat along a 10-km-long stretch.

A bio-shield extending up to 20 km will be created along the Manakkakadavu beach in Kadappuram panchayat. M. Balagopal, head of the Soil Science Department of the institute, will lead the team of researchers in the project.

Bio-shields can also be used for carbon sequestration – the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen back to the atmosphere. The process is considered a crucial step in mitigating impacts of climate change, as carbon dioxide emission is one of the key contributing factors to global warming.

Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store them as carbohydrates in leaves and roots, thus reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere.

Some of the plant varieties, especially forest species, are found to be having more carbon sequestration capability. The carbon sequestration capability of the plant varieties in bio-shields will also be monitored for a few years, said Dr. Balagopal.

The bio-shields can also serve as a source of livelihood to the local communities. Commercial species such as bamboos and casuarina can be sold when it reaches the end of its working life.

The income will often be more than enough to pay for the replanting, he said.

In a different project, the researchers plan to create bio-shields along a 50-km stretch in the Bharathapuzha river basin covering six panchayats.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has offered to sanction a Rs.1.08-crore project, Dr. Balagopal said.

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