Various scientific evidences worldwide have demonstrated the impacts of climate change. It is speculated to be harsher on the marginal communities who inhabit some of the biologically rich but ecologically fragile coastal areas and who are dependent on their resources for their livelihoods. Mangrove, salt marsh and seagrass ecosystems are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, including South Asia and Southeast Asian countries. However, these resources and their ecosystems are the least studied coastal habitats in these regions. They are the source of livelihoods of a third of the region’s population since these ecosystems provide shelter, food and habitat for economically important fisheries, and control coastal erosion that helps to increase marine productivity via reducing coastal suspended pollutants. More recent research findings suggest that they are an effective line of defense against the impacts of climate change. But, due to their shallow (<10 m) existence in the inter-tidal and sub-tidal zone, these two ecosystems are being affected by rising sea level and increasing of temperature. The present project investigates how these climate change variables and their impacts, may affect the sustainability of the goods and services of coastal communities derived from salt marsh and seagrass ecosystems. The results of the project would be useful as a base for a more issue-based, action oriented, conservation and management research programmes, guidelines and policies.
Project • ARCP2012-19NSY-Kamal