- Lighthouse Foundation
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- India: Palk Bay Center from project to institution
India: Palk Bay Center from project to institution
What is at issue:
It began in 2005 with the mangrove reforestation on the Tamil Nadu coast in southern India. Vedharajan Balaji, founder of the OMCAR Foundation, mobilized the coastal communities to raise seedlings and gradually replant the deforested coast. Since then, the Lighthouse Foundation has supported the project in India.
But that's not all: In order to achieve a sustainable use of the coastal region in the future, social and economic factors are crucial in addition to ecological requirements.
In 2011, Balaji founded the "Palk Bay Center", which brings nature and sustainability closer to children and adults and which has gained special importance as a social meeting place for the people of the region. Today, the centre is an institution and starting point for projects to improve both the living conditions of the people on the Tamil Nadu coast and the ecological condition of the region.
The director of Omcar Foundation, Dr. Vedharajan Balajii, introduces his work.
What's happening now:
September 2024
Conservation and community work are currently the focus. The focus is on the endangered dugongs and the importance of seagrass beds and mangroves.
Mangrove planting will continue and development on the ground will be carried out using drones to capture detailed images for analysis.
OMCAR shared its experience in dugong and seagrass meadow conservation with international delegates. Participants were introduced to eco-friendly seagrass restoration techniques using bamboo frames and jute ropes and taught local fishermen the importance of these ecosystems for their livelihoods.
Community consultation meetings in Ponnagaram and Muthurajapuram continued to document the needs and challenges of villagers who depend on seagrass resources for fishing and daily wages. Meetings with villagers for whom intact seagrass beds are essential for fishing and daily livelihoods contributed to the development of sustainable solutions for seagrass management in the future.
Mangrove seeds continued to be sown and the seagrass nurseries were supported. The handover of handcrafted, traditional boats to fishermen in Vallavanpattinam is intended to support sustainable fishing practices.
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